Behind the apps: Meet Project Tracker, an integrated project management solution.
Born from a need for long term client REA Group to eliminate their manual processes and gain more visibility into projects, Project Tracker has transformed the way REA Group manage their services internally.
The common problems with project management
Project managers face numerous and practical conflicts as they plan, schedule and manage resources - both external and internal - on a project. And REA Group, a global digital services company, was not immune to these challenges. So, when they approached us to build an integrated NetSuite solution to improve project oversight, minimise manual processes and streamline project reporting, the team jumped on board to design a solution.
From the challenges of growth to innovative solutions
"The idea came about from the realisation that REA Group had all of this information already flowing into NetSuite but were still using a manual process of Excel spreadsheets that required multiple people to complete manually. The solution was to build something in NetSuite, use the data already available and design a process to capture project data and transform into the journal."
Debrina Lukmanto, Annexa Senior Functional Consultant
Prior to developing the integrated project tracker solution, REA Group relied on spreadsheets. An Excel spreadsheet would be prepared with key project data before distributing it to the relevant delivery leads, who would complete their team members' details in their own copy of the spreadsheet. If any information contained within the spreadsheet changed, the spreadsheet would need to be updated to reflect the new information, which can be anything from a change in employees/team members, contractors, projects, delivery lead etc.
Clearly, keeping this data up to date required a lot of manual work, and would have undoubtedly led to out of date and dispersed information that was difficult to accurately report on. Another problem was that detailed project information wasn’t being stored in NetSuite, their key business management solution. Rather the project would be added to NetSuite as a simple journal – minus the historical data – giving little insight into what changes were made, and why. Hard to keep tabs on, right?
Around this time REA Group introduced Workday for employee management and integrated it with NetSuite. This meant details such as leave, payroll, time tracking, reporting lines and benefits were integrated to NetSuite.
It was becoming abundantly clear that all these project tracking processes were no longer working at scale. And Workday was already sending employee data into NetSuite. It was time to take the next step and link project resources to employee data, while effectively eliminating unnecessary manual tasks.
And so, Project Tracker was born
In simple terms, Project Tracker is a custom-built module that sits on its own page within NetSuite. Delivery leads/project managers can access Project Tracker to view a single source of truth across all projects, easily updating designated team members and their time allocated for each project. This replaces multiple spreadsheets.
An integration with Workday ensures all employee relevant details – such as employee leave and availability – is automatically completed in Project Tracker. Project Tracker works with external contractors too. While internal employee information is pre-filled and greyed out, external contractors' time is editable, allowing time and costs to be entered and updated manually.
Reporting is the final piece of the puzzle and was solved with a NetSuite integration with Adaptive insights. This allows project managers to easily run reports on project finances, budgets, forecasts and profitability.
Another benefit that cannot be overlooked is the affordability of this solution. Project Tracker delivery leads do not need full NetSuite licensing access, just the employee access license. While this does restrict some details of the project, the employee access license allows them to see project tasks and trackers. Depending on the number of users, an organisation can enjoy significant savings.
A key requirement for REA Group also involved developing a Slack Integration. Every month REA group will open Project Tracker to create new ‘trackers’, and the Slack integration automatically notifies delivery leads that their trackers for the month are ready to be completed. Once completed and submitted for approval, their direct manager also receives a notification through Slack to either approve or reject the updates, which in turn notifies everybody related to the tracker of the outcome.
"We named this project after an Octopus due to the plethora of moving parts involved. The project has been a huge success as we have re-defined how project costs are tracked and reported. Completing a project tracker historically was met with a sigh or raised eyebrow. Now, due to automation, clearly defined roles & responsibilities, and a streamlined approach we have delivery leads requesting to be allocated trackers to complete."
Phillip Moon, Senior Manager - ERP, REA Group
By integrating project management, project tracking and reporting with Workday and Adaptive Insights, REA Group now have the capabilities needed to manage projects more effectively. They can now:
- Understand and maintain tighter control of project resourcing
- See the true costs of services rendered and get an accurate and detailed view of profitability.
- Reduce manual spreadsheet processes to improve productivity and efficiencies
- Eliminate inaccurate and duplicated data
- Automate communications on system and user events
For more information on getting Project Tracker set up for your business contact us at annexa.com.au or sales@annexa.com.au
Annexa is a leading NetSuite partner with extensive experience designing and implementing comprehensive and customised business systems, including payroll solutions, financial management, warehouse management and ecommerce solutions.
