There's a very useful conversation taking place on Brian's site about the economics of project server. Take a look.
The big question is - "is there a different between convenience and value?"
We own Project Server on several major programs. Can we justify on a cost basis the ownership of Project Server? I haven't been able to figure that out yet. Any one have a spread sheet that I can use, I'd really appreciate it.
The way other enterprise systems are justified starts with head count reduction, direct cost avoidance, or time savings that are directly accounted for. On projects, I've never seen a planning manager say "I have to many planners, let's install PS and I'll let 3 of them go." I've not come across an environment - so far - where we in planning could say, "I'll have those plans to you a week early because we have the Project Server." The plans are dependent on the desktop tools and the Subject Matter Expert. Besides how would I book the dollar saves for being early with the Gantt charts?
This is a tool that is classified as a non-recoverable sunk cost - maybe the cost of doing business. My view comes from Cost Accounting not technology, so it's tained already in the work of software gadgets.
