P. Weaver, Managing Director of MPI from 1987 to 1999
Micro Planning International Pty Ltd
The original Australian home of Micro Planner X-Pert and Micro Planner Manager

"There is nothing permanent except change"
Heraclites of Greece.

MPI History: Page Index

Micro Planner X-Pert Software Sales and Support

This page details the personal involvement of Patrick Weaver in the Micro Planner business from 1987 to 1999. For current sales and support of Micro Planner X-Pert and Micro Planner Manager software contact:

USA:
Australia:
Europe:
Email:

www.microplanning.com
www.microplanning.com.au
www.microplanning.co.uk
raf@microplanning.com.au

Note: The 'old' www.mpi.com.au domain is now controlled by third parties that have no interest or involvement in the 'Micro Planner' software products or businesses.

Background

Patrick Weaver FAICD, was the Managing Director of Micro Planning International Pty Ltd (MPI) from its founding in 1987 until its original group of shareholders transferred ownership to a new owner/manager in 1999. During the 13 years of his leadership, Weaver and the other key PMI director Raf Dua, grew MPI from a start-up business to a respected project management organisation. MPI had an established client base for its range of project management software (Micro Planner X-Pert and Manager) as well as employing around 15 consultants, contractors and staff in various scheduling, sales, support and management roles in a wide range of client organisations. Under Weaver's direction, MPI's combined turnover from consulting, software sales and support grew to exceed $1million per annum.

MPI was founded in Australia in 1987 as a specialist 'Project Controls' company focused on applying the practical experience gained working with clients around the world using the Micro Planner range of software. $ Billions of projects were delivered "On Time and On Budget" using its software and services. For an update on the current state-of-the-art scheduling software, standards and training visit Mosaic's [ planning and scheduling home page ]

The central business in the international 'Micro Planner' group, Micro Planning International (USA) grew from the original business founded in the UK in 1978 and remains in business today [see MPI USA home page], the current Australasian business selling and supporting Micro Planner, still managed by Raf Dua, is [Micro Planning International Asia Pacific Pty Ltd].

Clients & Industries
MPI's skills were focused on enhancing its clients time, resource and schedule control capabilities. MPI's software systems, consultancy and training services were scaled to meet the needs of every individual client including...
...Major Engineering & Defence Contractors
...Government Depts & the Armed Services
...Software Developers & IT Organisations
...High-Tech & Aerospace Companies
...Small & Large Construction Firms
...Individual & Professional Consultancies

Many of MPI's former clients have now become Mosaic's clients, see the [Mosaic client list], others have remained with [Micro Planning International Asia Pacific Pty Ltd].

MPI Methodologies

The MPI team developed and pioneered a number of key methodologies including:

5-STEPS
Five Steps To Ensure Project Success is the distillation of 15 years experience assisting sophisticated clients. 5-STEPS is designed to enhance the planning, control and delivery of individual projects within matrix organisations. The 5-STEPS methodology is now owned by Mosaic - see our 5-STEPS [paper] and [training] pages.

OPM
Organisational Project Management facilitates the integration of multiple projects within an organisation; project data is communicated both laterally and hierarchically to optimise corporate outcomes. Since the publication of MPI's OPM paper in 1993, the world has become more sophisticated. For the last few years, Mosaic's managers have been, and remain, actively engaged in the development of the PMI Organisational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3), which has many features in common with OPM, and we now offer training and consultancy using this tool [see more on OPM3].

The Project Office
Project Offices provide major corporations with the skills base required to manage the array of projects in progress within their organisation. Our track record delivering successful PMOs can be seen in the array of paper published on this topic [see Mosaic's PMO papers].

Software

MPI's award winning range of software was developed using a common philosophy to...

1. allow people to choose the level of software sophistication, and the computer platform, best suited to their needs
2. give people the chance to move up the range as their confidence and requirements increase.
3. encourage organisations to develop a multi-level project management system designed to hand control to the people responsible for completing the work.

MPI's products allow the communication of vital project data in both lateral and hierarchical directions between different levels of software, different computer platforms and different sections of management. The full range of these tools are now sold and supported by Micro Planning International (USA) and Micro Planning International Asia Pacific Pty Ltd. Visit one of the Micro Planner web sites for additional information:

Consultancy
MPI's "on site" consultancy services were designed to provide value added support to the clients "in-house" project team. The level of assistance offered by MPI was tailored to meet the specific requirements of each client. These philosophies have been carried forward to both the Mosaic consulting business [see Mosaic's consulting information] and the [Micro Planning International Asia Pacific Pty Ltd] business.

Training
MPI trainers conducted a wide range of courses teaching basic and advanced project management techniques, MPI's operating methodologies, the features of its software and its effective implementation. Training was customised to meet the specific requirements of each client. Training styles ranged from standard classroom presentations to specialist one-on-one sessions. Much of the skills an knowledge learned from these days has been carried forward into the rage of courses now offered by Mosaic [see Mosaic's Training home page]. For training in the use of Micro Planner X-Pert and Manager see [Micro Planning International Asia Pacific Pty Ltd].

Mentoring
Many of MPI's smaller clients found mentoring offered better value than formal training. Mosaic has developed its mentoring capabilities to now include a sophisticated range of services [see more on Mosaic's Mentoring services].

History: The Development of Micro Planner and the MPI Group of Companies to 1998.

Year & Key Events
1979
Micro Planning Services (MPS) starts trading in the UK. MPS was founded by Glynn Nixon, Steve Wedlock and others who adapted the ideas found in ICL's 1900 PERT package (to which Raf Dua was a major contributor within ICL) to the Micro Computer. Micro Planner is developed for the most innovative computer at the time, the Apple II.

1980
After 14 months development, the first project management package for a micro computer - Micro Planner for the Apple II - is available.

1981
Micro Planner is Accepted by Apple Computer as an official software product, and an agreement is signed with them for distribution throughout Europe.
International Computers Limited (ICL), reputedly the UK and European Leaders in project management software, licence the rights to port Micro Planner onto their micro, mini and mainframe computers.
International contractors, Taylor Woordrow, purchase their first copy of Micro Planner.

1982
The Planner for 256K IBM PC and Sirius/Victor are released.
A new versions of Micro Planner for the Apple III is released.

1983
The company changes its name to Micro Planning Software .
Apple Computer approaches MPS to become one of only six seeded UK developers to produce a package for their new and revolutionary Macintosh computer. MPI remains an accredited Apple developer to this day.
Gateway Systems, a Californian Corporation with extensive project management experience, starts to distribute Micro Planner into the US marketplace.

1984
Micro Planner developed for the Apple Macintosh.

1985
Following the demise of Gateway Systems Micro Planning Software USA formed, based in California.
Micro Planner for the Macintosh is launched. Using the new mouse-driven graphical user interface, this product establishes Micro Planning as one of the world's leading software developers.
Micro Planner ranked 4th in the Top Twenty Apple software charts.
Project Training Ltd. is set up as an independent company to provide training courses in project management techniques and the use of Micro Planner in the UK.
Computer Planning Services (CPS), managed by P. Weaver, starts using Micro Planner for consultancy and training in Australia.

1986
Micro Planner Plus released for the Apple Macintosh. A vastly enhanced version of the software designed to keep in line with Apple's hardware development, in particular the Macintosh Plus.

1987
Micro Planner V4 released for IBM AT PC's.
Micro Planning Australia Pty Ltd starts trading.
See more on MPI's background, methodologies and services (1987 to 1998)
Micro Planning Software Ltd and Micro Planning Software USA merge to form Micro Planning International and turn their attention to the worldwide market.
MPI starts association with RAAF developing the ASPS aircraft maintenance scheduling system at RAAF Amberley (this evolved into the VIPER system - see The VIPER Experience)

1988
Micro Planner Version 6 is released identically on Apple and IBM equipment (with Microsoft Windows) - the first cross-platform project management solution for companies with a mixed hardware environment.

1989
Continuing our tradition of 'first with the best', Micro Planner X-Pert is launched for the Apple Macintosh. X-Pert is a full-function package to rival the best available on any platform, including mini and mainframe software.
Micro Planning International take over the InstaPlan Corporation (USA), adding the top selling, outline based package InstaPlan to an already impressive range of products.

1990
Micro Planning Australia changes its name to Micro Planning International Pty Ltd (MPI) to align with the rest of the MPI group.
InstaPlan 5000 released.
Micro Planner X-Pert becomes a yardstick for modern project management software tools - as one reviewer commented, 'X-Pert deserves to become the standard project management tool against which others are judged'.
Micro Planner Professional, an MS-DOS product similar in capacity and design to X-Pert is released for IBM AT & 386 PC's. It is aimed at large corporates with an MS-DOS strategy, or for whom Macintosh technology is not an option.

1991
Micro Planner X-Pert 2 released for the Apple Macintosh. X-Pert continues to be heralded as 'the Rolls Royce of project management software'.
Micro Planner Manager, a low priced cut-down version of X-Pert, is launched.

1992
In response to client demand, Micro Planning establishes its own training centres to provide courses on project management and the Micro Planner range of software.
Services offered are expanded to include a wide variety of consultancy - from implementing a system from scratch to providing additional personnel for specific projects.
InstaPlan EMS v4.1 released for IBM PC's.
X-Pert wins its first MacWorld award for resource and project management.

1993
Micro Planner X-Pert wins its second MacWorld award for the best Resource and Project Management software, with Micro Planner Manager in second place.

1994
Micro Planner X-Pert for Sun released.
Micro Planner X-Pert running under Microsoft Windows is launched to provide an easy to use, high end package that offers the same functionality and value as the Macintosh version.
X-Pert for Mac wins MacWorld award for resource and project management for the third year running.

1995
Micro Planner X-Pert wins MacWorld's 'Best All-Time' Readers Choice award to celebrate the Apple Macintosh Computers 10th Birthday.
Micro Planner Manager running under Microsoft Windows is launched completing the three tiered product range for both PC and Macintosh platforms.
X-Pert for Mac wins MacWorld award for resource and project management for the fourth year running.
X-Pert for HP7000 and Silicone Graphics (Unix) workstations released.
MPI supports Fallon Project Management Pty Ltd in the development of the VIPER aircraft maintenance management system - see VIPER

1996
MPI opens linked web sites in the UK, USA and Australia. Macintosh sampler sets available for downloading from the UK site.

1997
MPI in the USA move offices, Australia opens a new national office and both upgrade support services.
Fully 'Year 2000' compliant versions of X-Pert and Manager released.

1998
X-Pert v3.0 released
MPI and Fallon Project Management Pty Ltd collaborate to win the RAAF FleetOPS contract - see FleetOPS

1999
The Australian MPI business is transitioned to new owners.
P. Weaver starts [Mosaic Project Services Pty Ltd] to focus on project management consultancy, litigation support and general project management training; the sale and support of the Micro Planner software range (including training) remains the exclusive responsibility of the original MPI business.

P. Weaver, Managing Director of MPI from 1987 to 1999 Micro Planning International Pty Ltd The original Australian home of Micro Planner X-Pert and Micro Planner Manager

MPI History: Page Index

P. Weaver, Managing Director of MPI from 1987 to 1999
Micro Planning International Pty Ltd
The original Australian home of Micro Planner X-Pert and Micro Planner Manager