Embark
Customized Automated Project Intake
According to Department of Defense research most problem laden projects get off track as early as 10%-15% of the way into the project—and then never recover. In fact the data indicates that once a project is 20% complete there is rarely a significant improvement to its overall trajectory. The lesson: projects that start poorly always end poorly! For organizations that depend on successful execution of projects, getting them off to a good start is paramount. Yet, in many organizations the project request process is done informally and manually. The Embark Portal can go a long way to ensuring that your projects begin in the fashion that will allow them to be successful.
This body of customizable .NET code provides a web portal which creates a real-time, self-service project request engine customized for the services that you offer to your clients. This portal gives the project management function visibility into the projects that are being proposed, control over who is authorized to request them, and what deliverables are being requested. Accepted projects are seamlessly launched into Project Server, based upon the custom templates you select, while rejected requests are stored in a central repository for later consideration.
Key Elements of Embark
Intake Management: Microsoft Project Server does an exceptional job of supporting the work of project managers once work on a project has begun. The platform is much less effective in managing projects before they have been formally approved. By leveraging the Embark portal you will be able to manage a given project or program from “cradle to grave”, while seamlessly integrating into your EPM platform. This also allows you to guarantee that all accepted projects are in process and have the necessary information to allow for an on-time and on-budget delivery.
Improve Customer Satisfaction: The Embark portal can be used as an externally facing self-service portal for project initiation. This means your clients can have 24*7 interfaces back to your service offerings, increasing perceptions of responsiveness and availability.
Cost
The portal usually costs from $45,000 to $90,000 depending on the complexity of the engagement and the total scope of deliverables.
Duration
This program can be completed in as little as two to three weeks providing that all of the required equipment, software, and personnel are available when needed. The primary schedule constraint is availability of key Project Management and Business Unit Personnel.