Open source project management; a brief response (because I had switched off new post comments ;)

Andrew, you've raised some really important questions about what people actually get out of the tools that they are using and MS Project is a good case in point. Bloatware is a term that is used too often in my opinion because it of uses on the tools rather than the output. But it crystallises the issue nicely. I have no idea how H&P implement and use MS Project but it is a good case in point to discuss the topic of collaboration in general.

MSP is HUGE and EXPENSIVE to implement and train up for. I've used it on and off since the 90's and despite persevering I now find that I can't justify the energy that it absorbs. The future for now does seem to be applications that integrate simply into (browser) platforms like Internet Explorer, Chrome and to a lesser degree FireFox. MS and Google seem to have applications in their sights in the way that Apple App's have revolutionised handheld computing.

There is an important question to be asked with every so called solution; Why are we doing this?

So you need to ask why you are using MS Project, and I'd suggest that it being a de-facto standard isn't a good enough answer to prevent you looking at other solutions.If a single member of the project team doesn't use it as fully as everyone else then its strength fails at the weakest link.

A paper and pencil diary and task system might be the answer if a project/ construction/ design/ cost manager is the only person using it. If the MSP gannt charts never really leaves his desk for any constructive purpose then you are probably wasting time and money, making you less efficient than if you ditched it today. It might be more productive (and much cheaper) to buy a few dozen copies of Dave Allen's Getting Things Done.

That's not to say that you should throw the baby out with the bathwater but project information is no use if it isn't of some use to more than one person. Shared and open use of the tools encourages collaboration with the information. Collaboration encourages the best solutions. The best solutions encourage excellence and usually profit! We all like profit. :)