A US Army program management office managed its project tasks and deadlines by hand across numerous Excel spreadsheets that carried no dependencies or links between task items, and no single system held the shared calendars and program data of the 41 subcontracting agencies on the program. i3solutions replaced that manual tracking with an Executive Information System (EIS), a consolidated project management solution delivered through SharePoint development on Microsoft’s SharePoint Portal technology. An Executive Dashboard puts program status in front of key management personnel in real time and lets management teams drill into the numbers behind a figure to find the source of a problem or discover a trend, while SQL Server Reporting Services automates report generation in numerous formats and delivers the reports to the Product and Management Teams. A central repository completes the system, giving each group its own project site for documents, calendar rollups, discussion groups, meeting planners, and task and action item lists, so the Program Management Office works from one reporting and data management environment instead of consolidating spreadsheets by hand.
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 client is a US Army program management office that 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 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did i3solutions build for the Army program office?
An Executive Information System (EIS) built on Microsoft’s SharePoint Portal technology. It consolidates project management in one place: an Executive Dashboard that reports program status in real time, SQL Server Reporting Services for automated report generation and delivery, and a central repository holding every project document.
How does the EIS support a program run across dozens of subcontractors?
Each group works in its own project site, and all 41 subcontracting agencies on the program share one central area where they can hold online meetings, work from the same documents and key information, see roll-ups of tasks and action items, and coordinate through team calendars.
How are program status reports produced and delivered?
SQL Server Reporting Services automates report generation in numerous formats, and the reports are delivered automatically to the Product and Management Teams. Audit and compliance reports track whether Product Team tasks are updated in a timely manner, and the Executive Dashboard supplies real-time progress and status reports to the contracting managers.
Can managers see more than the top-level numbers?
The executive management view is the starting point, not the limit. Management teams move from a roll-up down to the underlying task and action item records, which is where they find the source of a problem, run a more detailed analysis to discover trends in the data, or isolate the one section of data that is skewing an overall result.
If your program status still has to be assembled by hand from spreadsheets that different teams own, the picture reaches leadership later than the decision needed it. A first conversation covers where your task, document, and calendar data sits today, how many hands it passes through before a status report exists, and what a consolidated SharePoint reporting layer would take over. You leave with a written map of that flow and a specific list of the gaps to close, which is usually the internal case a program office has to put in front of its own approvers before the work gets funded. Bring whatever the current process looks like, spreadsheets included, and the scoping starts from there. Start the conversation
Program status assembled by hand from spreadsheets that different teams own reaches leadership later than the decision needed it. A senior SharePoint architect will map where your task, document, and schedule data sits and what a consolidated reporting layer would take over.
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