Software Review
Microsoft Visio 2002 Standard
reviewed by Rick Fischer
It’s hard to believe, but no one in the group has ever reviewed Visio. That’s unfortunate. Visio has been around a long
time and has a good reputation within the project management jobs industry.
I first saw it in 1994 at Comdex. I was fascinated with the demonstration and with all the kinds of drawings it could
make. The earliest reference I found was for version 1 in 1993. Shapeware was the innovator and it sold for $299.
Today, Microsoft owns Visio (acquired in 1999). They kept the brand name, integrated it into Office and lowered the
price for people looking for project manager jobs.
Templates galore
To do IT Jobs in the UK, you have to have the right tools. And, Visio gives you the right tools when you select the kind of drawing
you want to make. Choose from among: block diagram, building plan, flow chart (including a mind mapping template),
forms and charts, maps, networks (as in “computer networks”), organizational charts (including a wizard) and project
scheduling (calendars, PERT charts, Gantt charts and a time line).
When you choose your basic type, you call up the associated shapes needed for that drawing. Drag the shape onto the
work area and begin building your drawing. It’s easy to enter text in the shapes or along the connecting lines. Yes, you
CAN make shapes with text in Word and PowerPoint. But, Visio gives you much more power to make your drawing
look even more professional. You’ll also keep the links and associated text when you move a object. Look – it’s hard to
make furniture icons on your own in the other programs.