Why to manage projects in ObjectGears
25.06.2015
More and more companies become aware of benefits when managing the company in a project way. The advantage of this approach is fixing the scope, objectives and results. The project shall bring these results in a determined time while spending determined resources (finance, manday capacities). A temporary organization is established within the project to facilitate an efficient and effective objective achievement. We speak about project manager, sponsor, steering commitee, solvers and other roles.
In this way everything, that the company wants to change, can be transformed into a set of projects. Projects my realize particular company goals or new processes and products that the company wants to introduce. There is clearly defined responsibility for the project delivery (project manager, delivery manager). It is clear how much will the projects cost (they have clearly defined resources), what they will deliver and when. This modern approach is distinguished by effectiveness of results achievement when compared to traditional management approaches.
Small companies often solve their agendas without information system when particular employees keep their tasks in notepads. Recording a task on paper is often the quickest way, however, we give up benefits of information system - sharing information about tasks, provability of their assignment, information who did when what, putting things into context, ability to take over work and information. As the company growths paper evidence is not possible and people begin solving questions of project coordination, resource planning, change management, labour productivity...Here we canot do without appropriate information system.
Why to manage projects in ObjectGears?
- ObjectGears solves project management by a simple model EasyTask, that is suitable for smaller teams or by a comprehensive model for programme and portfolio management, management of particular projects and change requests. The latter solution has connections to other processes (Change management, Release Management, Test management etc.).
- ObjectGears flexibility enables to adapt the solution to customer requirements.
- Particular users have a queue of their tasks and receive email notifications about task assignment.
- Users can work with the system both on computer, tablet and smartphone.
- Project managers have an overview of work progress. They can follow when who performed what.
- Keeping record of actions has positive effect on employee productivity because when some activity gets delayed you can easily see who took too much time when solving it.
- In larger companies also view of the whole project portfolio is important. It is question of planning budgets, required resources, solving collisions in situations when certain professions are called by too much projects at a time or vice versa insufficient utilization of employee capacities. This is followed by Financial management process.
Examples of screens
Project detail
We define project code, its name, description, dependencies on other projects, status, overall internal cost in mandays and external cost in money. We set sponsor, delivery manager and project manager. We can classify the project with category and put it into project portfolio or programme. Other information about project is available on tabs in the below part of the screen. These are tasks assigned directly on the project level, project phasing, harmonogram, changes performed within project, project roadmap (overall view of project in terms of planned mandays and expenses in particular years) and detailed plan of resources (internal capacities).
Project resources
Within particular years in which the project runs it is necessary to plan resources and break down alocated mandays to particular necessary roles. Plan of resource utilization in particular months enables to identify collisions with other projects demanding the same resources or the other way around unutilized resources.
Portfolio detail
Key attributes of a portfolio are name, code, owner and possibly parent portfolio. In the below part of the screen we can see overviews of subordinate portfolios, programmes and projects and also portfolio roadmap - plan of resources (mandays, money) for particular years.
Programme
Key attributes of a programme are name, code, owner and possibly parent portfolio or programme. In the below part of the screen we can see overviews of subordinate programmes and projects and also programme roadmap - plan of resources (mandays, money) for particular years.
You can find more information in the description of process Project management and Program a portfolio management.