Comments for Creative Project Management Software Blog | Copper Project http://www.copperproject.com/blog Just another WordPress weblog Sat, 18 Sep 2010 06:23:52 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 Comment on Coming Soon – People! (Lets merge Clients, Users, Groups, Contacts) by admin http://www.copperproject.com/blog/2010/09/05/coming-soon-people-lets-merge-clients-users-groups-contacts/comment-page-1/#comment-228 admin Sat, 18 Sep 2010 06:23:52 +0000 http://www.copperproject.com/blog/?p=322#comment-228 HI Boris, Clients module is gone for v5, but in its place will be a functionality that allows you to overview projects per organization anyway.. We really really really need to simplify this area and as scary as the change may seem to you now, know that our biggest fear is removing stuff that is going to make Copper LESS popular ;) Still early days yet, but the theory we're sharing now is designed to generate discussion, and as we move closer to being able to show customers the proposed changes, we'll be able to lock down exactly what the changes will be. Its big, fat, hairy, audacious, but so was the iphone. Thats the kind of market-leading efficiency we want to finally bring with v5. Months away I'd say too, so plenty of time to get it right. HI Boris,

Clients module is gone for v5, but in its place will be a functionality that allows you to overview projects per organization anyway.. We really really really need to simplify this area and as scary as the change may seem to you now, know that our biggest fear is removing stuff that is going to make Copper LESS popular ;) Still early days yet, but the theory we’re sharing now is designed to generate discussion, and as we move closer to being able to show customers the proposed changes, we’ll be able to lock down exactly what the changes will be.

Its big, fat, hairy, audacious, but so was the iphone. Thats the kind of market-leading efficiency we want to finally bring with v5. Months away I’d say too, so plenty of time to get it right.

]]> Comment on Coming Soon – People! (Lets merge Clients, Users, Groups, Contacts) by admin http://www.copperproject.com/blog/2010/09/05/coming-soon-people-lets-merge-clients-users-groups-contacts/comment-page-1/#comment-227 admin Sat, 18 Sep 2010 06:20:34 +0000 http://www.copperproject.com/blog/?p=322#comment-227 Thanks Simon, rest assured the data integrity isn't compromised, we've been cooking up a really powerful structure over here, I think its going to allow the flexibility and control that most if not all of our customers want. Thanks Simon, rest assured the data integrity isn’t compromised, we’ve been cooking up a really powerful structure over here, I think its going to allow the flexibility and control that most if not all of our customers want.

]]> Comment on Coming Soon – People! (Lets merge Clients, Users, Groups, Contacts) by Simon James http://www.copperproject.com/blog/2010/09/05/coming-soon-people-lets-merge-clients-users-groups-contacts/comment-page-1/#comment-223 Simon James Fri, 17 Sep 2010 23:37:01 +0000 http://www.copperproject.com/blog/?p=322#comment-223 The statement "Anyone can create an Organization or a Project..." concerns me greatly, and I hope I have misunderstood what you are saying. Having been an implementation consultant for 14 years for one of the most flexible and powerful ERP systems ever created, I know only too well the dangers of giving users the unconstrained ability to create and amend static data records (e.g. project codes, item codes, transaction types, people) without the need for authorisation. Most of troubleshooting I have had to do was not down to lack of functionality, it was because people created such records oblivious to the fact that they are at odds with crucial systems process or business logic, or contra to a predetermined coding structure. They then happily start posting transactions or performing process tasks linked to this rogue data until someone notices a problem - usually when their reports start going ga ga, or users get access to data that they shouldn't do. In short, the majority of users should have (and only want) just enough permissions and options on the system to enable them to perform their role-specific tasks. For example, purchasing departments should be able to set up supplier records, but not customer records; project managers can set up projects, but not chart of accounts records; lawyers should... uhm... well just chuck themselves under a bus ;-) I certainly couldn't allow clients onto a system where they are free to start creating their own projects etc. And I'm pretty certain they would regard with suspicion, the security of any system that seemingly allows anybody to set up any record they like. As I say, I hope I misunderstood; because what I need are systems where one or two "super users" are in charge of the creation and maintenance of reference data, and everyone else (clients, outsourced workers, trainees, part-timers, untrained users, etc.) can just get on with completing the tasks assigned to them. The statement “Anyone can create an Organization or a Project…” concerns me greatly, and I hope I have misunderstood what you are saying.
Having been an implementation consultant for 14 years for one of the most flexible and powerful ERP systems ever created, I know only too well the dangers of giving users the unconstrained ability to create and amend static data records (e.g. project codes, item codes, transaction types, people) without the need for authorisation.
Most of troubleshooting I have had to do was not down to lack of functionality, it was because people created such records oblivious to the fact that they are at odds with crucial systems process or business logic, or contra to a predetermined coding structure.
They then happily start posting transactions or performing process tasks linked to this rogue data until someone notices a problem – usually when their reports start going ga ga, or users get access to data that they shouldn’t do.
In short, the majority of users should have (and only want) just enough permissions and options on the system to enable them to perform their role-specific tasks. For example, purchasing departments should be able to set up supplier records, but not customer records; project managers can set up projects, but not chart of accounts records; lawyers should… uhm… well just chuck themselves under a bus ;-)
I certainly couldn’t allow clients onto a system where they are free to start creating their own projects etc. And I’m pretty certain they would regard with suspicion, the security of any system that seemingly allows anybody to set up any record they like.
As I say, I hope I misunderstood; because what I need are systems where one or two “super users” are in charge of the creation and maintenance of reference data, and everyone else (clients, outsourced workers, trainees, part-timers, untrained users, etc.) can just get on with completing the tasks assigned to them.

]]> Comment on Coming Soon – People! (Lets merge Clients, Users, Groups, Contacts) by Boris http://www.copperproject.com/blog/2010/09/05/coming-soon-people-lets-merge-clients-users-groups-contacts/comment-page-1/#comment-220 Boris Thu, 16 Sep 2010 20:35:49 +0000 http://www.copperproject.com/blog/?p=322#comment-220 It's OK to make it simpler, but PLEASE don't take away the CLIENTS module - it's a really nice overview of the project portfolio. You could possibly make the PROJECTS view more advanced (add filtering and maybe the ability to choose wich data columns to show (like "project owner", "activity", ...)), but untill then I would really like to keep the CLEINTS module. It’s OK to make it simpler, but PLEASE don’t take away the CLIENTS module – it’s a really nice overview of the project portfolio. You could possibly make the PROJECTS view more advanced (add filtering and maybe the ability to choose wich data columns to show (like “project owner”, “activity”, …)), but untill then I would really like to keep the CLEINTS module.

]]> Comment on Coming Soon – People! (Lets merge Clients, Users, Groups, Contacts) by Dee Baker http://www.copperproject.com/blog/2010/09/05/coming-soon-people-lets-merge-clients-users-groups-contacts/comment-page-1/#comment-219 Dee Baker Thu, 16 Sep 2010 20:05:31 +0000 http://www.copperproject.com/blog/?p=322#comment-219 Sounds like some good changes. One thing that would help us a lot is to be able to assign a Supervisor for a person. We have many projects where the project owner is not necessarily the resource's Supervisor. Because the Supervisor needs to ensure his people are fully utilized he needs to see the tasks his people have assigned to them. Also that supervisor would want to run reports to see what projects his people worked on during the last week or month. It's a whole lot easier if he can select his group of people rather than do it individually or by project. Sounds like some good changes. One thing that would help us a lot is to be able to assign a Supervisor for a person. We have many projects where the project owner is not necessarily the resource’s Supervisor. Because the Supervisor needs to ensure his people are fully utilized he needs to see the tasks his people have assigned to them. Also that supervisor would want to run reports to see what projects his people worked on during the last week or month. It’s a whole lot easier if he can select his group of people rather than do it individually or by project.

]]> Comment on Coming Soon – People! (Lets merge Clients, Users, Groups, Contacts) by Carlos Garcia http://www.copperproject.com/blog/2010/09/05/coming-soon-people-lets-merge-clients-users-groups-contacts/comment-page-1/#comment-200 Carlos Garcia Sat, 11 Sep 2010 21:41:36 +0000 http://www.copperproject.com/blog/?p=322#comment-200 I just started testing Copper (currently using basecamp, looking fwd to change). I like what I see and these changes make sense to me. When and where can we test this new version? Great work Ben! Thanks, Carlos I just started testing Copper (currently using basecamp, looking fwd to change). I like what I see and these changes make sense to me. When and where can we test this new version?

Great work Ben!
Thanks,
Carlos

]]> Comment on Coming Soon – People! (Lets merge Clients, Users, Groups, Contacts) by admin http://www.copperproject.com/blog/2010/09/05/coming-soon-people-lets-merge-clients-users-groups-contacts/comment-page-1/#comment-190 admin Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:44:37 +0000 http://www.copperproject.com/blog/?p=322#comment-190 Hi Pierre, I'm actually going to edit this post above, firstly changing 'groups' to 'organization', and also introducing the merging of Clients/Groups into 'Organization'. I'll explain why above, but effectively we're going to simplify even further. The categories you refer to above will simply be a Person/Organization 'Type'. So an Organization can be 'MyCompany' or it can be 'ACME client' or it can be 'Marketing Department' or it can be 'Special Project Team A'. Similarly a Person can be a contact, or if you select to allow them to log in, then you can set their access permissions and they become a user. So you can have unlimited 'People' in copper, and your license limit is on the number of People-who-can-log-in (e.g. Standard would allow 5 People to log in.) All projects relate to one Organization, All people belong to one or many Organizations. Access is managed at the Organization and Person level (and we have a separate area for switching on/off modules). We're excited about the change, while it will take a little getting used to, it provides a FAR simpler and usable product. I'll post back with some screenshots and we should have a beta in a few weeks. Hi Pierre,

I’m actually going to edit this post above, firstly changing ‘groups’ to ‘organization’, and also introducing the merging of Clients/Groups into ‘Organization’. I’ll explain why above, but effectively we’re going to simplify even further.

The categories you refer to above will simply be a Person/Organization ‘Type’. So an Organization can be ‘MyCompany’ or it can be ‘ACME client’ or it can be ‘Marketing Department’ or it can be ‘Special Project Team A’. Similarly a Person can be a contact, or if you select to allow them to log in, then you can set their access permissions and they become a user. So you can have unlimited ‘People’ in copper, and your license limit is on the number of People-who-can-log-in (e.g. Standard would allow 5 People to log in.)

All projects relate to one Organization, All people belong to one or many Organizations. Access is managed at the Organization and Person level (and we have a separate area for switching on/off modules).

We’re excited about the change, while it will take a little getting used to, it provides a FAR simpler and usable product. I’ll post back with some screenshots and we should have a beta in a few weeks.

]]> Comment on Coming Soon – People! (Lets merge Clients, Users, Groups, Contacts) by Pierre AMEZCUA http://www.copperproject.com/blog/2010/09/05/coming-soon-people-lets-merge-clients-users-groups-contacts/comment-page-1/#comment-189 Pierre AMEZCUA Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:18:28 +0000 http://www.copperproject.com/blog/?p=322#comment-189 Hi Ben, simplifying is always good. Since I am not sure to understand the complete scope of your work, her is a comment of what we currently need: beside user, and groups, we would need categories like Client, Contractor, Employee The reason why these categories would be a plus is to allocate work or projects to outside users Thanks Pierre Hi Ben,
simplifying is always good. Since I am not sure to understand the complete scope of your work, her is a comment of what we currently need:

beside user, and groups, we would need categories like Client, Contractor, Employee

The reason why these categories would be a plus is to allocate work or projects to outside users

Thanks

Pierre

]]> Comment on New Version Out Now, v4.4! by admin http://www.copperproject.com/blog/2010/07/22/project-software-copper-4/comment-page-1/#comment-77 admin Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:30:20 +0000 http://www.copperproject.com/blog/?p=295#comment-77 Thanks Josh. This is the first we've heard of troubles so we'll be in touch via email to work with you on a resolution! Travis Thanks Josh. This is the first we’ve heard of troubles so we’ll be in touch via email to work with you on a resolution!

Travis

]]> Comment on New Version Out Now, v4.4! by Joshua Huisenga http://www.copperproject.com/blog/2010/07/22/project-software-copper-4/comment-page-1/#comment-76 Joshua Huisenga Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:28:15 +0000 http://www.copperproject.com/blog/?p=295#comment-76 The alert is great, except that the little closing "x" doesn't work, so I can't get rid of the alert. The alert is great, except that the little closing “x” doesn’t work, so I can’t get rid of the alert.

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