Schaffner EMV AG implements global
project management portal
Modern IT can significantly simplify the co-ordination of global projects across different business locations. Schaffner EMV AG shows what this kind of cross-location project management system looks like. Schaffner EMV AG created an enterprise portal based on the software Intrexx Xtreme to control communication, data exchange and processes centrally. Freiburg, 26 March 2008. The Schaffner Group, based in Luterbach, Switzerland, provides components for efficient and reliable electrical energy solutions. The electrical components and modules are designed and produced according to individual customer requirements, and deployed in various industries including renewable energy, drive systems and control, automobile, and telecommunications. As these projects tend to be very complex and carried out on a global scale, the company decided at the end of 2005 to introduce an enterprise portal to handle project management. Schaffner AG opted for Intrexx Xtreme as the software to be used, as the company had already had previous success with this system, which is renowned for flexibility in creating applications and cross-location portal solutions.
The manufacturer template "Project Management" was quickly adjusted to the individual requirements of Schaffner AG with the help of United Planet partner, Spixe GmbH. This creates a centralized network of all production sites and development departments around the world on the portal for easy co-ordination of all projects. Schaffner AG has 20 international locations. Besides its headquarters in Switzerland, the company is active in Thailand, China and the USA, for example. With the new system, several hundred international projects can all be managed centrally at the same time. The sales division enters customer inquiries as requests in the portal. The research and development division then carries out a feasibility analysis. Sales receives the resulting data via the portal, and can then make a detailed quotation using the stored costs to the customer. Subsequent project management is also carried out using the central portal. From purchasing for material orders through production right up to delivery, the relevant divisions are included in the processes on the portal, while project runs can range from one week to several months. The required documents are stored centrally on the portal, where they are easily locatable for all involved. Synchronization between the portal and ERP system allows completed products to be adopted in the ERP system automatically.
Employee acceptance of the portal and the new project management system was very high, as it greatly simplifies and reduces the workload of project managements. Keeping an overview of all on-going projects, for example, is now much more straightforward. It's easy to see the status of each project and what is currently being processed at which individual location. "Besides facilitating better documentation, the portal also allows higher throughput, as we can manage processes much more effectively," explains Hans-Peter Birneder, CIO at Schaffner AG. Where information was previously exchanged by telephone or e-mail, and products were managed individually by different project managers, today these tasks are managed by the portal. Standards are stored for all processes, data and responsibilities, ensuring correct process flows. Information can no longer get lost and can always be located and retrieved quickly and easily. Schaffner now carries out all its global communication with ease via the portal, from Shanghai to New Jersey.
The new version 4 of Intrexx Xtreme improved the load times of the portal applications in Asia further. Previously restricted by long transfer times on the Asian backbones, employees in China, Thailand and Singapore will now be able to use the portal even more effectively. Use of frameless layouts, tool tip windows and comprehensive deployment of AJAX, among other things, reduce load times significantly. Version 4 of the software even allows for the integration and provision of Web services. "Web services aren't relevant for us as yet, but could be of interest in the future," says Birneder. The next goal is to map all cross-location workflows in the portal: from error messages through change requests to managing sample goods that need to be dispatched worldwide. With the Process Manager of Intrexx Xtreme, these can be stored in the portal time-controlled and event-controlled, so that processes, reminders and confidentiality procedures are managed automatically.
