How to Choose a Microsoft PPM Deployment Partner

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WHITE PAPER How to Choose a Microsoft PPM Deployment Partner Project Server 2010, built on SharePoint 2010, brings together powerful business collaboration platform services with structured Business

1 WHITE PAPER How to Choose a Microsoft PPM Deployment Partner Project Server 2010, built on SharePoint 2010, brings together powerful business collaboration platform services with structured Business Intelligence capability to provide work, project, and portfolio management solutions. It can help organizations align resources and investments with business priorities and gain control across all types of work, as well as monitor organizational performance using powerful executive dashboards and reporting tools. It's important to understand that Project & Portfolio Management offers both strategic and tactical value. It has great potential for improving business performance and workforce productivity. Only the right partner can help you maximize the benefits these tools can bring to your organization. This white paper will show you how to choose a risk-free partner. SOLUTIONS Project & Portfolio Management Documents/Record Management Portal & Collaboration Cloud & Datacenter Management Business Intelligence MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGIES Project Server SharePoint/MOSS PerformancePoint Services SQL Server Visual Studio Hyper-V EPM SOLUTIONS Microsoft Gold Partner Headquarter: Silicon Valley, CA Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Company ISO 9001:2008 Registered

It can help organizations align resources and investments with business priorities and gain control across all types of work, as well as monitor organizational performance using powerful executive

2 Everyone in our cross-functional organization was duly impressed by the results, especially me! What impressed me even more was the reliable and honest way in which this project was managed and executed by EPM Solutions. In my mind, they will always be the gold standard for how a technology partner should work with a client organization. Strottman International Microsoft PPM technology uses more Microsoft enterprise software components than any other Microsoft application. Selecting the right firm can be challenging. Where to start? A good place to start is to choose a Microsoft Gold Partner specializing in Project & Portfolio Management (PPM). To qualify as a Microsoft Gold Partner with PPM competency, an MS partner must have at least four architects pass three exams and, most importantly, the partner must provide at least five deployment references in current 2010 technologies. Ask if your partner has a Microsoft Gold Certification in PPM, or if they only dabble in PPM. What s next? Look for an MS Partner that has also earned certifications in Business Intelligence and SharePoint. Why do you need a partner with certified BI competency? Users of Microsoft Project Server 2010 can take advantage of all the tools included in the Microsoft BI platform, such as Excel Services, PerformancePoint Services, Visio, PowerPivot for Excel, SQL Reporting Services, and more. The flexible Microsoft BI solution provides nontechnical resources with familiar tools to easily create reports and configure powerful dashboards, while providing technical resources with a more sophisticated capability to create complex views. Partners with skills in BI can help you get the most out of your investment and satisfy the critical needs of higher-level executives. Why do you need a partner with SharePoint competency? Partners with these certifications have deployed SharePoint (MOSS). They have additional depth for SharePoint configuration the underlying base of Project Server. Their proven expertise in taxonomy, workflow, web parts, and Business Data Catalog are among the many very useful SharePoint features that have great value in achieving more benefits for your PPM efforts.

In my mind, they will always be the gold standard for how a technology partner should work with a client organization.

3 I m glad you ve met our friends at EPM Solutions. Greg and his team have a phenomenal base of knowledge around project management, theory, and the practical application of it all using Microsoft Project Server and SharePoint. I truly believe they can help you squeeze every nickel of value out of the software. Microsoft Other capabilities to have: ISV/Software Solutions Competency (Certified software development skills based on Microsoft technologies) A company often needs an application to perform functions for which it was not originally designed. A partner certified in this area has demonstrated that it is capable of developing software solutions, such as Project Server Add-on, and is also able to manage system integration. Hosting Solutions Competency (Certified ability to manage robust redundant systems) Project Server hosting companies work with and troubleshoot complex issues of redundancy, security, reliability, and availability of hosted applications at the highest level. They are among the most technologically knowledgeable companies. Learning Solutions Competency (Certified competent Microsoft instructors) Partners that have earned this credential have at least two Microsoft Certified Instructors with an 80% satisfaction rate. The result is that you have the highest caliber of trainers available. Training is critical for user adoption.

I truly believe they can help you squeeze every nickel of value out of the software.

4 What else? Verify that your partner has the following: I have hired Project Management consultants in three organizations previously and I have to say EPM Solutions is by far the best I have experienced. Oliver knows his profession and it is a real pleasure to see a pro at work. Thank you very much for helping with our journey. Mainstream Energy Do they have Project Server 2010 experience? As Microsoft EPM/PPM/EPPM evolves, becoming more sophisticated and complex with every release, it is more important than ever to select an EPM Partner who is keeping up with current technology in order to serve your organization s best interests. Do they have Project, Program, and Portfolio Management skills? A consulting partner in Microsoft PPM must demonstrate technical skills, as well as skills in IT governance. To best configure the toolsets to support the customer s process, or to help develop new processes, requires the consulting firm to have a holistic view and be especially knowledgeable about software-enabled PMO; they must also possess the essential skills to help improve overall project management maturity. Are they offering more than one deployment option? Companies such as EPM Solutions focus on Microsoft PPM solutions. They have developed a packaged solution that bundles products and services into customizable, comprehensive solutions based on a user-based template. These companies deliverables exceed what can be achieved through traditional consulting. These bundles can include training, interim hosting, products, custom reports, and custom configuration. At EPM Solutions, we call it EPM FasTrack deployment services.

Oliver knows his profession and it is a real pleasure to see a pro at work. Thank you very much for helping with our journey. Mainstream Energy Do they have Project Server 2010 experience?

Conclusion Gentleman, I wanted to let you know what a fantastic job the EPM Solutions team has done for us. We have been concurrently working with another vendor on a separate project.

5 Conclusion Gentleman, I wanted to let you know what a fantastic job the EPM Solutions team has done for us. We have been concurrently working with another vendor on a separate project. Ed and Wayne are head and shoulders above other companies consulting staff in expeditiousness, knowledge, and quality of services provided. Fedility Project & Portfolio Management can help you gain insight, enhance decision making, improve business strategy alignment, maximize resource use, and improve project success delivery. The right partner can help you take advantage of all the promising benefits that PPM Solutions can bring to you and your organization.

Ed and Wayne are head and shoulders above other companies consulting staff in expeditiousness, knowledge, and quality of services provided.

6 Next Step Find out how EPM Solutions can help you succeed. Contact EPM Solutions at or call us at (888) EPM Solutions, the EPM Solutions logo, EPM FasTrack, and Better by EPM Solutions are either registered trademarks or trademarks of EPM Solutions, Inc. in the United States. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners EPM Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

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Project Management through Unified Project and Portfolio Fluent User Interface Management Built on SharePoint Server 2010 Time Reporting Enhancements Project Initiation & Business Case Exchange Server