MHP Software manages its projects with Blue Ant

Particularly the integration of over 100 KEP services (for example DHL, UPS, FedEx, GLS, DPD, etc.) and shipping (Schenker, Dachser, IDS, etc.) in existing ERP landscapes, a high degree of flexibility during use, a modular selection of carriers and a clear, solution-oriented attitude have already won us hundreds of customers.

In the framework of the quality management project at MHP Software GmbH, we, the Sanden Consulting Company, adopted the multi-project management solution Blue Ant. Within the first two months, more than 200 projects were planned using the software and some 80 projects with around 40 employees were successfully completed. The use of Blue Ant improved project transparency markedly in this time and project quality was further increased.

On the basis of guidelines set by MHP and the Sanden Consulting Company, proventis delivered an optimally preconfigured system, which was followed by configurations and detail changes, as well as a two-day instruction from proventis for the planning team and administrators. The Sanden Consulting Company trained employees with a sample project from the Blue Ant test system. Blue Ant was already monitoring the progress and completion of tasks throughout the training activities.

The biggest challenge during the introductory phase was adjusting to the system. The Sanden Consulting Company decided to set a deadline for the change. For all important projects and plans we set detailed templates, which also took the QM policies of the company into consideration. Within two days the projects that were being handled with the old system were manually scheduled with Blue Ant. On Friday and exactly five o’clock in the afternoon all of the relevant project data was available through Blue Ant and the employees’ plans for the following week were done. The old system was shut down on the following Monday so that Blue Ant could be fully utilized. The planned safety margin was not needed during the weekend. From this moment on we could monitor the progress and compliance with deadlines of all the projects.

After a routine for using the system was established, vacation time could be activated in Blue Ant and the paper vacation request forms were discarded. The system recorded all employee absences, which was a great advantage for the phone center, planning and administration.

As is to be expected from a professional solution, the five process of project management (initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, completion) were well supported by Blue Ant.

In the initiation phase, Blue Ant helped in that the benchmarks for a project could be systematically queried, quickly entered and fully documented. Blue Ant supported the planning process by defining quality guidelines within the system through self-generated project templates. »In the MHP-specific model there are, for example, standard adoption procedures or minimum time frames wired in between the end of testing and the beginning of installation. That way, all project developments are standardized, nothing is forgotten and the planning process is accelerated,« reports Manuela Meyer, who is responsible for the planning team at MHP. Under the observation of qualification requests and availability replaced virtual resources in project plans. The error rate in the project plan is marginal, since quality management had also been formulated for project planning with Blue Ant’s corresponding specifications.

Displaying employee tasks, progress messages and working time recording are conceivably simple. MHP employees only had to train in the use of the functions for about an hour, practical exercises included. The solution was accepted from the first day and was more intuitive and faster to operate than the previous system.

Project supervision plays a large role in the central organization of MHP. Analyses are generated regularly, with which, for example, overdue tasks and overextension of employees can be assessed. When it came to clarity of multiple evaluations, Blue Ant was unsatisfactory. Fortunately, proventis gave notice that they were quickly working to find a remedy for the next update. Until then, MHP is being aided by supplementary evaluations with its own SQL scripts.

After the conclusion of a project its status is set to “complete” and is then archived. Blue Ant took over the rest, for example the approval of resources, and the project no longer appears in the current lists, but is still analyzable.

The introduction of Blue Ant ran smoothly. All project employees were able to use the system within a short amount of time and with minimal training. Blue Ant showed itself to be the optimal solution for the planning team as well. It can plan and change complex projects error free. Through readily available project transparency, deviations are quickly identified and therefore corrective measures can be taken early. MHP’s customers profit from greater security during planning and even better adherence to delivery dates. Small drawbacks with the evaluations and clarity in Blue Ant will soon be rectified. In this case, MHP was pleasantly surprised with the quick response to our questions and the readiness to accept our suggestions into the product’s planning after a short trial period.

The Sanden Consulting Company of Hildesheim supports firms with the optimization of their business processes in project handlings, project development, in service and support, distribution and marketing. The company is well known in the software industry.

»Blue Ant is an fitting tool that offers diverse support in the planning process and delivers parameters in project management with which the project quality can be measured constantly and significantly increased. Blue Ant therefore makes greater project transparency and planning safety possible.«