June 2024 Newsletter

Video: Automation using Programming in Milestones Professional

Did you know that Milestones Professional has an Automation interface? You can use macros in Excel, and other programs to create schedules inside Milestones Professional automatically, using the data inside Excel.

This video shows one example, and you can find more examples in the Help Tab > Automation Help.

Check out our Videos page to see all of our available videos. You can also directly go to our Youtube Channel to see them as well.

Be sure to Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for all the latest and greatest Milestones software videos!

June 2024 Tips and Tricks

For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for June 2024

Trouble changing schedule start and end dates
I have this one schedule which is giving me fits.  For some reason, I am unable to change the start and end date range for the schedule.  Any ideas?

Vertically linked symbols not moving as expected
I have my symbols vertically linked and they are not moving as expected

No change or unexpected changes after schedule refresh
I have a schedule and MPS that I have an issue with updating. The schedule is tagged to the MPS but the MPS is not updating.

Tag a column that contains fill color overrides
Could you explain the purpose of the “or Column tag of Override Fill Color” feature in the Symbol Properties>Size/Color/Summary menu, and how to use this feature? I’m unable to find any information on it in either the User Manual.

Symbol text too far away from symbol
My symbol text is spaced too far away (vertically) from my bar.

Task row height adjustment
How can I adjust the height of a task row?  How do I reset the height to its original setting?

Switch-to views for fast date switching
Can I easily switch to another time period?

Set percent complete from several tasks (on one row)
We have a Milestones Professional plan linked to Microsoft Project.  Is it possible to show the % complete from Microsoft Project if there is more than one bar per row?  I have read various documents in the Knowledgebase but haven’t seen any document that indicates whether this is possible.

Remove page breaks
How do I get rid of my page breaks so that Milestones just puts the same number of tasks on each page?

Need larger toolbox
Is there a way to increase the size of the tool box? it is too small to see what symbols I need to use. I’m using a very high res monitor.

For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for June 2024

Upgrade to Milestones Professional 2025

Click here to Upgrade to Milestones Professional 2025 for only $199 (if you already own any version of Milestones Professional).

To see what has changed, check out our “What’s New in Milestones Professional 2025” page.

Join the Milestones Professional Users LinkedIn Group

For anyone interested, there’s a free Milestones Professional user group on LinkedIn you can join to share best practices, network with other users, and maybe learn some tips along the way from other experienced Milestones users. To join, head over to the following website and click Join: https://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=6796817

Note: This user group is an unofficial group run by Milestones software users, and is not managed by KIDASA Software, Inc. A free LinkedIn account is required to join the group.

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    April 2024 Newsletter

    Video: File Compare in Milestones Professional

    If you have two Milestones Professional schedules, each tagged with Unique Identifiers (such as UniqueID from MS Project or ActivityID from P6), you can compare the differences to any tagged dates by using our “File Compare” feature.

    Check out our Videos page to see all of our available videos. You can also directly go to our Youtube Channel to see them as well.

    Be sure to Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for all the latest and greatest Milestones software videos!

    April 2024 Tips and Tricks

    For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for April 2024

    Individual symbols displaying in the summary bar
    If I add a milestone to a task row, it’s also showing up on the summary bar.  How can I turn this off for the entire schedule?

    Copy and paste a toolbox to another schedule

    Copy and paste a legend from one schedule to another

    Make a hidden legend reappear
    I hid the legend and now I need to put it back on the schedule.  After I hide the legend, how do I get it to reappear?

    Use a bitmap graphic as a symbol
    I have an image bitmap of a company symbol that I would like to use as a Milestones symbol.  How can I do this?

    Vertical link to a symbol on the same task bar
    Do you know how you can link to task within the same task bar? I would like to create a vertical link between two symbols on the same row.

    Want a different triangle shape
    Is it possible to get a different triangle symbol?  I see there are several to choose from but I have a specific requirement.

      

    Want solid connector (not dashed) after status date
    How do I make the horizontal connector between the triangles solid and not dashed after the status line?

    Symbol note frame and background
    I see that I can change the background color for the symbol note.  But what if I want to get rid of the background color and the frame?  Is this a possibility?

    Attach a picture to a symbol
    I would like to attach a picture to a symbol.  Is this possible?

    For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for April 2024

    Upgrade to Milestones Professional 2025

    Click here to Upgrade to Milestones Professional 2025 for only $199 (if you already own any version of Milestones Professional).

    To see what has changed, check out our “What’s New in Milestones Professional 2025” page.

    Join the Milestones Professional Users LinkedIn Group

    For anyone interested, there’s a free Milestones Professional user group on LinkedIn you can join to share best practices, network with other users, and maybe learn some tips along the way from other experienced Milestones users. To join, head over to the following website and click Join: https://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=6796817

    Note: This user group is an unofficial group run by Milestones software users, and is not managed by KIDASA Software, Inc. A free LinkedIn account is required to join the group.

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      March 2024 Newsletter

      Video: Timeline Schedule Creation in Milestones Professional

      We start from scratch and create a Timeline Schedule in Milestones Professional. This might give you some good ideas for your own schedule.

      Check out our Videos page to see all of our available videos. You can also directly go to our Youtube Channel to see them as well.

      Be sure to Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for all the latest and greatest Milestones software videos!

      March 2024 Tips and Tricks

      For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for March 2024

      Add a date to a note
      Is there a way to have the date be part of the Note?

        

      Add a tag to a symbol
      I added a symbol to my schedule and want to link it to Microsoft Project.  What’s the easiest way?

      Adjust the position of symbol within a task row to relieve crowding
      Symbols on a task row are close together, if not on top of each other. How can I display them better?

      Comment symbols
      How are Milestones’ Comment symbols generally used in a schedule?

      Compare two files after refresh
      I have refreshed my Milestones Professional schedule with the latest dates from Microsoft Project.  Is there any way to see the deltas for tasks which have been changed?  Like this?

      Extra thick line on schedule
      I can’t figure out how to get rid of this extra thick line on my schedule.  It’s apparently not a grid line and I can’t pick it.

      Hide the dates on summary lines
      When I roll-up all lower-level task bars to the summary line, I would like to hide the symbol dates.  Is this possible?

      Hide the legend
      I don’t want to show a legend on the bottom of each page. Is there a way to make that space disappear so I can use that space for more task lines per page?

      Lost vertical connections
      I have lost my schedule’s vertical connections, globally (all of them!).  Any ideas how that happened?

      Moving symbol note is slow
      Is there a faster way to move symbol notes?  I am using the toolbar directional arrows but find them sluggish

      For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for March 2024

      Upgrade to Milestones Professional 2025

      Click here to Upgrade to Milestones Professional 2025 for only $199 (if you already own any version of Milestones Professional).

      To see what has changed, check out our “What’s New in Milestones Professional 2025” page.

      Join the Milestones Professional Users LinkedIn Group

      For anyone interested, there’s a free Milestones Professional user group on LinkedIn you can join to share best practices, network with other users, and maybe learn some tips along the way from other experienced Milestones users. To join, head over to the following website and click Join: https://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=6796817

      Note: This user group is an unofficial group run by Milestones software users, and is not managed by KIDASA Software, Inc. A free LinkedIn account is required to join the group.

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        February 2024 Newsletter

        Video: Filter and Sort Columns in Milestones Professional

        Learn how to sort and filter your columns in Milestones Professional with this new video. Check it out below!

        Check out our Videos page to see all of our available videos. You can also directly go to our Youtube Channel to see them as well.

        Be sure to Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for all the latest and greatest Milestones software videos!

        February 2024 Tips and Tricks

        For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for February 2024

        Date heading only shows letter on some pages
        My date heading shows some months with the full name and others with an abbreviation.  Is there a way to make it consistent?

        Symbol text not aligned
        How can I get the numbers, which are symbol text to line up?  You can see that the first one is lower than the others.

        Can’t remove picture
        I’ve put together a schedule that contains imported (copy-and-paste) graphics.  For some reason, there is a graphic towards the top of my schedule that I can’t get rid of.  I can’t even click on it.  Any idea why?

        Expand width of some column titles
        I see some samples which appear to have some column entries spanning more than one column.  What’s the procedure to do this?

        EV line takes a sharp drop
        I have attached a file showing EV calculations I am doing for a project. I notice that the EV curve takes a dive after the current date“ or close to it. For the life of me I cannot understand this behavior.

        Showing trends with a bar
        Can Milestones’ bars show trends?  If so, how?

        Create your own symbol dates
        If you build custom date headings, can you get the symbol date format to correspond to those headings, rather than a specific calendar date?

        Copy and Paste: one Excel column to Milestones
        Can I select one column of information in Excel and paste that column into Milestones?

        Unique ID
        Is there a way to quickly see the Unique IDs on each symbol while I’m working on a Milestones chart?

        Using Templates
        Every time I start a new schedule, I format it the same way, including color scheme, toolbox choices, number of rows per  page, etc.  Is there an easier way?

        Display Numerical Value
        My calculation/indicator column is only showing the symbol indicator.  How do I get the numerical value to show as well?

        Printing by Time Period
        My schedule spans 12 months. I would like to print a separate sheet for every 3 months.

        For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for February 2024

        Upgrade to Milestones Professional 2025

        Click here to Upgrade to Milestones Professional 2025 for only $199 (if you already own any version of Milestones Professional).

        To see what has changed, check out our “What’s New in Milestones Professional 2025” page.

        Join the Milestones Professional Users LinkedIn Group

        For anyone interested, there’s a free Milestones Professional user group on LinkedIn you can join to share best practices, network with other users, and maybe learn some tips along the way from other experienced Milestones users. To join, head over to the following website and click Join: https://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=6796817

        Note: This user group is an unofficial group run by Milestones software users, and is not managed by KIDASA Software, Inc. A free LinkedIn account is required to join the group.

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          January 2024 Newsletter

          Tips and Tricks #3: Milestones Professional

          We made a great video for this month with some new Tips and Tricks, including:

          • Two symbols on top of each other
          • Global symbol date format
          • Vertical / Sideways text in column
          • Dependency Mode
          • Change Background of individual Rows
          • Symbol Text Background

          Check out our Videos page to see all of our available videos. You can also directly go to our Youtube Channel to see them as well.

          Be sure to Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for all the latest and greatest Milestones software videos!

          January 2024 Tips and Tricks

          For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for January 2024

          Show hidden columns when all are hidden
          I hid the only column on my schedule.  Now my schedule has no columns.  How do I add a column on the left?

          Two symbols on top of each other
          Is there any way to move milestones in front or behind when they are stacked on top of each other with overlapping dates? I don’t want to use vertical symbol position and move to another level.

          Bar colors change unexpectedly after refresh
          I have a schedule with several joined bars.  P3 is supposed to be filled blue but stays white.  Then, after I refresh, the bar for P2 disappears and P3 fills as expected:

          See bar status color in toolbox
          My bars are all the same color before status, but they have a different after status color, how do I tell them apart in the toolbox?

          Link to Active MS Project Tasks not working
          I am trying to bring tasks into my Milestones schedule from Project server.  I’m not getting any errors, but nothing is coming in

          Remove a shadow under a bar
          Can anyone advise how I may remove shading under a bar and legend entry?

          Get list of all Project UIDs in Milestones schedule
          I’m using Symbol Links to an MS Project file. Is there a way to get a list in Milestones Pro of all the UIDs I am linked to?

          Numbers or letters inside symbols
          I need to have numbers inside my triangle symbols.  Right now I am using symbol text and the text is pretty small and hard to re-size when the symbol sizes change.  Is there an easier way to do this?

          For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for January 2024

          Upgrade to Milestones Professional 2025

          Click here to Upgrade to Milestones Professional 2025 for only $199 (if you already own any version of Milestones Professional).

          To see what has changed, check out our “What’s New in Milestones Professional 2025” page.

          Join the Milestones Professional Users LinkedIn Group

          For anyone interested, there’s a free Milestones Professional user group on LinkedIn you can join to share best practices, network with other users, and maybe learn some tips along the way from other experienced Milestones users. To join, head over to the following website and click Join: https://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=6796817

          Note: This user group is an unofficial group run by Milestones software users, and is not managed by KIDASA Software, Inc. A free LinkedIn account is required to join the group.

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            December 2023 Newsletter

            Coded Import Options from MS Project into Milestones Professional

            We made a great video for this month on importing from MS Project.

            This video shows almost all of our Coded Import options for getting your tasks from MS Project over to Milestones Professional.

            This video covers lots of different import options, including “Birds on a Wire”, “Coded Presentation Timeline”, “Coded Symbols and Bars”, “Coded Finish Dates”, and a few more.

            With these import options, you can either set up a Text field in MS Project to group tasks together during the import, or you can even use Number fields with a couple of the options, to tell Milestones how to display the tasks.

            Check out our Videos page to see all of our available videos. You can also directly go to our Youtube Channel to see them as well.

            Be sure to Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for all the latest and greatest Milestones software videos!

            December 2023 Tips and Tricks

            For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for December 2023

            Global symbol date changes
            My symbols are not showing dates.  I’ve tried unhiding dates in the toolbox and also individually.  Why won’t the dates show up?

            Highlight changed dates when refreshing
            I refreshed my schedule and choose the option to highlight the changes.  Now, how do I turn off the highlighting?

            Transfer a license
            The last user of one of our milestones licenses has left the company.  How do we transfer his registered license to another user at our company?

            Skipping dates when moving with mouse
            In a Gantt chart when I try to move an end date, it always seems to skip one day of the week (i.e. Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri). The day skipped changes as well. I have checked all calendar options and cannot determine why it is doing this.

            Sorting by dollar values
            I need to sort tasks by dollar amount and dollar categories.  How is this done?

            Anchor text to a symbol
            Is there a way to anchor  a string of text to a symbol or a task row?

            Bars not filling in on imported schedule
            I imported my Microsoft Project schedule into Milestones Professional.  I want the bars to fill to the status date.  Most of them don’t do this.  Why not?

            Change a symbol’s color
            How can I change the color of a single symbol on the schedule?

            For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for December 2023

            Upgrade to the latest version of Milestones Professional

            Click here to Upgrade to the latest version of Milestones Professional using your serial number (if you already own any version of Milestones Professional).

            To see what has changed, check out our home page.

            Join the Milestones Professional Users LinkedIn Group

            For anyone interested, there’s a free Milestones Professional user group on LinkedIn you can join to share best practices, network with other users, and maybe learn some tips along the way from other experienced Milestones users. To join, head over to the following website and click Join: https://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=6796817

            Note: This user group is an unofficial group run by Milestones software users, and is not managed by KIDASA Software, Inc. A free LinkedIn account is required to join the group.

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              October 2023 Newsletter

              Milestones Professional ValueSet Type 4: Values from Symbols

              Did you know you can add DataGraphs to the bottom of your Milestones Professional Schedule?

              In this video, we cover one of the types of ValueSets that you can graph, ValueSet 4 (where you can assign values to symbols).

              Check out our Videos page to see all of our available videos. You can also directly go to our Youtube Channel to see them as well.

              Be sure to Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for all the latest and greatest Milestones software videos!

              October 2023 Tips and Tricks

              For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for October 2023

              Show baseline dates without showing baseline symbols
              Is it possible to display baseline fields in the schedule’s columns but not show the baseline symbols and bars in the Gantt chart?

              Show date and text on same line for a symbol
              I have a few symbols on my schedule for which I would like to display both the start date AND the text on the same line on the left side of the symbol.  Is there a way to combine the symbol text and the date?

              Vertical connectors on a multi-page schedule
              My schedule has many vertical connectors, connecting dates across pages.  When I look at the connectors, it’s often challenging to determine which page they are connected to.  Is there anything I can do to make this easier?

              Multiple legend rows
              I would like to have a legend with multiple rows and 4 entries per row. How do I add a 2nd or 3rd row in the legend?

              Move a symbol and keep the same date
              When I move symbols to another task row, the dates changes.  I want the dates to stay the same when the symbols are rearranged on the schedule.  Is there a way to make them stick to their original date?

              Insert page breaks
              I need a couple of page breaks in my schedule so that I can have a couple of short pages.  Is this possible?

              Flag tasks that are nearing completion
              How can I display symbols in a column to indicate which tasks are, for example, 50%, 75%, 90% complete?  I want to show which tasks are complete, which ones haven’t started and so on.

              For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for October 2023

              Upgrade to the latest version of Milestones Professional

              Click here to Upgrade to the latest version of Milestones Professional using your serial number (if you already own any version of Milestones Professional).

              To see what has changed, check out our home page.

              Join the Milestones Professional Users LinkedIn Group

              For anyone interested, there’s a free Milestones Professional user group on LinkedIn you can join to share best practices, network with other users, and maybe learn some tips along the way from other experienced Milestones users. To join, head over to the following website and click Join: https://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=6796817

              Note: This user group is an unofficial group run by Milestones software users, and is not managed by KIDASA Software, Inc. A free LinkedIn account is required to join the group.

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                September 2023 Newsletter

                Milestones Professional Program Options: Tools Tab

                Check out some of the more common options that people change in the Tools Tab in Milestones Professional. Who knows, maybe you’d like to change some options!

                Check out our Videos page to see all of our available videos. You can also directly go to our Youtube Channel to see them as well.

                Be sure to Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for all the latest and greatest Milestones software videos!

                September 2023 Tips and Tricks

                For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for September 2023

                Trouble Refreshing or Importing from Project
                The connection to Project seems to be broken.  I am unable to refresh or import any Project schedules into Milestones.

                Microsoft Project files close when using a refresh list
                Milestones is closing Microsoft Project files when I refresh from Project Server with a refresh list.  Can we have an option to not close the files when using a refresh list?

                Sideways text
                I want to show a title to the left of my schedule.    Is this possible in Milestones?

                Only page 1 available when copying to clipboard
                Whenever I use the Copy Schedule to Clipboard (OLE) function it only copies page 1, even if I move to pages 2 or 3.  Is this a defect?

                Override legend colors
                I used the color override option for some connectors and symbols placed on my schedule. How can I define those in the legend, using the same color override?

                Percent complete pie color
                When using the Percent Complete SmartColumn, how do you change the color of the pie chart that appears?

                Picture disappears
                I added a picture to my schedule.  However, as soon as I add the picture it disappears before I have a chance to re-size it.

                Print an extra large schedule
                My schedule’s page size is set to 24 inches wide by 8.5 inches high.  I would like to print it in sections on my laser printer and later tape them together to build a large schedule.

                For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for September 2023

                Upgrade to the latest version of Milestones Professional

                Click here to Upgrade to the latest version of Milestones Professional using your serial number (if you already own any version of Milestones Professional).

                To see what has changed, check out our home page.

                Join the Milestones Professional Users LinkedIn Group

                For anyone interested, there’s a free Milestones Professional user group on LinkedIn you can join to share best practices, network with other users, and maybe learn some tips along the way from other experienced Milestones users. To join, head over to the following website and click Join: https://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=6796817

                Note: This user group is an unofficial group run by Milestones software users, and is not managed by KIDASA Software, Inc. A free LinkedIn account is required to join the group.

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                  August 2023 Newsletter

                  Import or Link to MS Project Overview

                  Check out this video where we cover most of the options for linking your MS Project file over to a Milestones Professional schedule.

                  Check out our Videos page to see all of our available videos. You can also directly go to our Youtube Channel to see them as well.

                  Be sure to Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for all the latest and greatest Milestones software videos!

                  August 2023 Tips and Tricks

                  For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for August 2023

                  Thicker outline for a symbol
                  I want a thicker line around my diamond symbol.  How do I set this up?

                  Show curtains on top of grid lines / shading
                  I have several curtains on my schedule but they aren’t showing up on some of the rows.  It looks like they don’t appear when there is row shading.  How can I fix this?

                  Add date range shading (curtains) to individual task rows
                  I know how to set up curtains for a schedule, to shade a date range.  How can I shade only certain task rows?

                  Customize task cells
                  I want to color the individual entries in my main column.  How is this done?

                  Add multiple milestones on different levels
                  How do I stack more than one timeline on the same row? When I create it centers in the middle of the row and I can’t move it.  I want to show, develop, design, test, etc. all on the same row. The dates overlap each other. When I try to create a separate timeline it lays on top of the previous one.

                  Appendix instead of Page
                  Can Milestones display the page numbering other than with the word “Page”? When I include a Milestones schedule in my report, it is in the appendix. Thus, I would like the pagination to say “Appendix” instead of “Page.”

                  Add many symbols above and below a bar
                  I want to show milestones above and below the task bar so I can have a condensed presentation format.  Please advise the steps on how to show symbols above and below the task bar.

                  Working remotely
                  I started working remotely last month.  Can I use my Milestones license on my personal laptop?

                  What is the red line which zig zags down my schedule?
                  What is the red line which seems to go in and out from the current date line?

                  Want a different triangle shape
                  Is it possible to get a different triangle symbol?  I see there are several to choose from but I have a specific requirement.

                  For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for August 2023

                  Upgrade to the latest version of Milestones Professional

                  Click here to Upgrade to the latest version of Milestones Professional using your serial number (if you already own any version of Milestones Professional).

                  To see what has changed, check out our home page.

                  Join the Milestones Professional Users LinkedIn Group

                  For anyone interested, there’s a free Milestones Professional user group on LinkedIn you can join to share best practices, network with other users, and maybe learn some tips along the way from other experienced Milestones users. To join, head over to the following website and click Join: https://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=6796817

                  Note: This user group is an unofficial group run by Milestones software users, and is not managed by KIDASA Software, Inc. A free LinkedIn account is required to join the group.

                    Sign up for our newsletter!

                    July 2023 Newsletter

                    Check Out our Recent Milestones Professional Videos

                    Be sure to Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for all the latest and greatest Milestones software videos!

                    July 2023 Tips and Tricks

                    For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for July 2023

                    No change or unexpected changes after schedule refresh
                    Nothing is happening when I refresh my master schedule.  I previously refreshed from multiple MS Project files but now I want to pick just one MS Project file.  How can I resolve this?

                    Set up a default format and toolbox
                    I want all new schedules to be in a certain format, with only the symbols and connectors I use displayed in the toolbox.  Is this possible?

                    Shade holidays
                    How do I shade holidays?

                    Share import filter with others
                    We are using Excel to enter information that we import into Milestones Professional.  We have several Excel users who are entering the information.  I have a filter that works for me when importing with our Excel spreadsheet.  How can I share my filter with other Excel users who also use Milestones?

                    Share schedules with those who do not have Milestones
                    I have Milestones but many of my co-workers don’t have the software.  I want to be able to share my schedules with them.  What are my options?

                    For these and more, view Tips and Tricks for July 2023

                    Upgrade to the latest version of Milestones Professional

                    Click here to Upgrade to the latest version of Milestones Professional using your serial number (if you already own any version of Milestones Professional).

                    To see what has changed, check out our home page.

                    Join the Milestones Professional Users LinkedIn Group

                    For anyone interested, there’s a free Milestones Professional user group on LinkedIn you can join to share best practices, network with other users, and maybe learn some tips along the way from other experienced Milestones users. To join, head over to the following website and click Join: https://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=6796817

                    Note: This user group is an unofficial group run by Milestones software users, and is not managed by KIDASA Software, Inc. A free LinkedIn account is required to join the group.

                      Sign up for our newsletter!