Microsoft Project Server 2010 Customer Solution Case Study

Volvo Group Increases Project Visibility and Control While Saving Employees Time

Overview “We use Project Server 2010 to gain more control over Country or Region: Europe Industry: Manufacturing—Automotive which projects we are starting and stopping, and when. and industrial manufacturing This means we contract out fewer assignments based

Customer Profile on sudden demand fluctuations.” The Volvo Group manufactures Stéphane Perrin, Director, Product Planning and Project Management Solutions, Volvo IT commercial vehicles, and it supplies other technologies and services. Based in Göteborg, Sweden, it has 90,000 employees. The Volvo Group is a leading supplier of commercial and consumer transport solutions and customer financial services. Business Situation The Volvo Group wanted to improve its Volvo IT, which provides solutions to the Group to manage its resource management to accommodate projects, wanted to improve employee efficiency by extending its sophisticated time-reporting processes. current resource management, time reporting, portfolio management, and other project management processes. The Solution The Volvo Group implemented Microsoft Volvo Group implemented Microsoft Project Server 2010 and Project Server 2010 and customized it to made customizations to adapt to various internal processes and interact efficiently with other software such as Microsoft Visual Studio Team software applications. The Group is using Project Server 2010 to System 2008 Team Foundation Server. improve capacity planning to build its long-term strengths.

Benefits Because of the customizations and the rich but simple user  Value-based capacity planning interface of the Microsoft Project Web App technology, the  Time savings Volvo Group has cut the time spent entering project data by 40  Simple user interface  Quicker routes to visibility and control percent. It also has improved project visibility and control, and  Clarified, transparent resource management can now provide more transparent resource management.

Situation The Volvo Group was interested in The Volvo Group produces commercial improving its resource management. “We vehicles—such as Renault and Mack trucks are always looking to better anticipate and Volvo buses—and construction demand on our resources,” Stéphane Perrin equipment. It also includes companies says. “We seek to manage our capacity responsible for marine and aeronautical planning and our hiring of contractors in technologies, logistics, and financial the most efficient way.” The Group tries to services. With headquarters in Göteborg, keep its in-house staff always working at Sweden, the Group has more than 90,000 full capacity. “We like to make sure that we global employees, production facilities in are using resources at their optimum 19 countries, and sales activities in 180 speed. Thus we try to keep everyone countries. It had 2009 revenues of about occupied, to never have excess capacity,” SEK218 billion (U.S.$29 billion). says Stéphane Perrin. This philosophy means that the Group frequently employs Volvo IT, a global company that is part of contractors to augment the in-house staff. the Group, develops new technologies and Thus, to most effectively manage those business solutions for Volvo companies, internal and external resources, the Volvo and it works for external clients, including Group is always seeking to improve its Volvo Car Corporation (a separate entity portfolio management and capacity since its sale to Ford in 1999), ASSA ABLOY, planning. and the City of Stockholm. Given the diversity of its internal and external clients, Some internal software applications did not Volvo IT provides solutions that manage interact successfully with Project Server many different types of projects. “These 2003 and Office Project Server 2007, which activities include product development sometimes resulted in employees having to projects, manufacturing, maintenance enter duplicate information. For example, activities, training, IT projects, and an some employees spent 25 minutes per increasing number of activities that might week entering project summary or time- not formerly have been thought of as reporting data into SAP enterprise resource ‘projects,’ but need to be managed that planning software. Others had to enter way,” says Stéphane Perrin, Director of such data into Microsoft Visual Studio Product Planning and Project Management Team System 2008 Team Foundation Solutions at Volvo IT. Server, which Volvo IT uses to implement familiar methodologies for developing IT The Volvo Group has sophisticated, well- applications. “The developers who work developed project management processes with Visual Studio Team System 2008 Team that provide control and visibility. To Foundation Server tend to use it for day-to- support those processes, Volvo IT was day tasks, for which it is very precise,” says using Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Stéphane Perrin. “But we sometimes had and Microsoft Office Project Server 2007. difficulties mapping these details to the Although the Volvo Group was generally broader summary tasks defined by project satisfied with the Microsoft software, Office planners.” Project Server 2007 did not have the flexibility to adapt to the Group’s time- The Volvo Group also wanted to streamline reporting processes. For that reason, only some of its project management about half of the Group’s 2,200 users had procedures. For example, managers upgraded to Office Project Server 2007. sometimes struggled to successfully

publish information in simple and clear RAM. It plans to migrate all 2,200 of its reports. Some employees had problems users to the new software by the end of with the speed of the Web client, Microsoft calendar year 2010. All employees will Office Project Web Access, because it perform their work with the Web client, depended on the ActiveX controls on their Microsoft Project Web App. “Even the 500 client machines. Finally, the Volvo Group who formerly used the full client, Microsoft was always seeking to use employees’ time Office Project Professional 2007, will be in meetings most effectively. “Too much able to access everything they need in time in meetings is spent with people Project Server 2010 using Project Web telling their manager what they have done,” App,” says Stéphane Perrin. Because users says Stéphane Perrin. “Sometimes that can edit project data through Project Web would take so much time that the meeting App, the Volvo Group is significantly would end without a decision being made.” reducing the number of project managers who need Microsoft Project Professional Thus, the Volvo Group wanted project 2010. And because Project Web App does management software that could more not depend on ActiveX controls, it flexibly work with its time-reporting responds more quickly to user commands. processes and support efforts to improve resource management, portfolio For the project managers who are management, and employee effectiveness. responsible for completing project plans, reporting is important. Those managers can Solution use the new Timeline view in Project The Volvo Group participated in the Professional 2010 to easily create a high- Technology Adoption Program for level view of a project plan. They can drag Microsoft Project 2010 so that it would be tasks into the timeline and paste the able to provide prerelease feedback on timeline into presentations or e-mail process flexibility. The Group was intrigued messages. by Microsoft Project Server 2010 because it would offer better ways of planning Project Server 2010 incorporates and resource deployment, more features in its improves the functions of Microsoft Office Web client, and close interoperation with Project Portfolio Server 2007. “We will use Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010. Project Server 2010 to both manage ongoing projects and track new initiatives In February 2010, the Volvo Group or new ideas,” says Stéphane Perrin. “With implemented a pilot project with 50 users. everything in the same place, we will make It worked with Teamsquare, a Microsoft sure that we take all factors into account Certified Partner based in Lyon, France, that before making a decision.” specializes in project management. “Teamsquare worked with us from very The Volvo Group has deployed Microsoft early in the process, looking at SharePoint Server 2010 to manage requirements and design,” says Stéphane workflows as well as documents and forms. Perrin. “Teamsquare is a small company, Because Project Server 2010 is built on but with wide expertise.” SharePoint Server 2010, interoperation is seamless. For example, a SharePoint Server Volvo IT runs Project Server 2010 on a 2010 workflow automatically routes reports mixture of virtual servers and quad-core to various managers who may need to view physical servers featuring 4 gigabytes of information or perform actions on it. The

“With the tools in Project Volvo Group also uses SharePoint Server Value-Based Capacity Planning 2010 to assist in training. Users of Project The Volvo Group uses the resource and Server 2010, we can Web App can directly access a SharePoint portfolio management functions of Project site containing slide shows, cheat sheets, Server 2010 to better manage its capacity manage our portfolio of and frequently asked questions about the planning. “With the tools in Project Server projects and our project management software. 2010, we can manage our portfolio of projects and our resources working on resources working on Furthermore, Volvo IT has made several those projects to maximize our capacity,” customizations to help Project Server 2010 Stéphane Perrin says. those projects to interact with other software packages. maximize our capacity.” “Some customizations are small, such as Furthermore, the Group manages that macros in Microsoft Office Excel 2003 capacity to build the organization’s long- Stéphane Perrin, Director, Product spreadsheet software,” says Stéphane term strengths. “We use Project Server Planning and Project Management Perrin. “Others are more complex. But we 2010 to gain more control over which Solutions, Volvo IT greatly appreciate the software’s flexibility projects we are starting and stopping, and and the ability it gives us to do these when,” Stéphane Perrin says. “This means customizations.” we contract out fewer assignments based on sudden demand fluctuations. Instead we For example, one customization provides base contracting decisions on the value the Project Server 2010 scheduling and time- activities add to the organization.” By reporting information to SAP. Another contracting out fewer strategic activities, develops Project Server 2010 reports by the Volvo Group can use less costly querying databases in Microsoft SQL Server contractors. And by assigning more 2008 R2 Enterprise data management strategic activities to its own employees, software. A third improves the the Group builds internal strengths. sophistication of the dashboards that Project Server 2010 provides to executives. Time Savings A fourth takes advantage of improved By automating more of the collection and interoperation, which makes it easier to dissemination of project management data, integrate information entered in Visual Project Server 2010 is saving employees Studio Team System 2008 Team time. For example, because of the Foundation Server into Project Server 2010. integration with Visual Studio Team System Overall, the customizations fully adapt 2008 Team Foundation Server, employees Project Server 2010 to the Group’s time- no longer have to enter information in reporting processes. multiple software applications. “The flexibility of Project Server 2010 has led to a great productivity enhancement for the Benefits employees who use Visual Studio Team The Volvo Group uses Microsoft Project System 2008 Team Foundation Server,” Server 2010 to make better capacity- says Florent Gayet, Senior Consultant at planning decisions. It also saves time for Teamsquare. Likewise, because of the employees through automated processes integration between Project Server 2010 and a simple user interface, gains more and SAP, time entered by Volvo Group visibility into projects, and improves personnel in Project Web App is resource management. automatically routed to the proper SAP module. Such customized links have reduced the time spent on these tasks from

“With Project Server an average of 25 minutes per employee per The result of these improvements in week to 15 minutes (a savings of 40 information and communication is a better 2010, we are better able percent). At the same time, the reduced risk understanding of projects, and thus more of mistakes has improved quality. control over them. For example, Stéphane to anticipate whether a Most important, Project Server 2010 Perrin says, “With Project Server 2010, we project will be delayed. performs the data collection function that are better able to anticipate whether a too often takes place in meetings. “Our project will be delayed. This gives us the This gives us the employees can use Project Server 2010 to opportunity to shape future contracting assign resources and activities, estimate and distribution strategies.” opportunity to shape completion dates, and report on progress. future contracting and This means that none of these activities Clarified, Transparent Resource have to be done in meetings,” Stéphane Management distribution strategies.” Perrin says. “The data already exists, With Project Server 2010, the Volvo Group providing a base as the meeting starts. So gains a better view of its resourcing needs. Stéphane Perrin, Director, Product Planning and Project Management now people can spend their time in “We can use Project Server 2010 to better Solutions, Volvo IT meetings analyzing data, rather than anticipate whether we need more collecting it, and making good decisions resources,” says Stéphane Perrin. With that based on that analysis.” anticipation, the Group can better manage staff and contractors. “For example, if you Simple User Interface have to stop a project, Project Server 2010 Volvo Group employees appreciate the makes it much easier to reassign people, simple user interface of Project Server 2010. because you know where they are and what The rich feature set in Project Web App they’re doing. With better visibility into our makes it easier for managers to perform resource assignments, we are able to their work. “In Project Web App it’s very reassign our engineers and contractors in easy to find the action you want to only a few weeks compared to a few perform,” says Gayet. “For example, the months in the past.” Timeline view makes it easy to report project status information.” Also, Project Furthermore, the Volvo Group can more Web App is more responsive and more effectively communicate with members of stable than previous Web clients, because it the team. “It’s important that resources see does not depend on ActiveX controls. how their activities relate to a project as a whole,” says Stéphane Perrin. “Too often Quicker Routes to Visibility and Control you are asked to do something, and you do The Volvo Group uses Project Server 2010 it, but you don’t have the awareness of why to gain better visibility into projects. For you are doing it or where it fits in the example, Gayet says, “With the Timeline overall project. Now, with Project Server view in Project Server 2010, managers can 2010, our resources can see that easily display project status, even pasting information for themselves.” the timeline into a spreadsheet or an e-mail message, which results in much better transfer of information.” And with SharePoint workflows, they can publish reports and link to data throughout the system.

For More Information Microsoft Project Server 2010 For more information about Microsoft Microsoft Project Server 2010 brings products and services, call the Microsoft together the business collaboration Sales Information Center at (800) 426- platform services of Microsoft SharePoint 9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Server 2010 with structured execution Canada Information Centre at (877) 568- capabilities to provide flexible work 2495. Customers in the United States and management solutions. Project Server 2010 Canada who are deaf or hard-of-hearing unifies project and portfolio management can reach Microsoft text telephone to help organizations align resources and (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234. investments with business priorities, gain Outside the 50 United States and control across all types of work, and Canada, please contact your local visualize performance through powerful Microsoft subsidiary. To access dashboards. information using the World Wide Web, go to: For more information about Microsoft www.microsoft.com Project Server 2010, go to: www.microsoft.com/project/2010

For more information about the Volvo Group, call (46) 31 322 38 79 or visit the Web site at: www.volvogroup.com

Software and Services  Microsoft Visual Studio  Microsoft Server Product Portfolio − Microsoft Visual Studio Team System − Microsoft Project Server 2010 2008 Team Foundation Server − Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010  Technologies − Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 − Microsoft Project Web App Enterprise  Microsoft Office − Microsoft Office Excel 2003  Microsoft Project Professional 2010

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Document published July 2010