Implementation of CA PPM project management system in Mars
Since the beginning of 2017, Mars began implementing the CA Clarity PPM enterprise project management system. Today, all the structures of our company to one degree or another use this platform, and for project teams it is the main one. In this publication we will talk about the implementation of the system and its main advantages.
CA Clarity PPM (Project & Portfolio management) is a project management platform from CA Technologies. The system allows you to see the status of each project at any time with the desired level of detail, which makes it possible to correctly distribute resources and employee employment. As a result, projects, as they say, fall into the budget, terms and quality.
In turn, this allows you to make strategically correct and calculated decisions, track and highlight the most priority needs, and optimize the product portfolio.
Previously, we used such tools that were not the most convenient for work, such as the Lotus Notes database, in which the project dates were entered, and Sharepoint, where the resources were planned. These are not flexible and manual products that did not allow us to control tasks, statuses and finances in detail.
In contrast, CA PPM is not only a complete solution integrated with SAP, but also accurate information that can be presented in various types and formats. The advantage of using CA PPM is to provide a transparent picture of ongoing projects throughout the organization globally. As well as transparency in planning investments in new projects for business.
Previously, the project manager took one to two hours a week to fill out various forms, now this time has been reduced to 15 minutes with a very convenient interface, which you can use intuitively.
Budget management has also become much easier: all information on expenses is taken from SAP, there is no need to consolidate information from different sources. As a result, we have a complete picture of the time spent on the implementation of equipment costs, payment for contractor services, etc.
The work went on systematically. At the first stage, IT-business partners and the project management office (PMO) switched to the new platform. Then CA PPM began to use Deployment and Development teams, followed by other service teams.
The secret of successful launch of the project, in our opinion, lies in serious preparatory work, during which the platform was tested and all the material was carefully worked out. Representatives of all teams took part in the audit to be sure that the tool fully meets the needs of the entire organization. Trainings were also conducted depending on the functionality of the team in which the tool will be implemented.
The transition itself took place simultaneously for both new and ongoing projects.
Surprisingly, there were practically no errors in the system after launch. The tool is very dynamic, easily tuned to our needs in the changing conditions of the IT environment. The specially created Planning & Execution team, which also deals with developer relations, is responsible for this.
We keep track of user feedback and constantly introduce changes and improvements that fit into the new Mars operating model.
If among the readers of the blog there are those who have worked with this product of CA Technologies, we will be glad to receive your feedback on working with the CA Clarity PPM project management platform and exchange experience.
Platform Implementation Prerequisites
CA Clarity PPM (Project & Portfolio management) is a project management platform from CA Technologies. The system allows you to see the status of each project at any time with the desired level of detail, which makes it possible to correctly distribute resources and employee employment. As a result, projects, as they say, fall into the budget, terms and quality.
In turn, this allows you to make strategically correct and calculated decisions, track and highlight the most priority needs, and optimize the product portfolio.
Previously, we used such tools that were not the most convenient for work, such as the Lotus Notes database, in which the project dates were entered, and Sharepoint, where the resources were planned. These are not flexible and manual products that did not allow us to control tasks, statuses and finances in detail.
In contrast, CA PPM is not only a complete solution integrated with SAP, but also accurate information that can be presented in various types and formats. The advantage of using CA PPM is to provide a transparent picture of ongoing projects throughout the organization globally. As well as transparency in planning investments in new projects for business.
Previously, the project manager took one to two hours a week to fill out various forms, now this time has been reduced to 15 minutes with a very convenient interface, which you can use intuitively.
Budget management has also become much easier: all information on expenses is taken from SAP, there is no need to consolidate information from different sources. As a result, we have a complete picture of the time spent on the implementation of equipment costs, payment for contractor services, etc.
How we implemented the tool
The work went on systematically. At the first stage, IT-business partners and the project management office (PMO) switched to the new platform. Then CA PPM began to use Deployment and Development teams, followed by other service teams.
The secret of successful launch of the project, in our opinion, lies in serious preparatory work, during which the platform was tested and all the material was carefully worked out. Representatives of all teams took part in the audit to be sure that the tool fully meets the needs of the entire organization. Trainings were also conducted depending on the functionality of the team in which the tool will be implemented.
The transition itself took place simultaneously for both new and ongoing projects.
Surprisingly, there were practically no errors in the system after launch. The tool is very dynamic, easily tuned to our needs in the changing conditions of the IT environment. The specially created Planning & Execution team, which also deals with developer relations, is responsible for this.
We keep track of user feedback and constantly introduce changes and improvements that fit into the new Mars operating model.
If among the readers of the blog there are those who have worked with this product of CA Technologies, we will be glad to receive your feedback on working with the CA Clarity PPM project management platform and exchange experience.