Project manager + BPM = optimal solution?
The differences between the process and project approaches is one of the topical topics for discussion among business analysts and experts.
At first glance, there is nothing in common between them, since they are based on completely different entities:
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There are moments in the development of a company when a clear distinction between process and project approaches is blurred. As practice shows, this does not harm business, but on the contrary, increases its success.
Thus, the implementation of the process approach in the project company allows you to clearly regulate the timing, stages and budget of projects. Typical projects that are similar in structure, standard procedures and aimed at achieving similar results are transformed into streamlined business processes.
In turn, the introduction of the project approach to the process model allows to improve the quality and efficiency of the project, if the company needs a non-standard, specific result.
If you move the discussion of this issue into the IT solutions plane, then the use of BPM (process management methodologies for management) in the project management system allows you to multiply increase the efficiency, transparency and predictability of work performed within the project.
I decided to find out how successfully modern project management systems combine in their arsenal the means of Project Management and BPM, meeting the requirements of today. “Successfully” in my understanding means: without bias in the direction of a particular approach and with the observance of the optimal balance between them.
He singled out for himself a few simple criteria for comparing systems:
From a wide arsenal of project management systems, I chose 6:
The ProjectMate product is positioned by developers as an integrated system of project management and interaction between employees. Also, the functionality of the system includes tools for time tracking and billing.
The project management module is simple and easy to navigate. Information about projects is maintained in a strict hierarchical order.
In the “Tasks” section there are two types of tasks: “My tasks” and “All”. Accordingly, the first type includes tasks assigned to this user, and the second - tasks for all projects of the company.
To control the timing of tasks and assignments, a task scheduler is implemented, based on Microsoft Outlook calendars. With its help it is convenient to control the general progress of work on projects:
Scheduler can be used when planning personal work time. In this case, the employee indicates information about the project, in which he performs a particular action.
Specifying the exact time frame of the tasks is carried out using the mechanism of timers .
The role of the company's internal news feed is performed by the “Ads” component located in the action pane. The ability to publish an ad is given to the user in accordance with the access rights.
The instant messaging service between project participants in the system is somewhat different in its performance from traditional instant messengers.
First, it is not tied to specific users, but to individual elements of the system (documents, reports, records).
Secondly, the messenger provides for receiving incoming messages and notifications about meetings, assignments, booking resources or creating announcements, but does not record outgoing messages from the user.
Thirdly, since the messenger is tied to individual aspects of the project, it is not an independent component of the system. In the navigation structure of the system, it is hidden quite “deeply” and is one of the elements of the “Today's Affairs” mini-organizer:
In addition, the user can leave comments on individual entries for the project:
Business process management is limited to the “continuous billing” mechanism.
“Continuous billing” is a cross-cutting chain of events consisting of several stages:
All these features are presented in the "Billing" module.
The project structure can be arbitrarily complex and include many subprojects - time tracking and reporting on it will be conducted in a single key.
Being an integrated business solution that supports interaction with Microsoft Project, ProjectMate flexibly adapts to the specifics of any business area. The system is used by design, legal, auditing, consulting and other companies.
To track the terms and budgets of the project and visualize the dynamics of its implementation, various visualization tools are provided. One of them is the Gantt chart:
There are channels for exchanging messages and documents, general information on projects is available (including activities and deadlines for their implementation), which allows receiving operational information about the status of projects and tasks.
But there is a serious drawback: there is no search string for data and documents.
In ProjectMate reflected the individual developments of BPM-systems. However, they bear, rather, the nature of point borrowings, rather than organically integrated in the system of mechanisms for optimizing design work.
In the ELMA Projects + system, along with the classic project management tools (project roster, budgeting, finance and labor costs, etc.), a wide arsenal of BPM tools is used, which make it possible to streamline the implementation of projects.
In addition, project management simplifies the functionality for document integration, messaging, risk control, and maintaining a project knowledge base.
I did not go deep into the subject of project management, which was worked out in detail in this system, but limited myself to studying the basic functionality of ELMA Projects +. In general, he noted for himself the following interface features:
All components of the system are, as they say, “at hand”, but at the same time the working space is not overloaded with components.
The task management service in the system is informative and easy to use. Tasks can be created within the project, which is displayed in their description. Thus, a project participant sees what his area of ​​responsibility is in the implementation of this project, and in accordance with what sets priorities in his activities:
For effective time management, the system provides for scheduling of events. I can schedule events for a specific date and time by displaying important information on it in my calendar.
The system can track how successfully and efficiently the schedule for the current project is being implemented:
The fulfillment of the tasks set is monitored in the system with the accuracy of Swiss watches.
There are many channels of interaction between project participants (personal, project, channels for communication with experts). Because of this, you can freely discuss the details of projects and share ideas:
Project management is carried out in strict accordance with the logic of its life cycle. ELMA is a BPM class system, therefore the regulation of business processes is its strong point. Processes can be built in the logic, which requires the specifics of this business.
In each project, the stages of its implementation are distinguished and clearly recorded; transitions between them are business processes. Each stage of the project is tied to a specific date of the calendar plan, which makes it easier to monitor compliance with the deadlines.
To track the project budget by stages and stages of project implementation, there is a special section where all costs and income items of the company are contributed:
Based on the data entered for each article, a summary statistics of planned and actual income and expenses is formed:
For projects that are implemented according to a well-established analogous scheme, project templates are provided - a tool that, I think, allows you to bring the benefits of business processes into a project activity - clear regulability and predictability.
For quick registration of typical (that is, the most common) projects of the enterprise, ready-made project templates are used, which provide for a number of standard procedures performed from project to project using a single scheme.
This allows you to save project registration time and customize the project pipeline in accordance with the specifics of the company.
Projects + application supports integration with MS Project. With the help of the file import wizard, the project (in MPP format) is automatically loaded into the application with saving all the entered data, on the basis of which the project plan is formed.
After the project is transferred to the application, it is possible to create tasks with the indication of the final executor, whose status is monitored using special markers. The Projects + program provides convenient tools for visualization of the project plan and the ability to track the percentage of its implementation at each stage.
Sometimes the company's strategic goals change, which entails the need to revise the project plan. In this case, the file imported into the system can be downloaded back to MS Project for its refinement.
Since the Projects + system easily adapts to a specific field of activity and interacts with other accounting systems, it can be used both in a large project organization and in a small company focused on the process approach.
In addition, judging by the information on the ELMA website, on the basis of Projects + and other modules of the system, industry solutions are being developed for various business segments. It says a lot.
Visualization and monitoring tools
All project information is stored in the system centrally, its accessibility to users is regulated in accordance with their access rights.
There is a search for documents in the system for the attributes that interest the user.
Due to the presence of a message feed, the project manager and participant are always aware of the latest changes in the project status:
ELMA Projects + is a system that allows you to significantly expand the capabilities of traditional project management by introducing a process approach that regulates project activities.
A project and task management system aimed at creating effective collaboration between employees — this is how Project Kaiser characterized its developers.
In the user interface of the system there is a clear division into corporate-wide space and personal sections:
In my opinion, the distinction between the flow of information into general and particular is a plus. When working in the personal section, the employee can concentrate on his own tasks, and when referring to the general section, find out about events and events within the company.
The Kaiser Project navigation is built on the principle of an Internet browser: when you select the required section in the auxiliary menu, a tab with the corresponding information opens in the right-hand side of the screen:
The number of tabs that can be opened in the working area is not limited and depends on the level of nesting of a particular subsection. This circumstance confuses me somewhat, as when working with a large number of tasks and projects, the many open tabs in the system, it seems to me, create confusion. You have to constantly close the intermediate tabs.
When creating a project, it is proposed to invite employees to participate in it. If you skip this step and proceed to filling out a project card, then when selecting an executive and a responsible employee, a dialog box appears with the message that there are no participants in this project. In my opinion, it would be more logical if the system suggested adding participants to the project already at this stage. But no: in order to do this, the user must go back one step to the project editing mode.
With all the logic and sequence of operations fixed in the structure of the system, this nuance reduces the efficiency of the project creation process.
The task designer of the system is designed in a strict hierarchical order. In addition to the user's own tasks, this structure includes projects in which the user participates, and related documentation.
If a task is assigned to an employee within a project, then it is displayed not only in the “My Tasks” section, but also in the “My Projects” folder.
There is no own calendar in the system. For planning project activities, you can create a corresponding document in the Documents folder. In addition, the system is integrated with the Google calendar.
For instant messaging, a chat is built into the system. It is located in the General section in the tab: More / All Tools / Chat.
The following was unclear to me in the chat: how to see how many users are online and whether selectively sending messages to individual groups of employees is possible. Apparently, the chat has no such opportunities.
In addition to the exchange of messages is provided as commenting files and records:
There are also forums for discussing current issues between employees. For each project, you can create separate forums.
The system implements a standard workflow, which defines the types of tasks and the status of the implementation of current tasks. By default, a task in this system goes through the following statuses: Not Started , Receive , Execute , Unclear , Approval, and Completed .
The system is suitable both for small companies of up to five people (a free version of the system is available for download), and for large design organizations with a staff of 100 people or more.
It is convenient to track the implementation of tasks by the company's employees under the project using the Who works on what tool:
The task implementation status is displayed in the "Analytics" field:
To visualize the progress of the project there is a built-in Gantt chart:
All information on projects and tasks is stored in a structured form due to the fact that documents are created in relation to a specific project object. Requirements and documents can be created in the wiki-layout mode or in the visual editor, which provides ample opportunities for formatting them:
To track revisions of documents, their versioning is maintained and the history of changes is saved.
The ability to team work on tasks, flexible configuration of access rights to documents and files - the quality of the system, which simplify the work with the flow of information on projects.
There is a section for storing personal files of the user.
Kaiser Project - a system “sharpened” under the project management of the enterprise. However, the usual bulkiness of the interface, characteristic of many Project Managers, is reduced to zero here at the expense of BPM and interaction management tools.
Spider Project is one of the oldest domestic manufacturers of project management software. The system with the same name contains tools for risk analysis, means for determining the actual project schedule, monitoring budget expenditures and monitoring the execution of tasks on it.
Understand the interface of the program "on the fly" is unlikely to succeed. The structure of the Spider Project includes many components for project management. And all this is implemented in the classical scheme.
The Spider Project structures all the necessary information about the company's projects, including resources, connections and operations, cost indicators, and visualization tools for project performance indicators.
Task master is missing.
Means of the calendar is carried out planning work on the project for different periods:
There are no instant messengers or message feeds in the system. The only means of communication with project participants is to send notifications.
Opportunities for interaction implemented in the framework of BPM-systems are absent.
A wide range of components allows you to adapt the system to the needs of almost any business segment.
The system implements wide possibilities for visualization of work rates, resource consumption using the Gantt chart:
The system allows for the integrated management of project activities, but does not have the tools to create a single information space (corporate portal, messages, discussions).
Based on the interface structure itself, it can be seen that the system is focused on the traditional project approach in managing the activities of the enterprise.
The BPM-class First Form is positioned by developers as a business designer who successfully works in companies with a process and functional approach. Business process management, workflow automation, project management - all these features were implemented in the system functionality.
The system is quite simple and clear user interface.
One of the characteristic details is the automatic adjustment of the navigation menu to the screen size. The menu is located at the top of the system. Depending on the width of the monitor, some menu items can be combined into the “more” sub-item, which reduces the overall length of the menu (the menu above is presented in its entirety, below - in an abbreviated version):
Another advantage of the user interface is that the user has access to all the information within the scope of his competence.
In addition to setting targets for specific implementers, task management capabilities include tracking the status of current tasks for all employees.
To this end, the task management workspace is divided into two functional blocks:
In the absence of the responsible officer for illness or for any other reason, the task can be delegated to another executor. If necessary, the task is escalated until an employee who can complete it is found.
The tasks of the employee are automatically transferred to the calendar in accordance with the deadlines for their implementation.
Project management is carried out in the framework of the project plan, under which the deadlines for work on the project are fixed. Graphically, it is displayed as a Gantt chart with a time range from the start date to the due date of the task. But I will write about it below.
For instant messaging in the system there is a convenient chat:
Since the “First Form” belongs to the class of BPM systems, its arsenal presents opportunities for building a wide variety of business process models. Modeling business processes using the Quick Setup Wizard (“Quick Start”)
Setting up an enterprise’s business processes is greatly simplified by the availability of ready-made templates for customizing the appearance and business logic of objects, as well as controlling the state of an object as it moves along the route.
The business process is formed in stages, during which the formation of the organizational structure of the company, fixing data about employees, digital signatures. In such a logical sequence is built the process model of the enterprise, taking into account its specificity.
The system allows you to flexibly customize business processes for the specifics of the enterprise.
The flexible platform of the system allows you to customize its interface to the needs of a specific customer. The “first form” is installed on the customer's server, which allows the latter to configure and adapt the system on its own. System integration with various solutions developed on the basis of 1C: Enterprise 8.2 is supported. Active Directory, MS Sharepoint.
Graphic display of the project plan is implemented using the Gantt chart, where each stage of the project is presented:
In the “First Form” system, centralized work with data is conducted. Users are given access to shared tasks and comments, there is the ability to upload files to the discussion of tasks.
The first form is basically a business process designer, a program whose tasks include project management.
The system "Megaplan" is not limited to project management. The application has task-management functions, a case scheduler, CRM, accounting for financial resources and means of effective communication within the corporate environment.
The first thing you notice when meeting a program is the design of its interface. Realistic graphics and bright colors are pleasing to the eye. All components of the system are clearly visible and accessible to the user.
Creating projects and tasks on them is carried out literally in a matter of minutes, even if the user is working in the system for the first time. If a task is assigned to an employee within a project, it is displayed in his task folder:
For ease of navigation through projects, filters are provided related to the status of their implementation or any other criterion. By default, there are three: completed, paused, expired, but you can add new filters to your liking.
A bonus system is provided to encourage the employee to complete tasks on time. Cash Bonuses are charged for completing urgent and overtime tasks. For violation of the deadlines for performing tasks, fines are charged.
I liked the execution of the task scheduler: it looks like an office board with a clock and stickers. With it, it is convenient to schedule meetings, calls and other events:
In addition to the messaging module, the system has a platform for a separate discussion of current business issues and corporate events. The user can create any topic by inviting the entire team or individual employees to discuss it.
But there are no standardized process models in the system.
Megaplan comes in two versions: "box" and "cloud." If the cloud solution, which contains standard, unchanged functionality, is ideal for small companies, then the “box” is targeted at large organizations.
Using the Megaplan API, you can set up data exchange with existing accounting systems and office applications (1C: Accounting, Excel, IP-Telephony, online store)
Monitoring and visualization
tools Project information can be displayed either as a hierarchical list or as a graphical representation which can be called the analogue of the Gantt diagram with a high degree of conditionality:
The number of documents can be imported into any of the following system folders:
A search for documents by name is also provided.
Megaplan with a stretch can be called a PMO-system. Project management tools in the system are rudimentary in nature. In the functionality of the system, there is a much greater bias towards BPM.
The project and process approaches focus on tasks of different scale and level. If the project activity is aimed at obtaining a unique result for a certain period of time through the phased implementation of a number of works, then within the framework of business processes, renewable operations are carried out in accordance with the established scheme.
Recently, however, in strategic management there has been a trend of a combination of these approaches, which is taken into account by developers of project management systems.
Some of them (like, for example, ProjectMate) improve individual clusters of system functionality with the help of BPM tools. Others seek to combine the tools of the classic project management with modern developments in the field of BPM and interaction management (Kaiser Project).
The system developers, who are basically BPM (ELMA, First Form), are actively exploring the market of project management, adapting the process mechanisms to the specifics of this area of ​​activity.
For small companies, where the priority of client operations is clearly expressed and projects are periodically conducted, CRM-based solutions will do.
Against the background of all this variety, classic project systems (Spider project) look quite archaic.
System comparison
At first glance, there is nothing in common between them, since they are based on completely different entities:
- Project management is a constant balancing between timelines, volumes and budgets on the way to a unique result. At the same time, there are no algorithms fixing all steps towards the goal, which increases the risk of meeting deadlines, cost overruns, etc.
- A business process , on the contrary, combines a set of interrelated renewable standard procedures aimed at achieving a measurable result, taking into account available resources within a specified time frame.
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Combination of approaches
There are moments in the development of a company when a clear distinction between process and project approaches is blurred. As practice shows, this does not harm business, but on the contrary, increases its success.
Thus, the implementation of the process approach in the project company allows you to clearly regulate the timing, stages and budget of projects. Typical projects that are similar in structure, standard procedures and aimed at achieving similar results are transformed into streamlined business processes.
In turn, the introduction of the project approach to the process model allows to improve the quality and efficiency of the project, if the company needs a non-standard, specific result.
If you move the discussion of this issue into the IT solutions plane, then the use of BPM (process management methodologies for management) in the project management system allows you to multiply increase the efficiency, transparency and predictability of work performed within the project.
Overview of project management systems
I decided to find out how successfully modern project management systems combine in their arsenal the means of Project Management and BPM, meeting the requirements of today. “Successfully” in my understanding means: without bias in the direction of a particular approach and with the observance of the optimal balance between them.
He singled out for himself a few simple criteria for comparing systems:
- Convenience of the interface, by this I understood the simplicity and clarity of navigation)
- Having a clear and convenient task-management service
- Scheduler availability
- Convenience of communication between users within the system
- Availability of business process management tools
- The ability to adapt the system to a specific field of activity
- Availability of project monitoring and visualization tools
- Consolidation of information on the project (creation of a single information space)
From a wide arsenal of project management systems, I chose 6:
- ProjectMate
- ELMA Projects +
- Project Kaiser
- Spider project
- First form
- Megaplan
ProjectMate
The ProjectMate product is positioned by developers as an integrated system of project management and interaction between employees. Also, the functionality of the system includes tools for time tracking and billing.
Convenience of the interface
The project management module is simple and easy to navigate. Information about projects is maintained in a strict hierarchical order.
Task Management
In the “Tasks” section there are two types of tasks: “My tasks” and “All”. Accordingly, the first type includes tasks assigned to this user, and the second - tasks for all projects of the company.
Scheduler
To control the timing of tasks and assignments, a task scheduler is implemented, based on Microsoft Outlook calendars. With its help it is convenient to control the general progress of work on projects:
Scheduler can be used when planning personal work time. In this case, the employee indicates information about the project, in which he performs a particular action.
Specifying the exact time frame of the tasks is carried out using the mechanism of timers .
Communications
The role of the company's internal news feed is performed by the “Ads” component located in the action pane. The ability to publish an ad is given to the user in accordance with the access rights.
The instant messaging service between project participants in the system is somewhat different in its performance from traditional instant messengers.
First, it is not tied to specific users, but to individual elements of the system (documents, reports, records).
Secondly, the messenger provides for receiving incoming messages and notifications about meetings, assignments, booking resources or creating announcements, but does not record outgoing messages from the user.
Thirdly, since the messenger is tied to individual aspects of the project, it is not an independent component of the system. In the navigation structure of the system, it is hidden quite “deeply” and is one of the elements of the “Today's Affairs” mini-organizer:
In addition, the user can leave comments on individual entries for the project:
Business Process Management
Business process management is limited to the “continuous billing” mechanism.
“Continuous billing” is a cross-cutting chain of events consisting of several stages:
- time planning
- time tracking and control
- report and invoice generation
- payment control
- management of employee performance and company profitability.
All these features are presented in the "Billing" module.
The project structure can be arbitrarily complex and include many subprojects - time tracking and reporting on it will be conducted in a single key.
Adaptation to the specifics of the business
Being an integrated business solution that supports interaction with Microsoft Project, ProjectMate flexibly adapts to the specifics of any business area. The system is used by design, legal, auditing, consulting and other companies.
Visualization and monitoring
To track the terms and budgets of the project and visualize the dynamics of its implementation, various visualization tools are provided. One of them is the Gantt chart:
Data consolidation
There are channels for exchanging messages and documents, general information on projects is available (including activities and deadlines for their implementation), which allows receiving operational information about the status of projects and tasks.
But there is a serious drawback: there is no search string for data and documents.
Conclusion
In ProjectMate reflected the individual developments of BPM-systems. However, they bear, rather, the nature of point borrowings, rather than organically integrated in the system of mechanisms for optimizing design work.
ELMA Projects +
In the ELMA Projects + system, along with the classic project management tools (project roster, budgeting, finance and labor costs, etc.), a wide arsenal of BPM tools is used, which make it possible to streamline the implementation of projects.
In addition, project management simplifies the functionality for document integration, messaging, risk control, and maintaining a project knowledge base.
Convenience of the interface
I did not go deep into the subject of project management, which was worked out in detail in this system, but limited myself to studying the basic functionality of ELMA Projects +. In general, he noted for himself the following interface features:
- the user can customize the navigation elements of the profile (portlets, links, display tasks) according to his wishes and needs;
- availability of all key elements of the system (messages, tasks, calendar) on the main portal page;
- availability of a convenient filter for finding the necessary files and tasks in the system for various attributes. There are standard and advanced search options:
All components of the system are, as they say, “at hand”, but at the same time the working space is not overloaded with components.
Task Management
The task management service in the system is informative and easy to use. Tasks can be created within the project, which is displayed in their description. Thus, a project participant sees what his area of ​​responsibility is in the implementation of this project, and in accordance with what sets priorities in his activities:
Scheduler
For effective time management, the system provides for scheduling of events. I can schedule events for a specific date and time by displaying important information on it in my calendar.
The system can track how successfully and efficiently the schedule for the current project is being implemented:
The fulfillment of the tasks set is monitored in the system with the accuracy of Swiss watches.
Communications
There are many channels of interaction between project participants (personal, project, channels for communication with experts). Because of this, you can freely discuss the details of projects and share ideas:
Business Process Management
Project management is carried out in strict accordance with the logic of its life cycle. ELMA is a BPM class system, therefore the regulation of business processes is its strong point. Processes can be built in the logic, which requires the specifics of this business.
In each project, the stages of its implementation are distinguished and clearly recorded; transitions between them are business processes. Each stage of the project is tied to a specific date of the calendar plan, which makes it easier to monitor compliance with the deadlines.
To track the project budget by stages and stages of project implementation, there is a special section where all costs and income items of the company are contributed:
Based on the data entered for each article, a summary statistics of planned and actual income and expenses is formed:
For projects that are implemented according to a well-established analogous scheme, project templates are provided - a tool that, I think, allows you to bring the benefits of business processes into a project activity - clear regulability and predictability.
Adaptation to the specifics of the business
For quick registration of typical (that is, the most common) projects of the enterprise, ready-made project templates are used, which provide for a number of standard procedures performed from project to project using a single scheme.
This allows you to save project registration time and customize the project pipeline in accordance with the specifics of the company.
Projects + application supports integration with MS Project. With the help of the file import wizard, the project (in MPP format) is automatically loaded into the application with saving all the entered data, on the basis of which the project plan is formed.
After the project is transferred to the application, it is possible to create tasks with the indication of the final executor, whose status is monitored using special markers. The Projects + program provides convenient tools for visualization of the project plan and the ability to track the percentage of its implementation at each stage.
Sometimes the company's strategic goals change, which entails the need to revise the project plan. In this case, the file imported into the system can be downloaded back to MS Project for its refinement.
Since the Projects + system easily adapts to a specific field of activity and interacts with other accounting systems, it can be used both in a large project organization and in a small company focused on the process approach.
In addition, judging by the information on the ELMA website, on the basis of Projects + and other modules of the system, industry solutions are being developed for various business segments. It says a lot.
Visualization and monitoring tools
It is convenient to track the project status and the implementation dynamics of individual works using the Gantt chart:
Information consolidation
All project information is stored in the system centrally, its accessibility to users is regulated in accordance with their access rights.
There is a search for documents in the system for the attributes that interest the user.
Due to the presence of a message feed, the project manager and participant are always aware of the latest changes in the project status:
Conclusion
ELMA Projects + is a system that allows you to significantly expand the capabilities of traditional project management by introducing a process approach that regulates project activities.
Project Kaiser
A project and task management system aimed at creating effective collaboration between employees — this is how Project Kaiser characterized its developers.
Convenience of the interface
In the user interface of the system there is a clear division into corporate-wide space and personal sections:
In my opinion, the distinction between the flow of information into general and particular is a plus. When working in the personal section, the employee can concentrate on his own tasks, and when referring to the general section, find out about events and events within the company.
The Kaiser Project navigation is built on the principle of an Internet browser: when you select the required section in the auxiliary menu, a tab with the corresponding information opens in the right-hand side of the screen:
The number of tabs that can be opened in the working area is not limited and depends on the level of nesting of a particular subsection. This circumstance confuses me somewhat, as when working with a large number of tasks and projects, the many open tabs in the system, it seems to me, create confusion. You have to constantly close the intermediate tabs.
When creating a project, it is proposed to invite employees to participate in it. If you skip this step and proceed to filling out a project card, then when selecting an executive and a responsible employee, a dialog box appears with the message that there are no participants in this project. In my opinion, it would be more logical if the system suggested adding participants to the project already at this stage. But no: in order to do this, the user must go back one step to the project editing mode.
With all the logic and sequence of operations fixed in the structure of the system, this nuance reduces the efficiency of the project creation process.
Task Management
The task designer of the system is designed in a strict hierarchical order. In addition to the user's own tasks, this structure includes projects in which the user participates, and related documentation.
If a task is assigned to an employee within a project, then it is displayed not only in the “My Tasks” section, but also in the “My Projects” folder.
Task Manager
There is no own calendar in the system. For planning project activities, you can create a corresponding document in the Documents folder. In addition, the system is integrated with the Google calendar.
Communications
For instant messaging, a chat is built into the system. It is located in the General section in the tab: More / All Tools / Chat.
The following was unclear to me in the chat: how to see how many users are online and whether selectively sending messages to individual groups of employees is possible. Apparently, the chat has no such opportunities.
In addition to the exchange of messages is provided as commenting files and records:
There are also forums for discussing current issues between employees. For each project, you can create separate forums.
Business Process Management
The system implements a standard workflow, which defines the types of tasks and the status of the implementation of current tasks. By default, a task in this system goes through the following statuses: Not Started , Receive , Execute , Unclear , Approval, and Completed .
Adaptation of the system to the specifics of the business
The system is suitable both for small companies of up to five people (a free version of the system is available for download), and for large design organizations with a staff of 100 people or more.
Monitoring and visualization tools
It is convenient to track the implementation of tasks by the company's employees under the project using the Who works on what tool:
The task implementation status is displayed in the "Analytics" field:
To visualize the progress of the project there is a built-in Gantt chart:
Information consolidation
All information on projects and tasks is stored in a structured form due to the fact that documents are created in relation to a specific project object. Requirements and documents can be created in the wiki-layout mode or in the visual editor, which provides ample opportunities for formatting them:
To track revisions of documents, their versioning is maintained and the history of changes is saved.
The ability to team work on tasks, flexible configuration of access rights to documents and files - the quality of the system, which simplify the work with the flow of information on projects.
There is a section for storing personal files of the user.
Conclusion
Kaiser Project - a system “sharpened” under the project management of the enterprise. However, the usual bulkiness of the interface, characteristic of many Project Managers, is reduced to zero here at the expense of BPM and interaction management tools.
Spider project
Spider Project is one of the oldest domestic manufacturers of project management software. The system with the same name contains tools for risk analysis, means for determining the actual project schedule, monitoring budget expenditures and monitoring the execution of tasks on it.
Convenience of the interface
Understand the interface of the program "on the fly" is unlikely to succeed. The structure of the Spider Project includes many components for project management. And all this is implemented in the classical scheme.
The Spider Project structures all the necessary information about the company's projects, including resources, connections and operations, cost indicators, and visualization tools for project performance indicators.
Task Management
Task master is missing.
Task Manager
Means of the calendar is carried out planning work on the project for different periods:
Communications
There are no instant messengers or message feeds in the system. The only means of communication with project participants is to send notifications.
Business Process Management
Opportunities for interaction implemented in the framework of BPM-systems are absent.
Adaptation to the specifics of the business
A wide range of components allows you to adapt the system to the needs of almost any business segment.
Visualization and monitoring
The system implements wide possibilities for visualization of work rates, resource consumption using the Gantt chart:
Data consolidation
The system allows for the integrated management of project activities, but does not have the tools to create a single information space (corporate portal, messages, discussions).
Conclusion
Based on the interface structure itself, it can be seen that the system is focused on the traditional project approach in managing the activities of the enterprise.
First form
The BPM-class First Form is positioned by developers as a business designer who successfully works in companies with a process and functional approach. Business process management, workflow automation, project management - all these features were implemented in the system functionality.
Convenience of the interface
The system is quite simple and clear user interface.
One of the characteristic details is the automatic adjustment of the navigation menu to the screen size. The menu is located at the top of the system. Depending on the width of the monitor, some menu items can be combined into the “more” sub-item, which reduces the overall length of the menu (the menu above is presented in its entirety, below - in an abbreviated version):
Another advantage of the user interface is that the user has access to all the information within the scope of his competence.
Task Management
In addition to setting targets for specific implementers, task management capabilities include tracking the status of current tasks for all employees.
To this end, the task management workspace is divided into two functional blocks:
In the absence of the responsible officer for illness or for any other reason, the task can be delegated to another executor. If necessary, the task is escalated until an employee who can complete it is found.
Scheduler
The tasks of the employee are automatically transferred to the calendar in accordance with the deadlines for their implementation.
Project management is carried out in the framework of the project plan, under which the deadlines for work on the project are fixed. Graphically, it is displayed as a Gantt chart with a time range from the start date to the due date of the task. But I will write about it below.
Communications
For instant messaging in the system there is a convenient chat:
Business Process Management
Since the “First Form” belongs to the class of BPM systems, its arsenal presents opportunities for building a wide variety of business process models. Modeling business processes using the Quick Setup Wizard (“Quick Start”)
Setting up an enterprise’s business processes is greatly simplified by the availability of ready-made templates for customizing the appearance and business logic of objects, as well as controlling the state of an object as it moves along the route.
The business process is formed in stages, during which the formation of the organizational structure of the company, fixing data about employees, digital signatures. In such a logical sequence is built the process model of the enterprise, taking into account its specificity.
The system allows you to flexibly customize business processes for the specifics of the enterprise.
Adaptation to the specifics of the business
The flexible platform of the system allows you to customize its interface to the needs of a specific customer. The “first form” is installed on the customer's server, which allows the latter to configure and adapt the system on its own. System integration with various solutions developed on the basis of 1C: Enterprise 8.2 is supported. Active Directory, MS Sharepoint.
Monitoring and Visualization
Graphic display of the project plan is implemented using the Gantt chart, where each stage of the project is presented:
Data consolidation
In the “First Form” system, centralized work with data is conducted. Users are given access to shared tasks and comments, there is the ability to upload files to the discussion of tasks.
Conclusion
The first form is basically a business process designer, a program whose tasks include project management.
Megaplan
The system "Megaplan" is not limited to project management. The application has task-management functions, a case scheduler, CRM, accounting for financial resources and means of effective communication within the corporate environment.
Convenience of the interface
The first thing you notice when meeting a program is the design of its interface. Realistic graphics and bright colors are pleasing to the eye. All components of the system are clearly visible and accessible to the user.
Task Management
Creating projects and tasks on them is carried out literally in a matter of minutes, even if the user is working in the system for the first time. If a task is assigned to an employee within a project, it is displayed in his task folder:
For ease of navigation through projects, filters are provided related to the status of their implementation or any other criterion. By default, there are three: completed, paused, expired, but you can add new filters to your liking.
A bonus system is provided to encourage the employee to complete tasks on time. Cash Bonuses are charged for completing urgent and overtime tasks. For violation of the deadlines for performing tasks, fines are charged.
Task Manager
I liked the execution of the task scheduler: it looks like an office board with a clock and stickers. With it, it is convenient to schedule meetings, calls and other events:
Communications
In addition to the messaging module, the system has a platform for a separate discussion of current business issues and corporate events. The user can create any topic by inviting the entire team or individual employees to discuss it.
Business Process Management
But there are no standardized process models in the system.
Adaptation of the system for business specifics
Megaplan comes in two versions: "box" and "cloud." If the cloud solution, which contains standard, unchanged functionality, is ideal for small companies, then the “box” is targeted at large organizations.
Using the Megaplan API, you can set up data exchange with existing accounting systems and office applications (1C: Accounting, Excel, IP-Telephony, online store)
Monitoring and visualization
tools Project information can be displayed either as a hierarchical list or as a graphical representation which can be called the analogue of the Gantt diagram with a high degree of conditionality:
Data consolidation
The number of documents can be imported into any of the following system folders:
A search for documents by name is also provided.
Conclusion
Megaplan with a stretch can be called a PMO-system. Project management tools in the system are rudimentary in nature. In the functionality of the system, there is a much greater bias towards BPM.
Let's sum up
The project and process approaches focus on tasks of different scale and level. If the project activity is aimed at obtaining a unique result for a certain period of time through the phased implementation of a number of works, then within the framework of business processes, renewable operations are carried out in accordance with the established scheme.
Recently, however, in strategic management there has been a trend of a combination of these approaches, which is taken into account by developers of project management systems.
Some of them (like, for example, ProjectMate) improve individual clusters of system functionality with the help of BPM tools. Others seek to combine the tools of the classic project management with modern developments in the field of BPM and interaction management (Kaiser Project).
The system developers, who are basically BPM (ELMA, First Form), are actively exploring the market of project management, adapting the process mechanisms to the specifics of this area of ​​activity.
For small companies, where the priority of client operations is clearly expressed and projects are periodically conducted, CRM-based solutions will do.
Against the background of all this variety, classic project systems (Spider project) look quite archaic.
System comparison
| Criteria | ProjectMate | ELMA Projects + | Project Kaiser | First form | Spider project | Megaplan |
| Integration with MS Project | Yes | Yes, export and import files | not | Yes | Yes | not |
| Visual process modeling | not | Yes, editor ELMA Designer | not | yes, master "Quick Start" | not | not |
| Alerts via Outlook and mobile devices | Yes | sending notifications by e-mail and via sms | Yes | Yes | ||
| Means of process and project visualization | Gantt chart | Gantt charts, graphs, reports, process maps | “Who works on what,” Gantt chart | Gantt chart | Gantt chart, graphics | Gantt chart |
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/217841/
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