In terms of the PMBOK view of a project lifecycle, any project is underpinned by the following process groups: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and closing, says Dries van der Colff, Director of Fulcrum.
In fact, in most organisations the life of a project is tracked even earlier, from the registration of an idea, through an approval and budgeting process, before a project is registered.
Some organisations even regard the tracking of benefits long after the project has been closed, as part of the project lifecycle. Since each of these processes has its own distinct requirements, each process generally has its own governance and tools, resulting in a disconnect between the processes. To ensure continuity throughout the entire project lifecycle, Fulcrum Business Solutions has developed a K2.net 2003 template linking enterprise workflows developed in SourceCode`s K2.net 2003 with Microsoft`s Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Suite 2003.
"Microsoft`s EPM delivers the goods in terms of project execution and monitoring, assuming that the pre-execution process have been taken care of. Experienced project managers know that transition between planning and execution needs to be managed to deliver a project on time, on budget and to expectation.
"Getting a project off the ground is about the people at the heart of the project process - establishing a common vision and understanding of the goal to be achieved. It is also paper intensive - with a mountain of paper forms that need to be signed and approved by management."
K2.net`s strengths in supporting human-to-system workflow and leveraging Microsoft technologies make it an ideal platform for extending Microsoft`s EPM suite with automated project initiation process activities. Additionally, its track record of providing a collaborative process management environment without sacrificing process visibility and reporting ensure a good fit with the typical project environment.
The Fulcrum K2.net 2003 - EPM template is designed for use in K2.net 2003 Studio. It enables users to integrate workflow-driven project initiation or approval processes with their Microsoft EPM applications. In a completed process solution, the approval of a project concept triggers the creation of project schedules, based on specific enterprise project templates in Microsoft EPM. K2.net process fields and project-level metadata generated in the initiation processes are accurately and quickly mapped into Microsoft EPM, ensuring a smooth flow of data between the systems.
"The Fulcrum K2.net 2003 - EPM template saves companies three to four months of custom integration and costs less than one month of development," says Van der Colff. "The template ensures that any changes made in either system will automatically be updated in the other to keep both synchronised with no extra effort from users."
Van der Colff adds that the template can be used across any industry and for any project - regardless of the underlying project management methodology. It only requires the specific applications from Microsoft and SourceCode. It offers customers a fast, low-risk and low-cost process integration that ensures project planning, execution and support remain synchronised.
"Although the Fulcrum K2.net 2003 - EPM template is easy to implement, Fulcrum will provide telephonic support for customers that require it," Van der Colff notes. "In addition, Fulcrum commits to supporting future versions of K2.net and Microsoft EPM, and making the necessary template upgrades available to its customers. Customers who purchase the template from now until the launch of Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 will receive a free upgrade of the template."
The K2.net 2003 template for K2.net 2003 and Microsoft EPM 2003 is now available from Fulcrum Business Solutions (http://www.fulcrumgroup.co.za).
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Fulcrum Business Solutions is a gold certified Microsoft business partner focused on delivering enterprise project management (EPM) solutions and related offerings to all organisations, whether large corporates with formal project management offices or small businesses with isolated project managers.
Fulcrum is also a K2Workflow partner, with the skills and experience to integrate EPM and K2.net process solutions.
Fulcrum`s mission is to extend EPM into the business management arena and deliver a spectrum of project solutions and services to obtain project excellence. The opportunity for integration of core business applications and project management services represents the next wave in the business.
Fulcrum is undoubtedly the premier EPM player in the South African market, based both on the completeness of the offering as well as the number and size of implementations to date.
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