Executive Information System Streamlines Project Management and Reporting for the Army

Case Study

Executive Information System
Streamlines Project Management
and Reporting for the Army

The Customer

And Their Challenge

The US Army’s Future Force Warrior Program was facing an ever growing project management nightmare due to the highly manual process for tracking project tasks and deadlines via numerous Excel spreadsheets. The current process was taking the Army several weeks to consolidate all program tasks and action items for the Program Management Office. The Excel Spreadsheets were limited because there were no dependencies or links between the different task items and/or project areas.

In addition, the Army did not have a tool to consolidate and manage all of their data and shared calendars across 41 different subcontracting agencies for this program. The Army needed to find a solution that could replace their manual system for task and project management, develop a consolidated knowledge repository for documents across all areas of this program, and develop a centralized reporting system.

The Solution

i3solutions developed an Executive Information System (EIS) to replace the current inefficient manual task tracking system. The EIS provides a consolidated project management solution built on Microsoft’s SharePoint Portal technology. This Digital Transformation eliminates much of the current manual tracking and provides information to key management personnel in real time using an Executive Dashboard interface that allows key decision makers to proactively manage the program. In addition to the executive management view, management teams have the ability to drill down on the numbers to find the source of a problem or to perform a more detailed analysis to discover trends in the data. Armed with detailed information, executives can address the problem directly or isolate one section of the data that may be tarnishing the overall results.

The EIS solution also leverages SQL Server Reporting Services to automate the generation of reports in numerous formats which are automatically delivered to the Product and Management Teams. Audit and compliance reports ensure Product Team tasks are updated in a timely manner.

The final module of the EIS is a central repository for all project documents. A project site is created for each group which allows for cross company and cross team collaboration. Each site includes calendar rollups, discussion groups, meeting planners, and task and action item lists. The new process provides the Management team with direct insight into the current status of all levels of the program.

Technologies

Used in the Solution

Measurable Benefits
and Business Impact

This solution provides the Army with a consolidated approach to track and manage the different project deliverables and subcontracting teams that are critical to the success of the FFW program. The EIS provides the Army with the ability to roll-up all tasks and action items in order to determine the true status of a deliverable or milestone. The EIS provides a centralized area where 41 different agencies can collaborate, share information, conduct online meetings, manage documentation and key information, view task and action item roll-ups, and share team calendars. EIS also enforces standard practices across all the teams and includes an Executive Dashboard to supply real-time information, progress and status reports to the contracting managers. This solution streamlines the process for generating status reports as well as searching for relevant data files across the entire project.

Reduced Time for Status Consolidation

The Executive Information System (EIS) reduces the time required to consolidate program tasks and action items, transforming a previously weeks-long process into real-time updates.

Improved Project Visibility and Decision-Making

The Executive Dashboard provides real-time insights and trend analysis, empowering decision-makers to proactively manage the program and address potential issues before they impact deadlines.

Enhanced Cross-Agency Collaboration

A centralized repository  and project sites enhance collaboration among 41 subcontracting agencies, enabling seamless document sharing, task management, and calendar roll-ups across all teams.

Increased Efficiency in Reporting and Compliance

Automated report generation with SQL Server Reporting Services ensures timely delivery of compliance and audit reports, streamlining reporting processes and improving adherence to standard practices.