In-Step BLUE


in-STEP BLUE is a project management software program developed and sold by microTOOL GmbH, based in Berlin, Germany. It is designed to assist project managers in developing plans, assigning resources to tasks, tracking progress, managing budgets, requirements, changes and risks as well as analyzing workloads. The tool automatically stores all project results in a central repository shared by all users. Individual project management methods can be supported as well as the agile method Scrum, official methods like the British PRINCE2, the German V-Model XT, the Swiss HERMES method and methods for the automotive industry according to ISO/IEC 15504, also known as SPICE.
The software is available in English and German and has more than 34,000 registered users worldwide.
WWW Official Site

Features

In-Step BLUE supports process-based IT-project management with these features:
;Project management, project portfolio management and resource management:
;Requirements management and change management:
;Configuration management and document management:
;Risk management:
;Quality management
;Process management
;Integration with Microsoft programs

History

Version 1.0 of the process and configuration management software in-Step was launched in 1997. Since many companies introduced process-based management according to the Capability Maturity Model to improve their software development, the tool was designed to assist project teams in complying with process-based project management. Especially users of the standard for German federal administration and defense, the V-Modell 97, took up the software.
In 2002 in-Step integrated core tasks like project, requirements and configuration management resulting in a multi-user-tool.
Version 3.0 was released in 2004 and offered new editions for requirements-oriented development, for agile projects according to Extreme Programming and for projects according to PRINCE2.
When the new standard for the German federal administration V-Modell XT came out in 2005, a V-Modell XT Edition was launched with features for tailoring the process, project planning and quality assurance.
In 2008 in-Step Scrum Edition and in-Step SPICE Edition for Automotive were completed. In 2010 in-Step HERMES Edition for the Swiss project management method was launched.
In 2014 in-Step got a new name: in-STEP BLUE as another tool with features for requirements engineering was launched: in-STEP RED.

Articles (in German only)

  • Martina Hafner: Projektmanagement-Software. Terminliche Abhängigkeiten im Projekt sichtbarer machen. www.elektronikpraxis.vogel.de. 14. April 2009.
  • Hendrik Härter: Projektmanagement-Tool. Komponente für Anforderungsmanagement mit UML und BPMN. www.elektronikpraxis.vogel.de. 26. Oktober 2007.
  • Stefan Ueberhorst: Microtool flexibilisiert das Projekt-Management. www.computerwoche.de. 27. März 2007.
  • Mey Mark Meyer: PM-Software: in-Step. IT-Projektmanagement mit Vorgehensmodellen. In: GPM-Magazin PMaktuell. 2/2006, S. 50–52.
  • Stefan Ueberhorst: in-Step erleichtert Arbeit mit dem V-Modell. www.computerwoche.de. 6. August 2004.