NetPoint Project Planning Training

June 17, 2024

In this NetPoint planning software training, Tim Mather covers essential aspects of project scheduling, conveying best practices for schedule setup, updates, and comparisons, as well as interactive resource loading and leveling features. Tim explores Layout Manager and Automated Layouts, offering insights into schedule layout creation, modification, and link analysis. The session wraps up with a focus on printing and reporting, showcasing how NetPoint generates insightful reports and timelines for effective communication with key stakeholders. Take advantage of this concise and informative session to enhance your NetPoint proficiency.

Tim Mather

As COO of PMA Technologies, Mr. Mather is responsible for the growth of PMA Technologies. Mr. Mather is a PMP with extensive project management, software development, and marketing experience. Mr. Mather earned his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and pursued postgraduate studies in project management at the University of Chicago. 

Q&A

Can you take a picture or snapshot of your schedule and share it in another file?

Yes. Under the file menu, if you go to “take a snapshot,” you have two choices. You can capture the full schedule or just a part of it. The image is sent to the clipboard; next, you can paste it into PowerPoint or most other software tools.

How can you show drift and float as a default for all activities?

At the top of the page is a tab located “objects.” At the start of your scheduling process if you go to “set properties for new activities or new objects,” then click “drift and float.” For every new object that you create, drift and float will appear.

What happens if you change the page size after you have built a schedule?

It does become a painful process. If you make it bigger it’s not that bad, but if you make it smaller, you’re going to get things all scrunched up together.

Would the steps to export to MS Project be the same as to P6?

They’re very similar; fewer questions and not as detailed of a process. If we were to export an MS Project, it will create an XML file for you, so we don’t ask about the shifts or resources.

When adding a data date to the schedule, if you click Don't capture by mistake, is there a way to re-capture it?

Yes, you can just delete that data to date and then drop the data to date again, but when you replace it with the question, just make sure it is answered correctly.

Can we set up color for each resource? How?

Yes, each resource and activity or group of activities can have a color. So, for an individual activity, you can just go to “format” and change the color. Then for resources, when you create the resource itself, you can assign the color.

Do the durations of activities change when we change to a new calendar?

Yes, so if you change the calendar and the calendar has a different number of working days, the duration will change.

With target baseline, is it possible to show the variance dates, but not show any variance = 0?

Yes. If we change the window back to the target mode, we can see which lines changed since the update for the better or for the worse.

What is the market adoption for this software? DOTs are stuck to P6?

Not just DOTs, but the whole industry. NetPoint is not a replacement for P6, but merely a tool to help visualize the schedule, help people collaborate, and to see things interactively. So, we’re just complimentary to P6.

Can NetPoint support time and location-based schedules?

NetPoint does not support time/location scheduling.

Insights