Stand By Soft has released version 5.3 of its RationalPlan project management suite, with the bulk of the work aimed at the web-based interface. The update introduces support for opening Microsoft Project 2019 files, richer calendar options for tasks and resources, and new columns for portfolio and resource management views. The release also adds filters to the Gantt view and extra configuration options for the chart itself.
For practitioners running mixed-tool portfolios, the headline change is compatibility: a RationalPlan user can now open an MS Project 2019 file without a translation step. For earned value purists, there is a small payload of new columns to play with. For everyone else, there is a set of calendar and filtering tweaks that clean up day-to-day planning work.
What happened
- RationalPlan 5.3 is published by Stand By Soft, founded in 1997.
- The release adds support for opening Microsoft Project 2019 files.
- New task and resource calendars, including the ability to force resources to use a task's calendar.
- Portfolio view gains project status, custom data and Earned Value Analysis columns (CV, SV, CPI, SPI, ACWP, BCWP, BCWS).
- Gantt view gains task filters, extra orientation and grid settings, and custom columns for the Resources view.
What changed in the web interface
The 5.3 release focuses most of its new features on the web client. The Resources view now accepts custom columns for data that does not fit the predefined schema. Resources can be assigned their own working calendars, and the publisher flags a specific use case: when a project slips, a high-priority task can be given its own calendar and resources can be forced to follow it.
The Gantt view picks up filters so a user can scope down to a category of tasks instead of scrolling the whole schedule. New orientation lines can be drawn for project start, end, estimated start, reschedule and current dates, and grid lines, table selection and dependency arrows can all be toggled. The project selector now lists entries in alphabetical order, which sounds minor until you manage a portfolio of a hundred projects.
Earned value gets real estate in the portfolio view
The Portfolio view adds columns tied to Earned Value Management: Cost Variance, Schedule Variance, CPI, SPI, ACWP, BCWP and BCWS. These are the standard acronyms experienced PMs reach for when running EVM on a multi-project portfolio. Putting them in the portfolio rollup rather than only on individual tasks means a PM can spot variance at the programme level instead of drilling into each project. The release also exposes custom data columns and a project status column for at-a-glance triage.
What changes here is the visibility inside the portfolio view, which is closer to how a PMO actually consumes the data. Stand By Soft has prepared short articles on Earned Value Management for users who want to understand the methodology behind these columns.
Our analysis
MS Project compatibility is the move that matters most. Project managers rarely live in a single tool, and file-format friction is one of those small daily taxes that adds up. If RationalPlan can ingest MS Project 2019 files cleanly, it becomes a more realistic option for teams standardising on it while keeping a few legacy schedules in Microsoft. That is a quietly competitive move against other mid-market PM tools that still stumble on the import.
The calendar feature is more interesting than it looks. Forcing a resource onto a task calendar is a blunt instrument, but it is the right kind of blunt when a milestone is at risk and you need a named individual to switch to weekend or night shifts without re-baselining the whole plan. The trade-off is that it complicates later resource utilisation reports, because that person is no longer following their own calendar. PMs using this need to flag the override clearly in their status reports.
The EVM columns in the portfolio view are useful for PMOs running governance reviews, less so for teams using lightweight Scrum. Lean frameworks do not rely on CPI and SPI; they rely on burndown and flow. If your portfolio is a mix of predictive and adaptive work, expect the EVM columns to be noisy on the agile side and meaningful only on the fixed-scope side.
Who should care
| Audience | Relevance |
|---|---|
| PMOs managing multiple fixed-scope projects | High – EVM columns in portfolio view, MS Project compatibility |
| Accidental or occasional project managers | Medium – Single Project tier is positioned as a simpler alternative to Microsoft Project |
| Teams running pure Scrum or Kanban | Low – EVM columns will not apply; calendar features may still help with dependencies |
| Organisations standardising on RationalPlan | High – web interface parity improves; filter and column customisation reduces friction |
What to watch next
Watch how RationalPlan's Gantt filters mature. Task filters are useful, but the real win for PMs running dozens of schedules would be saved filter views and cross-project filtering from the portfolio level. Until then, treat 5.3 as a solid upgrade for PMOs that need MS Project compatibility and EVM reporting more than as a reason to migrate off your current stack.
Key takeaways
- The MS Project 2019 import is the most strategically useful change for mixed-tool shops.
- Task calendars with resource override are a fast response to slipped milestones, but flag the override in your reports.
- EVM columns in the portfolio view are meaningful for predictive work, noise for agile teams.
- Filters and custom resource columns reduce daily friction in the web interface.
Frequently asked questions
Does RationalPlan 5.3 replace Microsoft Project?
No. It now opens MS Project 2019 files, but it is positioned as an alternative or companion tool, not a replacement.
What is new in the Portfolio view?
The release lists project status, custom data columns and earned value columns including CV, SV, CPI, SPI, ACWP, BCWP and BCWS.
Can a resource be forced to use a task's working calendar?
Yes. The release adds that option for cases where a high-priority task needs a different schedule than the resource's default calendar.
Is the desktop version affected by this release?
The focus of 5.3 is on the web-based interface, with features also extending to resources and tasks across the suite.
Are agile teams the target for the new portfolio columns?
Not really. CPI, SPI and the rest are earned value metrics designed for predictive projects; lean teams will not get value from them.