Fulcrum Business Solutions is a leading solution provider for Microsoft enterprise project management (EPM). It attributes a large degree of its successful implementations to a commitment to methodologies that balance organisational needs, people, technology and training. Fulcrum has a pool of development resources that are skilled in customising solutions around EPM to assist customers in tailoring their EPM solutions in order to maximise and leverage investments.
Kumba Resources` Information Management department had increasingly become aware that its paper-based system needed to be optimised. Its demand management system (DMS) had to be automated, and the company identified Fulcrum as the best solution provider to assist it in doing so.
The DMS process consists of three phases that include "value identification", "value realisation" and finally "value tracking". The conclusion of this project aims to provide a consolidated project management environment that supports the projects within all phases of the process.
Fulcrum felt that a solution consisting of Microsoft EPM and K2.net workflow would be ideally suited to the unique situation at Kumba Resources (IM). The EPM portion of the solution would be used as a project management tool for the "execute project" sub-process within "value realisation". K2.net workflow would be best employed in the "value identification" process, a portion of the "value realisation" and the "value tracking" process.
The deployment of these solutions within Kumba Resources (IM) would show benefits very quickly. Through the standardisation of the working methodology and the creation and availability of audit trails, better process control and improved management of project delivery would be ensured. The benefits to the organisation through precise and committed project management principles would be far-reaching.
In terms of the new process, once a business requirement has been registered, the capacity to consolidate and prioritise initiatives and drive them through to a business case is accelerated. After business case approval, the higher priority business case can be submitted for primary sponsor approval.
When the project goes into the execution phase, interaction with the Microsoft EPM solution is triggered. The Microsoft EPM toolset consisting of Project Server 2003, Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003 clients and Project WEB Access (PWA) is used to facilitate reporting and manage projects centrally.
The toolset allows project managers to effectively plan, track and manage their projects and the security-based access environment allows other project community members to view relevant information regarding the various initiatives. The improved efficiency in automation of the numerous business processes results in the elimination of a number of unnecessary steps along the way, thus saving time and improving the return on investment.
The toolset allows collaboration among the entire project community, reporting and submission of reports and data. These reports, which include project plans, issue lists and status views, are then stored in a central repository for access by relevant participants and key role players and can be accessed at any stage of the project.
In order to gauge the triumphs and breakdowns within a project it is vital to include an element of measurement. As a final step therefore, a success story and "Lessons Learnt" chapter must play its part. This is possibly one of the most valuable parts to any completed project because without the automated ability to review and gain an objective analysis of how to improve; it is unlikely that any organisation can grow effectively in this competitive environment. Vital at this point is a customer satisfaction survey. With greater predictability in response to customers one can guarantee far improved customer service levels.
Once a customer satisfaction survey has been completed and the role players have been made aware of the results, a closure report and closure report approval request is automated and this finally leads to the archiving of the project reports.
The conclusion of the Fulcrum integration project aims to provide a consolidated project management environment that supports the projects within the value identification process and to provide the relevant teams with the technological support that is required not only to manage the entire lifecycle of a project, but also to determine its success.
Fulcrum`s strategic business focus extends well beyond the delivery of a basic EPM solution. In line with its vision of helping Kumba Resources (IM) create value, Fulcrum`s focus extends from the technical layer, through project operations up to the deliver of a balance scorecard to project intelligence.
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