ArcherPoint transforms its project management processes with Jama, enabling a level of business analysis that differentiates the company from its competition.
As a leading Microsoft Dynamics Gold Certified Partner providing business solutions to companies throughout the U.S., ArcherPoint designs and implements numerous, often complex custom projects — from back office accounting (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to manufacturing and distribution. As experts in Microsoft Dynamics NAV, ArcherPoint works with a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, transportation and logistics, retail and fashion. Key clients include Nissin Foods, Quality Wine and Spirits and many more companies.
ArcherPoint Results Summary
- Better-defined scope requirements enable delivery of high-quality projects on time and on budget
- Enhanced stakeholder communications increases efficiency and understanding of responsibilities
- Improved project management processes fuel company growth and encourages collaboration with clients
- Adopting business analysis and technology solution opened new markets
The Challenge
Founded in 2002, ArcherPoint has substantially grown its customer base over the decade. However, like many companies in growth mode, the development of systems for supporting requirements management proved challenging, as client engagements grew more complex and involved more stakeholders.
Before finding Jama, ArcherPoint used Word and Excel documents transmitted via email like everyone else in the industry to document and distribute requirements back to stakeholders. Pushing Word and Excel documents back and forth creates inherent challenges related to versioning and merging comments from Stakeholders that are completely eliminated with Jama. Another exciting capability of Jama is the deadline management to remind stakeholders to complete their reviews so that ArcherPoint business analysts don’t have to constantly chase down and remind stakeholders to complete their reviews.
“It was not uncommon for stakeholders to overlook or unintentionally omit key requirements when wading through the avalanche of documents that email can spawn when collaborating with stakeholders all across the country.” said Alan Campbell, PMO Manager at ArcherPoint.
“We determined that there had to be a better way to document and distribute requirements to stakeholders. We found the optimal solution in Jama.”Alan Campbell, PMO Manager
The Solution
As ArcherPoint grew, with projects and consultants located around the country, it became obvious that to support business development, a more advanced and scalable requirements management solution was necessary.
“It is important to the success of our projects that we be able to communicate and engage effectively with stakeholders anywhere in the world,” said Campbell. “It is also vital to our growth and success as a company.”
To facilitate the search for a requirements management solution, the company developed the following benchmarks:
Flexible Licensing
Projects involve lots of stakeholders, many of whom are involved for three to six months, replaced by the next set of stakeholders—or the next project. ArcherPoint required licensing that allows floating reviewers to control project costs.
“Jama met all of our criteria. It was a slam dunk.”Alan Campbell, PMO Manager
SaaS Based
Working with numerous companies and hundreds of stakeholders at any given time necessitates a solution that allows quick and easy new user set up. On-premise software does not support that capability, but browser-based, software-as-a-service technology does.
Web Service Calls
Each client project is a custom project. This requires an adaptable solution that can be easily integrated into various industry ecosystems. Having the ability to tap into a tool with web service calls to develop additional reports and take advantage of functionality outside the standard package is key at ArcherPoint.
Compliance
AcherPoint follows the standards of the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). The solution chosen would have to meet IIBA management criteria, such as:
- Traceability: Ability to track the relationships between requirements, solution components, use cases, test cases, defects and other related items.
- Baselines: Ability to create baselines for releases, sets or filtered lists of items to flag significant events, and run baseline comparison reports.
- Seamless integration: Solution would be compatible with and support Rally Software for Agile ERP implementation projects. At ArcherPoint they use Rally beyond the standard software development. Rally represents the solution that is being created and may include changes to business process, COTS software or training.
Requirements Management
The solution would be capable of maintaining and tracking changes to requirements through the lifecycle of the project. In addition, the tool would be used to manage the requirements approval process as well as reconcile stakeholder conflict and ongoing issues. The ability to look back at any point in time and understand how they arrived at the current solution scope.
A typical client engagement for ArcherPoint still involves multiple systems and stakeholders. The project team consists of ArcherPoint and client team members with coordinating tasks and responsibilities, all connected and supported by Jama from Jama Software.
Results
With Jama, project scope and budget are now based on a thorough understanding of the needs of the client. This enables ArcherPoint to deliver services to their clients on time, on budget and with highest quality results, all while keeping operational costs under control. Campbell sees Jama as key to enabling them to define and manage the solution scope.
“Now we do a better job of project preparation before finalizing the budget. If the project scope is greater than expected, we can go back to the client and engage in a conversation on how to balance the solution scope before we engage in project execution.”Alan Campbell, PMO Manager
Also with Jama, ArcherPoint is able to better define stakeholders and their roles and responsibilities, including the role of a business analyst who works as a liaison among stakeholders in order to understand the structure, policies, and operations of an organization.
Learning Jama was very straightforward. The company’s business analysts set up project requirements, functional consultants enter solutions, and project managers input user stories, which all trace back to the requirements. Because Jama is intuitive and easy to use, training for stakeholder reviewers takes no more than 15 minutes. It’s a simple task to give clients access to the project program.
And the ability to perform business analysis engagements with stakeholders anywhere in the world allows ArcherPoint to target marketing efforts at larger companies. It has become a competitive advantage for their company.
“Jama has already changed the way we do business. It’s giving us the ability to enter new markets.”Alan Campbell, PMO Manager
About ArcherPoint
Founded in 2002, ArcherPoint, LLC is a leading Microsoft Dynamics Gold Certified Partner, providing business solutions based on proven Microsoft applications and tools to companies throughout the US. ArcherPoint’s certified, experienced professionals collaborate with clients to design, implement and support solutions tailored to their unique requirements—from back office accounting (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to manufacturing and distribution. With a commitment to quality service, ArcherPoint is dedicated to helping companies perform above and beyond the competition. For more information on ArcherPoint, LLC visit http://www.archerpoint.com or call 866.343.4517 extension 7133.
