There is a class of special software that can be called project assistants. Electronic project assistant is a system that provides informational assistance to project managers and other project participants. Using project assistant, all project stakeholders and performers can get a clear picture of common project with entire multitude of project facts and parameters. Project assistant can be also called task assistant, as far as information about tasks is critically important for project management. Task assistant helps team members to orient in project plans and schedules. The purpose of task assistant as well as project assistant is to provide clear and up-to-date information when it is required.

Let's consider functions of project and task assistance software:

• Project assistant helps in project planning. Task assistant allows planning tasks on task tree, allocating tasks priorities, setting target dates, assigning tasks to performers etc.
• Project assistant helps in project tracking. Task assistant allows controlling tasks completion, costs and time parameters.
• Project assistant helps in project reporting. Task assistant allows team members to report about their performance.
• Specific examples of project and task assistance software:

VIP Task Manager is well-featured client-server project manager assistant that enables all team members to use common database and switch between different viewing modes in order to plan, assign, schedule, overview and report tasks. This project manager assistant ensures team collaboration and task assistance in data updating through server component which should be placed within your LAN and/or on a server opened to Internet access.
VIP Team To Do List is project assistant designed for sending tasks via e-mail. With a help of this easy-to-use project manager assistant you can exchange checklist updates through e-mail communication. You can design plan of a project and send categorized, prioritized and dated to-do lists to performers by e-mail (as well as upload received updated checklist).