Scenarios

A Tool to Standardize Processes

Goal:

To use project management tools to create a set of standardized business processes that will ensure that the increasing number of jobs are done on time, on budget, and to the customer's satisfaction.

Challenge:

There may be some truth to "Be careful what you wish for, it may just come true." With real estate prices at an all time high, many homeowners have decided to invest in their existing homes and, as a result, Michael's pool construction business has never been so busy. The company's focus on high quality and timely work has earned them an enviable reputation-but poor project management threatens their future growth. For a small company, it may at times seem like a losing proposition to keep tabs on all the moving parts, manage the numerous subcontractors, and reassure customers that their project is moving at a satisfactory pace but failure to do so is not an option.

Solution:

Michael's instinct told him that if he could just figure out a way to standardize and/or automate the company's processes, he could spend more time actually helping to run the business and less time chasing after what was due when and who was supposed to be doing what. Fortunately Project X provided Michael with a simple way to organize all of the organization's core functions in a way that could be successfully repeated again and again.

Michael started the process by creating a project template within Project X. He knew from his years of experience how much each task took on average from the moment the contract was signed to the moment the final inspections were approved. By using a project template, Michael was able to standardize the basic sequence of events involved in creating a pool and provide instant estimates as to when the project would be completed by simply plugging in the start date. He could also see whether there were immediate resource constraints that would need to be addressed.

For example, Michael allocated an average amount of time to each step in the template like 10 days to obtain county permits, 2 days for excavation, 3 days for decking, etc. Because the project officially begins once the contract is executed and the deposit is made by the client, all Michael had to do was plug in the start date into the new project. In an instant, Michael was able to tell his client the approximate date of completion and provide them with key milestone dates such as when payments are due and when key inspections would be held.

To make even better use of the templates, Michael used sub-projects to manage the many options that were available to homeowners. For example, a subproject could be adding a waterfall or an in-ground cleaning system. If these items were not required, he would simply eliminate the subproject. If they were included, then the timeline would adjust accordingly. As Michael got better at using the Project X templates he expanded the variety of templates to include known variations such as longer building cycles during the rainy season or during busier seasons like early summer when contractor availability is more challenging.

Plus, since Project X is fully integrated with other Mac applications like iCal and the Address Book, resource information was automatically updated in his project. Michael could see at-a-glance if there were pending resource issues and if so, he could be proactive in finding other contractors when necessary-that way, the customer never had to wait. Plus, comprehensive resource and cost reports gave Michael an instant snapshot of the profitability of each of his projects. This gave Michael and his partners concrete information to help determine future pricing models and evaluate the effectiveness of the various contractors.

Undoubtedly, streamlining the work process helped Michael's business tremendously, but the greatest amount of praise came from his clients.Because Project X gives Michael the ability to create and save customized reports, we was able to create a series of reports for his clients. These customized reports showed clients at every step of the way that their goals of having margaritas by the pool was fast approaching. Michael was able to run these reports and save them as PDFs which he emailed to his clients on a weekly basis. With Project X, Michael had dispelled the number one concern of his clients: losing touch with the builders and having to chase them down for answers at every step.

Thanks to Project X, Michael and his partners have not just streamlined their processes and increased their business opportunities, but delivered on their promise to provide unparalleled quality and service at every step of the process.

Key Project X Features:

• Project templates
• Subprojects, tasks & milestone categorization