ViCA-a WWW based tool for visualizing project status

Easy-to-access and up-to-date project status feedback is an important aspect of effective project management. When project data is collected, a common problem is how to present the data in an understandable form to the right people at the right time. The Visualization Client Applet (ViCA) is a Java-based client program. It is designed for Internet-based visualizations and is currently piloted in several high-tech companies. ViCA can be used even in a geographically distributed multi-project environment. The user is presented with a personalized up-to-date view of the project in which he is involved. The view is a fully configurable panel, which provides fast feedback of the project status. It can contain any number of metrics; each visualized by one or more charts. The user can navigate to a new panel by clicking a part of the chart. This paper discusses the benefits of YiCA, as applied in several product development organizations.