US Navy Utilizes PM Technology to Deliver Key Projects On-Time and On-Budget
Project Assistants’ Case Studies
Situation
In order to support a transition of the military supply system into the twenty-first century, the Department of the Navy (DoN) created the eBusiness Operations Office. The purpose of this office is to serve as a catalyst and enabler for implementing eBusiness solutions. The office works closely with the DoN CIO, who is responsible for the DoN eBusiness policy, as well as major claimant stakeholders throughout Navy and Marine Corps. The primary objective is to be an innovation center providing consultation services and idea sharing for emerging uses of commercial solutions relevant to the Navy and Marine Corps.
One of the groups within this Operations Office, Pilot Funding and Project Management, has the primary responsibility to establish the project management infrastructure for the entire eBusiness initiative and to provide high-level leadership, management, oversight, integration support and guidance for electronic business pilots.
The Naval Supply Challenge
The Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP), headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pa., has primary responsibility for providing supply support to U.S. Navy forces worldwide. With a worldwide civilian and military workforce of over 9000 people, NAVSUP meets this responsibility by performing a variety of logistic services including supply operations, contracting, resale, information systems, fuel, conventional ordnance, transportation, support services, and security assistance. NAVSUP sets the policies, prescribes the procedures and evaluates performance in each of these areas. NAVSUP’s most important responsibility is the worldwide, integrated Navy Supply System, which gets the Fleet what it needs, where and when it needs it.
The Pilot Funding and Project Management Group Challenge
The Pilot Funding and Project Management Group recognized the need to improve the process for the intake, management, and reporting of status for all funded pilot projects which are currently active at numerous locations world-wide. The entire eBusiness Office also had the need to see what people are working on throughout the organization, and traditionally, had a hard time identifying and reporting on the project and non-project work that is performed.
The Group had further identified the need to adopt a standard project management tool for the organization, and sought the help of Microsoft to address this need. Microsoft recommended Project Assistants to assist the Navy with this effort, and several meetings took place between Project Assistants and the Navy eBusiness Operations Office to help identify the requirements for a project management and project data communication system infrastructure.
One of the groups within this Operations Office, Pilot Funding and Project Management, has the primary responsibility to establish the project management infrastructure for the entire eBusiness initiative and to provide high-level leadership, management, oversight, integration support and guidance for electronic business pilots.
The Naval Supply Challenge
The Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP), headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pa., has primary responsibility for providing supply support to U.S. Navy forces worldwide. With a worldwide civilian and military workforce of over 9000 people, NAVSUP meets this responsibility by performing a variety of logistic services including supply operations, contracting, resale, information systems, fuel, conventional ordnance, transportation, support services, and security assistance. NAVSUP sets the policies, prescribes the procedures and evaluates performance in each of these areas. NAVSUP’s most important responsibility is the worldwide, integrated Navy Supply System, which gets the Fleet what it needs, where and when it needs it.
The Pilot Funding and Project Management Group Challenge
The Pilot Funding and Project Management Group recognized the need to improve the process for the intake, management, and reporting of status for all funded pilot projects which are currently active at numerous locations world-wide. The entire eBusiness Office also had the need to see what people are working on throughout the organization, and traditionally, had a hard time identifying and reporting on the project and non-project work that is performed.
The Group had further identified the need to adopt a standard project management tool for the organization, and sought the help of Microsoft to address this need. Microsoft recommended Project Assistants to assist the Navy with this effort, and several meetings took place between Project Assistants and the Navy eBusiness Operations Office to help identify the requirements for a project management and project data communication system infrastructure.
Solution
1. Project Assistants helped the Navy eBusiness Operations Office to achieve the desired future state by developing and executing a plan to roll-out a proven methodology to implement a Project Management Infrastructure and project data communication system.
Business Benefits:
2. Microsoft Project provided a standard process and Project Management repository for initiation and management of all funded pilot projects. By implementing a standard system to initiate all new funded pilot projects, the project related data for all ongoing and proposed projects are stored in a common database so that it will be possible to manage, analyze and view the status of all activities funded by the group.
Business Benefits:
3. Created and implemented a custom project data communication system:The robust, flexible and scalable architecture of Microsoft Project provided a platform to build a custom project data communication system.
Business Benefits:
- Project Assistants assisted the Navy eBusiness Operations Office with executing the plan by building the processes, guidelines, tools, training, communications, and associated change management required to implement the project data communication system and Project Management Infrastructure.
- The solution also included mentoring of a Program Management function to retrofit all work and project into new Infrastructure
Business Benefits:
- Implemented processes and Project Management infrastructure
2. Microsoft Project provided a standard process and Project Management repository for initiation and management of all funded pilot projects. By implementing a standard system to initiate all new funded pilot projects, the project related data for all ongoing and proposed projects are stored in a common database so that it will be possible to manage, analyze and view the status of all activities funded by the group.
- Common templates provide structure to all funded projects
- Common access to all project data
- Portfolio management of Group budget
Business Benefits:
- Microsoft Project data was integrated with other key business applications, such as accounting and human resource systems
- All work performed is accounted for
- Single source for routing and management of work
- Easier to spot unnecessary duplication of effort
- Provide a tool to facilitate work-flow management and bi-weekly project meetings
3. Created and implemented a custom project data communication system:The robust, flexible and scalable architecture of Microsoft Project provided a platform to build a custom project data communication system.
- System provided web enabled project workgroup functions
- Enhanced reporting capabilities
Business Benefits:
- Leverage the organization’s current investment in Microsoft Project for management of individual and multiple projects
- Microsoft Project was only needed by project managers and project leaders; all others are able to access needed project information directly via web browser
- Ad hoc management requests reports were developed from the project database and published using industry standard report writing tools