Project Management Discipline
Continued
Up-to-Date Data
Of course, project creation is only the beginning. It is just as important to keep track of a project once it gets underway, which is why one of Sullivan’s main goals for the new project management solution is to create a standardized view of the project across the entire organization. “Each project is viewed, measured, and evaluated through project intelligence based on Macroscope, Fujitsu’s flagship methodology,” explains Sullivan. “Anyone—clients, partners, executive management, account executives, our governance body, engagement managers, and project managers—can view project data that is relevant to their specific needs. This consistent view of our projects allows us to track key performance indicators, keeping us ahead of any execution or financial issues. Through this visibility and control, we can mitigate project risk and ensure a quality engagement for our clients.”
Fujitsu Consulting has created a single source of truth
for every project, providing consistent, reliable data for seamless project execution. According to Lewis Cardin, a senior analyst with Forrester Research, “With new project management software like PPM, figures are not only right but can be used to find ways to streamline a project or a task. The sophisticated reporting that comes out of these solutions is such that you know you can go anywhere, do all kinds of ‘what if’ analyses, do portfolio comparisons or comparisons among projects within the portfolio. Now, executives say that they’re able to do correct decision-making and problem-solving because they’ve got the information they need, and they’re comfortable that it’s complete, accurate, and timely.”
This new level of accuracy helps ease communications with end users—whether external clients or internal employees—and better manage expectations. As a result, Fujitsu Consulting plans to roll out a selection of dashboards to its clients, giving them what Sullivan likes to call a “no-surprises guarantee.” He notes, “Clients should not have to receive any surprises during their projects. They should never hear, ‘Boy, I had no idea we were over budget there.’ With visibility comes comfort—we know we can proactively address issues before they become problems.”
Another benefit of Fujitsu Consulting’s new project management solution is that project managers will spend less time on administration. They will no longer have to keep track of things like activities and work structures or perform economic calculations on Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. Rather than just doing administrative paperwork, they will have more time to devote to creating and implementing new modules or growing a particular account.
“Without PPM software in place, project managers have to maintain their dashboards manually. They also need to maintain their project economics tracking sheets manually,” Sullivan says. “We are going to automate all of this. I’m looking for this to drive down project management administrative time on a project anywhere from 10 to 30 percent.”
Establishing an Industry Standard
According to Sullivan, a key benefit of Fujitsu Consulting’s project management efforts is the ability to create repeatable, automated processes; convert them into templates; and then offer these solutions to the company’s professional- and business-service client base. These template-based solutions would allow clients to manage their own internal projects using the same controls and efficiencies that are enjoyed by Fujitsu Consulting.
“It’s much more than just automating what we do,” says Sullivan. “In the longer term, it’s really about setting the standard for the rest of the industry. But today it’s all about maximizing the benefits to Fujitsu Consulting.” Indeed, Sullivan projects a complete return on investment for the project in about 12 months, including both software and consulting costs for the implementation.
“The real value-add is being able to administer self-service business processes that provide a single source of truth for project managers, engagement managers, clients, and vendors alike,” Sullivan explains. “The solution answers questions like, ‘How can I improve my business?’ not just, ‘How do I count the debits and credits?’ Oracle’s PPM software is really an operational toolset that can bring discipline to your business processes and standards—across all your projects—which ultimately improves margins and increases client satisfaction.”
For More Information
Oracle Project Management
All About the Customer
Karen J. Bannan covers business and technology for publications such as
Forbes and
PC Magazine.
