Usage and Added Value of Clarity
What were the specific challenges that made you decide to implement a tool like Clarity?
The overarching goal of multi-project management is to get a clear overview of all projects at the company. Another goal of the process is to implement projects in a more targeted and efficient manner and thus achieve added value for our customers.
During our previous project management process, we still relied heavily on such programs as Excel, Word, and MS Project. The individual files were accordingly distributed across different data file systems. We wanted a uniform tool that could act as a Single Point of Truth, where we can collect, maintain and evaluate information any time.
We also needed software that supports a cross-divisional and consistent process: from providing operational support (e.g., when managing and monitoring certain projects) to such topics as resource and project portfolio management as well as answering strategic questions, such as which projects to tackle and which to postpone.
Why did you choose Clarity? What are the specific advantages of the software?
Clarity is a very mature product that has a wide range of features, especially when it comes to project monitoring. In addition, there are strong out-of-the-box features for project portfolio management, which is an area where other tools have shown their weaknesses. The whole topic of automation (e.g., through workflows) and system interfaces is very important for us. Here, Clarity meets our requirements thanks to its existing adjustment options in the forms of customization or scripting.
We also needed an industry-independent solution that maps the entire project management process from a neutral point of view, regardless of the type of project. We have a wide range of customer projects, because as a contract manufacturer we don’t have our own products and work with customers from a wide variety of industries. In addition, we also have our internal projects such as, for example, IT, construction, and organizational projects.
Each project has different requirements and standards that must be met. This is where Clarity really convinced us that it was the best software solution, because it focuses on the mapping of project management processes without being industry-specific.
In which divisions does the company use Clarity?
We use Clarity in all business and central divisions at all locations and across the entire spectrum of use cases, including for such traditional areas as handling customer projects, but also internally in our central departments for IT, engineering, and HR, for example.
In particular, areas that are very project-oriented make intensive use of Clarity and its range of features.
And how is Clarity used in the company? What are some use cases that you can cite?
We use the solution to manage all types of projects representing all sizes and levels of complexity. So-called mini-projects are used to start small activities as efficiently as possible using the existing features and interfaces on the basis of predefined templates. This is how automated comparisons of forecasted vs. actual effort and costs can be performed without having to go through the entire project management process.
However, we also use Clarity intensively for very complex projects in which we need the full scope of features, including workflow-supported phase transitions, detailed project planning with determination of the critical path, or active risk and opportunity management. Checklist items for each project type and complexity (that are managed using templates) can be additionally deployed. This feature ensures that the necessary quality checks are carried out and are traceable.
The cost trend analyzer automatically shows the current cost situation of a project,
provides information on budget compliance, and also provides a forecast for the future.
During the implementation phase, there was also a requirement to establish resource management in some areas, and so the ability to actively control the distribution of resources in projects. The itd Advanced Resource Planning add-on plays an important role for us here: the use cases range from staffing to the evaluation of the capacity range.
Furthermore, as the company continues to digitize its operations, we plan to use the Hierarchy and Roadmap modules, which are newly available in the MUX (Modern UX) to transparently lay bare the connection between projects and strategy. In this way, we can obtain a consolidated status report about the digitization project, allowing us in turn to derive targeted and timely measures.