Prodimeks-Holding (Directum (system))

Situation

Work within projects assumes harmonious interaction, and approval of the made decisions in real time between all project participants. Along with operational tasks when implementing the project, it is also extremely important that the management had means of the objective analysis of a situation on the project in each separate timepoint, taking into account interrelations of different projects and also their complex influence on development of Group.

When implementing projects of power and responsibility are delegated to the project manager who is responsible for all project in general – from initiation and project planning before completion of all works and project closure. At the same time it is extremely important for the project manager that the project team worked in a common information space and avoided the information gaps affecting quality and terms of accomplishment of tasks. The situation often can be complicated by geographical distribution of operational business, participants and project managers.

For the solution of the specified tasks the organization of model of project management, with clear split of areas of responsibility, formation of the purposes and determination of criteria of accessibility of these purposes, accounting of risks, formation of work plans, fixing of tasks to specific contractors, maintaining the unified register is necessary for accounting of all executed and current projects of Group.

Selection

At the end of 2010 within complex approach to information upgrade of business by the management of Prodimeks Group it was headed for search and system implementation of project management. The main requirements to the system of steel creation of a uniform information field for corporate interaction of all employees, the fastest automation of project activity and integration of a system into information environment of Prodimeks Group. The scalability and system performance, a possibility of remote work via the browser, including from mobile devices, a possibility of fast adaptation to the business processes which developed in Group became important factors when choosing the platform.

Based on competitive selection as a technology platform the DIRECTUM ECM system was selected, project implementation was charged to specialists of Akelon company.

Task analysis

The following tasks were set for the joint working group consisting of leading experts of Prodimeks Group and consultants of Akelon:

• Standardize business processes on work with projects and IFRS;
• Implement the standard of project management in the company, prepare normative and methodical base and the regulating documents;
• Develop training courses and train at courses of users of all enterprises of Group and management company;
• Automate process of initiation, approval and the approval of the project;
• Automate process of execution of the project, including automatic mailing of tasks to contractors, develop the mechanism of control of the course of project tasks;
• Automate processes of collecting and document handling for IFRS project objectives;
• Automate process of approval of changes in course of execution of projects with a possibility of formation of the register of change requests;
• Automate process of preparation of reports on the project course;
• Automate process of project closure and summing up on projects;
• Develop reporting system on execution of separate projects / project portfolios;
• Develop reports for efficiency evaluation of work of employees/divisions on projects;
• Develop the register of projects, uniform for all Group (and separately the register of the IFRS projects), with a possibility of an output of any analytics on the project in a convenient form;
• Develop the mechanism of visual planning of the project with the chart Ganta;
• Introduce automatic control of performance indicators within project management;
• Develop the integration mechanism for transfer of documents and reports from a 1C system in DIRECTUM for IFRS project objectives;
• Implement the mechanism of differentiation of access rights not only on electronic documents, but also on record of reference books (for especially confidential projects);
• Provide reliable and safe document storage on the IFRS projects, with automatic issue of the rights to documents in compliance with the adopted regulations;
• Provide remote access to a system for work through Internet and configure the mechanism of notifications on the events which are taking place in a system on e-mail of employees.

Except all this was planned to adapt standard functionality of a system for specifics of Prodimeks Group.

Solution

The project started in May, 2011 and came to the end in February, 2012. During the project specialists of Akelon company developed the special module "Project management" allowing to work with any kinds of projects, including with the IFRS projects, including preparation and the centralized collecting of documents.

The special editor of the project with the chart Ganta allowing to plan works in a graphic type was a part of the solution, the standard routes and scenarios automating work with projects at all stages of lifecycle, registers of projects, stages and tasks of projects, reports and performance indicators are developed, scenarios are developed for updating of the project plan. Special attention was paid to development of model of security allowing to configure flexibly the rights to reference books and electronic documents and also to issue the automatic rights to project participants depending on their roles.

Editor of the project with the chart Ganta

The editor of the project allows to work with the schedule of the project in a graphics mode using the chart Ganta.

• add stages and tasks to the project plan, to move them within the plan for formation of required hierarchy work and also to delete stages and tasks;
• displace a separate problem / group of tasks and all project for required date;
• set and delete communications between tasks, several relationship types are supported;
• specify delay and advancing for the connected tasks;
• display the baseline plan for variance analysis;
• change the scale of volume projects that all plan was visible on the screen;
• work with several calendars of working time;
• use the evident graphics image of the project plan in the form of the chart Ganta;
• work with a set of stages and tasks (to move, connect, delete);
• synchronize the project plan with DIRECTUM, open cards of the project, stages and tasks of projects in the DIRECTUM system.

Reference book Projects

The reference book is intended for accounting and maintaining all projects in the company, has several ideas allowing to work with the IFRS projects, basic projects and to create templates of projects.

All projects in the company are classified by types, subspecies and programs within which they are implemented. In a card of each project the project management team, as a part of the initiator, the curator and the project manager, deputy managers of the project and also experts in different data domains is fixed. For progress analysis of the project at the top level the general percent of project completion, project stage and also information existence of change requests is displaid.

Project card. Contents of the Project tab Project objectives and the project budget, indicators and criteria of accessibility of the purposes are also specified in a project card. For investment projects profitability and a payback period is specified. Projects can be connected among themselves, to add details, specific to each project, to a card.

Project card. Setup tab There is a mechanism of differentiation of access rights to projects and tasks for project participants. The choice of different calendars for reflection of specifics of project works is supported. The providing reports on the project course given about frequency is specified, for the project the required number of days before escalation can be specified (the separate scenario traces exceeding of this term and performs sending adequate notices to all key project participants).

The developed scenarios allow to create projects from templates and to copy projects, including all set of parameters and indicators of the initial project.

Reference book Stages of projects

For formation of a hierarchical structure of project works it is used reference books Stages of projects and the Task of projects. The reference book Stages of projects is intended for grouping of project tasks. On each stage basic, planned and actual targets of duration and term are fixed. In case of the IFRS projects when in a separate stage it is required to collect identical documents from each enterprise, at the same time contractors everywhere the, the possibility of creation of multiple tasks significantly accelerating process of formation of the project plan is available.

If within problems of a stage providing documents in strictly certain forms is necessary, these forms can be connected with a project stage.

Reference book of the Task of projects

In the reference book of the Task of projects the institution of separate tasks (works) which need to be executed for achievement of the objects set in the project is performed.

In a project task belonging to a specific stage is specified, including movement of tasks between stages, for the purposes of their best distribution in the project plan is available. On each task its basic indicators, planned and actual are displayed.

Project task card. The Main thing tab contractors who will automatically receive tasks on a task, at approach of terms of its execution are specified In a task. The controller responsible for acceptance of works on separately project task can be specified.

Project task card. Execution tab At execution of project tasks, contractors can use the mechanism of a request of prolongation of term, and in case of confirmation of this request by the project manager, terms of this task will be corrected, and added to the baseline plan. An opportunity to independently reassign tasks to the subordinates is available to heads. The option of a request of change of the contractor, in case of a task impossibility of performance independently is available to non-management employees. On a task observers who should receive notifications on key events during its execution can be specified.

Project task card. Right of access tab A system constantly traces deadlines of accomplishment of project tasks and in case of exceeding of the period of escalation (it is specified for all project), adequate notices will be sent to the key staff responsible for a task.

The unique mechanism allowing to appoint the rights to a task to individual employees of the company is developed for project tasks. For providing access, it is necessary to enter information on the employee into a table part of Right of access.

Standard routes and scenarios

9 difficult standard routes and 11 scenarios which allow to update timely the project plan were a part of the module "Project management", to automatically send tasks to contractors at approach of terms of accomplishment, to check terms of accomplishment of tasks regarding delay.

6 standard routes for automation of work with the project on each of its stages are implemented:

• Expert evaluation of the project;
• Approval of the project;
• Execution of the project;
• Preparation and approval of the report on the project course;
• Escalation of a project task;
• Project closure.

At the same time some specific procedures, such as approval and execution of the project, are serviced by several standard routes and scenarios analyzing a current status of the project and reacting to different deviations during the project.

Development of tools for control of the course of separate projects and programs, so project activity of Prodimeks Group in general became an integral part of the solution. The special scenarios allowing to find quickly tasks on execution and control at the current employee are developed for contractors and controllers.

Report Project charter and Liszt of approval

Report Project charter After all data on the project are specified and the detailed work plan is made, from a project card the Project charter – the fundamental document of the project automatically forms.

Along with the charter the application in which schemes and the additional project description can be attached can be prepared.

Liszt's report of approval In the course of approval of the project, the approving employees sign the Charter and the annex to the charter of the EDS, at a validation phase the head can create the sheet of approval in which in a tabular style all information on approval is displayed.

The report the Pivot table on tasks of projects

The report is used for the analysis of course of execution the project. In the report all analytics on the project is displaid. The user at creation of the report can turn on an unloading option in the report of information from table parts, for example, for the analysis of execution of the project by specific contractors / divisions.

The report the Status according to documents of the IFRS project

On collecting and the analysis of documents the special report allowing the management to browse a current status of the project, by the number of the documents provided and planned to providing and also documents which are already transferred to check to external auditors was developed for IFRS project objectives.

Reports for the analysis of process of execution of projects

For the analysis of timeliness of execution of tasks of projects by employees and divisions and also special reports were developed for assessment of loading of contractors not on projects that is an important factor at job sharing on contractors, at the time of scheduling:

Execution of tasks of projects by workers/divisions; Loading of contractors on projects; Adherence to deadlines on execution and control of tasks of projects; Results of execution and control of tasks of projects.

Integration with 1C

Documents IFRS Integration with 1C allows to transfer from 1C to DIRECTUM the electronic documents and reports created in 1C that allows users to reduce time for providing the document for check to auditors within the IFRS project. During creation of such document in DIRECTUM it is only enough to specify a project task with which it is necessary to connect the document therefore other fields in a card of the document will be autocompleted and also the rights to the document will be issued to necessary project participants.

Key performance indicators

The following key performance indicators are developed for more effective and timely tracking of the problems arising in the course of implementation of project activity of Holding:

Overall level of delay of tasks of projects; The current number of projects at each stage; Current progress of execution of the IFRS project.

Results

As a project objective was the complete solution including not only automation, but also preparation of normative and methodical base and implementation of best practices of project management in Prodimeks Group, specialists of Akelon company developed the Standard on project management which sets requirements to project management which are kept by Prodimeks Group. The basis of the standard was formed by the recommendations of the project management body of knowledge of the Management of PMBoK and the experience of conducting project activity accumulated in the company. Also detailed work and methodical instructions, with the description of all procedures of project management were a part of the regulating documentation.

Much attention was paid to training of staff of Prodimeks Group. The specialized rate on use of the module "Project management" was developed for this purpose. During the project teachers of Akelon company several times left to Voronezh and Krasnodar, for carrying out training at places. Training of representatives the managing director of the company and the staff of the enterprises of Penza and Bashkiria was carried out in Akelona training center in Moscow. The total quantity of the users trained at rates made more than 200 people. Also the reduced seminars and the presentations of a system were held. More than 30 people were certified and became the certified users of the DIRECTUM system.

The project startup on collecting and preparation of the reporting for the purposes of IFRS became one of the priority tasks set for the joint working group. As a result of the performed works the project was started on execution at the scheduled time and by a present situation all documents within the IFRS project of 2011 in Prodimeks Group are provided only in the DIRECTUM system. In addition in a system several projects are initiated by legal management and management of corporate finances. By the time of transfer to commercial operation in a system 187 users were registered, at the same time the number of users steadily grows. Heads of divisions and Top managers received the EDS mechanism, for the purposes of vising and the approval of project documents. In time since the beginning of trial operation 4070 tasks were sent, 3015 tasks are created and 1005 documents are created.

For achievement of effective objectives within the project and implementation of complex approach to building of project management management of the company in addition completed a full course of project management in one of the leading consulting firms. It is extremely important to note that similar complex approach to training in the DIRECTUM system and functionality of project management, together with theoretical knowledge, served as guarantee of successful project implementation.

Prospects

Based on this project the commission on development which part leading specialists of Prodimeks Group and Akelon company were was created. Development of the plan for further development of a system and determination of further steps on automation of adjacent areas are transferred to the jurisdiction of the commission.

In plans of Prodimeks Group to increase number of the divisions working in a system and also to expand the used functionality of DIRECTUM.

Based on the current project the agreement on rendering services within which specialists of Akelon company book permanent audit of use of a system on compliance to the underlain principles and regulations was signed, methodical and consulting support is given.