Interfathom, Chicago, has released TaskMerlin v. 5, a flexible Windows project management application that lets users track projects of all types, from simple to-do lists to huge projects involving teams of workers across the globe.
New features in the version 5 Professional Edition include Gantt charts, which lay out an entire project in a timeline. This allows the management team to track the project’s critical path and assess the impact that any delay will have on the overall project. This feature automatically creates the chart as users enter information and allows editing of the chart itself for rearrangements according to project needs.
Version 5 also adds new flexibility to the design of screens, reports, and data. It’s now easier to create user-defined fields and to change the names of any fields to meet the project’s needs. In addition, the latest release of TaskMerlin lets you tailor online screens to be consistent with each team member’s work assignments. Edit screens, for example, can be restricted to match each individual’s area of responsibility.
The Personal Edition of TaskMerlin, for use on a single PC, costs $75. Prices for the Professional Edition, which provides simultaneous multi-user database access and individual passwords, email settings, popup reminders, filter definitions, and display options begin at $150 per PC, with quantity discounts available.