PERT Chart EXPERT is a Windows-based project management software application that is used to create PERT charts (also known as Network Charts, Precedence Diagrams and Logic Diagrams). A PERT chart displays the tasks in a project along with the dependencies between these tasks. Using a PERT chart is a great way to define and display the dependency relationships that exist between tasks. The order in which tasks occur is an important part of project planning and PERT Chart EXPERT simplifies the process of creating dependencies and displaying dependencies in an easy to follow diagram.

PERT Chart EXPERT can be used for project planning

As a planning tool, use PERT Chart EXPERT to create project plans by clicking and dragging to create tasks and dependencies between tasks. Doubleclick a task to add schedule information like Duration, Start, Finish, Cost, Work, etc. PERT Chart EXPERT automatically calculates when tasks need to occur based on the durations and the dependencies you define. PERT Chart EXPERT contains a complete Critical Path Scheduling engine that calculates Critical and Non-Critical tasks as you work. With PERT Chart EXPERT you can quickly see which tasks have a critical impact on the schedule!

Plans created in PERT Chart EXPERT can be maintained and managed separately, transferred directly to Microsoft Project or transferred to any program that can read the "MPX" file format. You can transfer a PERT chart to Microsoft Project at any time with the simple click of a button. All of the information you entered in PERT Chart EXPERT is automatically transferred to Microsoft Project.

Although PERT chart EXPERT can work seamlessly with Microsoft Project, you do not need Microsoft Project to use PERT Chart EXPERT as a standalone project planning tool. You can use PERT Chart EXPERT all by itself to create PERT charts like the one shown above.

PERT Chart EXPERT can be used with Microsoft Project

PERT Chart EXPERT can be installed directly into Microsoft Project to generate charts of existing Microsoft plans. Simply open a project file in Microsoft Project, click the PERT Chart EXPERT toolbar button and a PERT chart is automatically created.

The interface between Microsoft Project and PERT Chart EXPERT is completely seamless and bi-directional. When you create a PERT chart of an existing Microsoft Project plan, all changes made in the PERT chart are immediately reflected in the Microsoft Project plan. This means that you can add, delete and modify tasks plus create, delete and modify dependencies in your Microsoft Project plan using PERT Chart EXPERT.

In addition, charts can be created first in PERT Chart EXPERT and then transferred directly to Microsoft Project. When a PERT chart is transferred to Microsoft Project, all of the task, resource and dependency data entered into the PERT chart is automatically transferred to Microsoft Project where additional scheduling can be performed. You can then continue to switch back and forth between Microsoft Project and PERT Chart EXPERT as needed.

• Create PERT charts from existing Microsoft Project plans - Create PERT charts automatically from within Microsoft Project. PERT Chart EXPERT installs directly into Microsoft Project and interacts seamlessly to exchange data. Switch back and forth between a plan in Microsoft Project and PERT Chart EXPERT. Any changes made in PERT Chart EXPERT are automatically reflected in Microsoft Project.
  
  
• Create Projects in PERT Chart EXPERT - Create projects quickly and easily in PERT Chart EXPERT. Click and drag to create tasks. Click and drag to create dependencies between tasks. Assign resources, enter costs, input hours, start dates, finish dates and any other data required to schedule your projects. You can maintain the PERT charts separately or transfer them to Microsoft Project with the click of a button.
  
  
• Scheduling and Critical Path - PERT Chart EXPERT schedules tasks based on the information you enter such as the duration, dependencies and constraints. Use the Calendar to define workdays, nonworkdays and work hours per day. PERT Chart EXPERT automatically calculates the critical path so that you can see which tasks have the most impact in your schedule.
  
  
• Calendar - PERT Chart EXPERT contains a complete calendar so you can schedule around non-workdays, holidays and non-working time.
  
  
• Timescaled PERT charts - Create PERT charts that are Timescaled using Day, Week, Month, Quarter or Year units. Remove the Timescale to produce PERT charts in a pure "logic diagram" of tasks and their dependencies. Sample Timescaled and Non-Timescaled PERT charts.
  
  
• Task Grouping - Group tasks in horizontal bands across the page using fields such as Summary Level, Resource Name, Resource Group or by user-defined Text fields. Rollup or hide groups to focus on a particular set of tasks. Sample Grouped PERT chart.
  
  
• Display Hidden Dependencies - When filtering or hiding tasks in PERT Chart EXPERT you have the option to display an indicator to display the immediate predecessors or successors to tasks that do not appear in the chart. In other words, this feature will allow you to see the dependencies to tasks that are not currently shown allowing you to hide some tasks but still display any inputs or outputs on the remaining tasks. Sample Hidden Dependency chart.
  
  
• Trace Tasks - Use the Trace feature to select a task in the chart and trace all dependent tasks up to this task or trace all tasks that follow. You can even limit the number of tasks to trace backwards or forwards (all tasks backwards or forwards or just a certain number of tasks).
  
  
• Unlimited Capacity - With the new architecture of PERT Chart EXPERT your PERT charts can be any size and contain any number of tasks.
  
  
• Adjust for Page Breaks - With the "Adjust for Page Break" feature, PERT Chart EXPERT automatically adjusts tasks so boxes will not be split on a page.
  
  
• Save to Web Pages - Save your PERT charts directly to a Web Page. With PERT Chart EXPERT's "Save to Web Pages" feature, you can automatically save your PERT charts to a pre-defined HTML document (including an image). PERT Chart EXPERT provides HTML templates or you can create your own.
  
  
• Save as Picture - Save a PERT chart to different file formats including JPEG, PNG, BMP, and TIFF. Include these PERT chart images in other documents or incorporate them into a web page.
  
  
• Supports Microsoft Project filtering - Create PERT charts from Microsoft Project filtered data. PERT Chart EXPERT utilizes the filters created in Microsoft Project to produce PERT charts using only the parts of the plan that you choose. You can also collapse tasks in Microsoft Project to display the PERT chart of only those tasks that are currently displayed in Microsoft Project. Sample PERT using Filters.
  

• Dependency Lines - Displays task dependency information directly on the dependency line. Sample PERT showing Dependency Info.
  
  
• Microsoft Project Summary Tasks - When using PERT Chart EXPERT to display your Microsoft Project plans, it automatically hides Microsoft Project summary tasks. Summary tasks are useful when organizing a project using a Gantt chart but can get in the way when displaying a PERT chart. In PERT Chart EXPERT, summary tasks are hidden unless they have a direct dependency to other tasks.
  

• Display an Unlimited Number of Fields - PERT Chart EXPERT can display any number of data fields in the task boxes. See exactly the information you want, arranged the way you want it. Any Microsoft Project field can be displayed in the PERT chart. Sample PERT chart showing many fields.
  
  
• Print Scaling - Scale printouts to any number of pages using any printer. Use the "Enlarge to Fill Page" feature to automatically increase the size of the PERT chart to the defined paper size (great when using large paper plotters). PERT Chart EXPERT also supports all Windows compatible printers and plotters.
  
  
• MPX Support - PERT Chart EXPERT can also open and save .MPX files (text-based versions of Microsoft Project plans). Create and display PERT charts of plans created in other applications that can open and save .MPX files.
  
  
• Support for Non-English Versions of Microsoft Project - We have taken special care to work with most Non-English versions of MS Project automatically without the need for additional configuration.
  
  
• Support for Non-English Users - Even if you do not use Microsoft Project, PERT Chart EXPERT can display data in languages other then English, such as Dutch, French, Spanish, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese and Portuguese. The PERT Chart EXPERT software is not translated into these languages but data in the PERT chart is translated so that your charts and printouts display in your language.
  

These are just a few of the many great features in PERT Chart EXPERT. We encourage you to download a demo version and see for yourself how easy it is to create and manage your projects using PERT Chart EXPERT.

• PERT Chart EXPERT is compatible with the Windows versions of Microsoft Project 4.1a, Project 98, Project 2000, Project 2002, Project 2003 and Project 2007. Although PERT Chart EXPERT works well with Microsoft Project, you do not need Microsoft Project to use PERT Chart EXPERT as a standalone project planning tool.
  
  
  PERT Chart EXPERT is compatible with Microsoft Project Server 2002, 2003 and 2007. Click here for more information Project Server.
  
  
• PERT Chart EXPERT runs under Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista.
  
  
• PERT Chart EXPERT requires only a small amount of disk space (approximately 3Mb), a minimum amount of memory and a mouse.