The ePM application is Web-accessible by browser or palmtop computer, said Metier chief executive officer Douglas D. Clark. Calif. After log-in, ePM users view a summary of customized information about their project tasks and budgets. Users can assign numerical risk factors to each project task. Unique to ePM analysis is the concept of churn. According to Metier project manager Danielle M. Lynch, negative churn means responsibilities that crop up unexpectedly.
Positive churn means tasks that slip behind schedule.
Metier's use of positive and negative do not carry the usual connotations, however. Churning on EPM summarizes the top reasons for churn and lists the teams and individuals experiencing the most and least churn, Lynch said. Calif. Using ePM, Lockheed Martin tracked how long each part of the installation took to complete. Cutting the network cables for the Baltimore center turned out to be one of the most time-consuming tasks, so installers will use precut cables elsewhere, Dunlap said. The ePM statistics also will be useful in tearing down the three temporary centers after Census 2000, Dunlap said.