Project and Resource Management
Since January 2014, the IT Services at ETH Zurich (ITS) has been using Planview, a project-portfolio management tool, to support project planning and execution.
In this tool, all input is documented in one place which allows us to draw various conclusions and lets us control projects instead of letting them drift. To ensure a comprehensive overview of the ITS project portfolio, all projects are now being managed in Planview. In addition to project management, we also use Planview to plan, record and evaluate operational costs for our services. In this way, to use an apt metaphor, not only does every captain know what’s happening on his own ship, the shipping company too has an overall view of all its ships and can plan future trips reliably.
A tool itself cannot provide the entire solution
The most important factor for a successful project is the staff. In order to support our staff members optimally, Planview is continuously being adapted to their needs. For example: Planned and approved absences in the ETH SAP system are made available to project managers for their planning. Absences as yet unknown at initial project planning become visible in Planview. This allows course correction in flight aka rescheduling or reallocation of tasks. Planview currently provides valuable data for planning and prioritization of projects and operational tasks. Here too the rule applies: the more reliable and accurate the data provided by employees, the more relevant and valuable are the conclusions.
Project management structure within IT Services
The Project Management Office (PMO) of the division IT Procurement & Portfolio (ITS PPF) is responsible for supervising project management at operational level. Figures and statuses of projects are reviewed with project managers at regular intervals and the necessary steps for successful project completion are determined and monitored jointly. The project management office is always available to assist project and team managers, offering support in planning, implementing and completing their projects and operational Tasks.
The Portfolio Management team (PF) of the division IT Procurement & Portfolio (ITS PPF) is responsible for the strategic project work. This obviously requires maintaining close contact with ITS executives. Together, existing services are examined periodically, future services defined at an early stage and changes initiated through appropriate and timely measures. This ensures that the services offered by IT Services really meet the needs of the customers.
Further plans
- cost control: integration of cost estimates, expenditure forecast, planned vs. actual, …
- linking procurement contracts in the Tendering and Contract Management System (xRM) with projects
Already steering or still drifting?
Have we aroused your interest in project and resource management? To learn how Planview helps turn data into information and better decisions, please contact us by email at planview@id.ethz.ch or call Pius Baumann or Jürg Järmann, both from ITS PPF.
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