The Solution

Microsoft’s Enterprise Project Management solution consists of MS Office Project Professional (for project leaders), MS Project Web Access (for team members, controllers, resource managers and other persons involved) and MS Office Project Server. Together, these components make it possible to efficiently manage schedules, personnel, costs and risks.

Improvements coming with the current 2007 version are - among other things – considerably increased usability, expanded reporting and simple processing of smaller projects via a web interface. There are also significant innovations in MS Office Project Server 2007’s architecture and programmable interfaces: the server itself has been changed, implemented on the basis of .NET 2.0 and is, thanks to its open architecture, an excellent platform to build solutions matching company-specific requirements. The stronger integration with SharePoint-technology supports e.g. the automatic installation of predefined project workspaces where project teams can jointly process documents or document problems and risks – especially across different locations.

The experts at Campana & Schott have systematically been gaining experience with the current version of MS Project Server since the earliest preliminary information releases. The company’s long-standing and intense cooperation with the Microsoft development team in Redmond and its involvement in international associations (e.g. as a founding member of the “Microsoft Partner Advisory Council”) further add to this competitive edge.

This competence is evident in a large number of implementation projects. The strengths and weaknesses of the solution are pointed out to the customer. In cases where the “pure” MS Project standard is insufficient, Campana & Schott provides complementary solutions to close the gap: (link) CS Connect enables integration with SAP ERP. (link) CS Project Portal as well as (link) CS EPM Extensions cover specific requirements in the areas of reporting, program and resource management, etc.

• A project member sees his own tasks across projects.
• A resource manager sees charts and reports that illustrate the degree of capacity utilization in his department.
• A project controller sees the current state of budget compliance for all projects under his care.
• A portfolio manager sees new project proposals as well as status traffic lights and reference figures pertaining to ongoing projects in his portfolio.