EPM Live s Project Portfolio Management (PPM) Buyer s Guide for the Enterprise

EPM Live s Project Portfolio Management (PPM) Buyer s Guide for the Enterprise Leading customers through critical evaluation decisions relative to project, portfolio and work management solutions. EPM Live Buyer s Guide 1

Contents Introduction to PPM...3 SaaS vs. On-Premise...5 SaaS Benefits...5 Candidates for SaaS...7 SaaS Financial Considerations...7 On-premise Benefits...8 Candidates for On-Premise...9 On-premise Financial Considerations...9 About EPM Live... 10 EPM Live Features... 12 What to Expect with an EPM Live Deployment... 15 EPM Live Buyer s Guide 2

Introduction to PPM In 2009, a leading analyst firm reported that PPM tool users can expect to see a 15% decrease in project failure from utilizing a PPM toolset. Business leaders are struggling more than ever to gain visibility into their portfolio investments. Visibility is just the beginning; without a clear understanding of how the business is performing overall based on the metrics provided, leaders are unable to make key business decisions that could result in greater business value. We have all heard the expression do more with less. This expression has become a required discipline in the project portfolio management (PPM) market. Economic conditions have greatly intensified the need to ensure that every initiative is performing to expectations, is bringing optimal value, and tightly aligns with business strategy to ensure competitive advantage. So how do you know if implementing a PPM system is right for you? Let s take a look at some of the benefits realized from PPM systems and the impacts they may have on your organization: Increase project delivery success. Unsuccessful project delivery leads to project failure. Project failure can be caused by many factors such as cost overruns, schedule delays, poorly defined requirements, mismanaged resources, lack of strategy alignment, unresolved issues, and technical limitations. PPM allows organizations to ensure these factors are minimized within project delivery. In 2009, a leading analyst reported that PPM tool users can expect to see a 15% decrease in project failure from utilizing a PPM toolset. PPM tools provide organizations with the functionality they need to more accurately plan their projects based on resource capacity, score projects to ensure strategic alignment, better estimate project costs, and increase the success of project execution resulting in overall increased value to the business. Reduce overspending. Even successful projects can reflect overspending. Overspending can be caused by numerous factors such as poor project estimating, inaccurate scheduling, improper resource allocation, and no visibility into project data. Once again, Forrester reported that organizations can expect a decrease in overspending by 10% if utilizing a PPM toolset. PPM tools provide the estimation tools needed to ensure that projects are estimated more accurately and the right resources are put on the right work at the right time. Faster project turn times. There are many reasons why PPM can reduce project turn times by an average of 10%. Governance, workflow and standardization tend to reflect repeatable processes that are proven. These defined processes that have been aligned with PPM technology allow team members to keep the work flowing and will typically increase productivity EPM Live Buyer s Guide 3

because it takes the mind work out of the question what do I do next? As we all know, strategically aligned projects should always result in business value. With shorter time-to-market, this value can be realized sooner and, in many cases, can give businesses a head start on their competition. Managers can potentially decrease their administrative tasks by 25% with an effective PPM tool in place. Reduce no value projects. Project portfolios should reflect a group of high value projects and or work that align with strategic objectives and produce individual business results. In many organizations, some projects may be defined as duplicated efforts when compared to other initiatives within the same portfolio. PPM is critical for project selection. PPM tools allow you to track the overall value of each project, its estimated benefits, ROI and other key decision factors. Based on scoring and ranking of key performance indicators, projects can then be selected or cancelled. As projects are cancelled, other projects may be affected and as projects are introduced, other projects that have already been selected may be compromised. Business leaders need PPM to ensure they are making the right decisions for the most profitable portfolio. Streamline data and increase collaboration. Many businesses today still rely on manual tools for project planning and reporting. These tools are typically located on a client s computer and are not intended for enterprise use. Data that is transferred and updated through email or other means is not considered to be real-time information and can become out of date quickly leading to project conflicts and inconsistencies. Project transparency is critical for proper decision making and improved project performance. With PPM, users can access real-time data, giving them the insight they need to get work done. Team members no longer have to rely on hallway conversations or meetings to give project status. Reduction of resource time can be significant when leveraging an enterprise PPM system. Centralized data leads to insight and effective real-time collaboration leads to increased productivity. Managers can potentially decrease their administrative tasks by 25% with an effective PPM tool in place. If the benefits above look appealing to you, this buyer s guide will help you determine the right PPM tool for your organization. Topics included in this buyer s guide include: SaaS vs. On-premise, which one is right for you? EPM Live functionality ensuring your needs are met What to expect with an EPM Live deployment EPM Live Buyer s Guide 4

SaaS vs. On-premise EPM Live believes in meeting the needs of every user regardless of size, budget or maturity. EPM Live gives customers the power to choose the deployment option that works best for them. The recent economic recession has reignited the Software as a Service (SaaS) debate as organizations are under pressure to switch to more cost-effective PPM solutions. SaaS is software-owned, delivered and managed remotely by one or more providers and is provided to customers through internet technologies. With cloud computing gaining a lot of media attention in recent times, many organizations are now contemplating making the mainstream switch from on-premise PPM to a SaaS model. SaaS was originally designed to aid small organizations in implementing technology that would give them the ability to easily configure, customize and scale PPM services within their organizations. Now it has become a more intriguing option for large organizations as well and in many cases is preferred. There is no one size fits all approach in software, so it s illogical to assume that the SaaS model is perfect for everyone. Whether you decide to leverage a SaaS or on-premise PPM model depends on a large number of factors. This buyer s guide will provide a high-level comparative analysis of SaaS vs. on-premise PPM. Whereas many PPM vendors do not invest in offering both a SaaS and on-premise solution to their customers, EPM Live believes in meeting the needs of every user regardless of size, budget or maturity. EPM Live gives customers the power to choose the deployment option that works best for them. SaaS Benefits Faster time to market. SaaS solutions leverage a ready-made platform which has already been provisioned, implemented and tested by your solution provider. Organizations are able to get started quickly and even prove out the PPM concept early without the need for a large investment up front and in many cases without the need for executive buy in. SaaS also simplifies provisioning and reduces deployment complexities. In most cases moving the financial aspect from capital expenditure to operational expenditure also speeds up the approval process. A faster time-to-market implies quicker return on investment (ROI). Low entry costs. SaaS is a no-frills model; therefore, it offers a much lower entry cost as compared to an on-premise solution. In fact, in many cases, SaaS solutions are a fraction of the cost required to procure, deploy and manage as an on-premise solution. You pay for what you use and for nothing else. Costs are reduced simply by eliminating the need to meet hefty infrastructure requirements as well as purchasing software licenses. Most SaaS solutions have an out-of-box configuration that is ready to use also giving organizations the time to evaluate the system prior to spending additional money on customizations and services. In addition, cost can be reduced overtime due to lower upgrade costs for SaaS models. EPM Live Buyer s Guide 5

Scalable foundation. Most SaaS vendors offer flexible subscription pricing models based on user roles and functionality. As your enterprise grows, the SaaS solution can be scaled up accordingly and just in case your enterprise shrinks, the SaaS solution can be scaled down accordingly. And the best part is that you are never stuck with oversized infrastructure and unused resources. SaaS offers a dynamic approach to managing computing infrastructure and resources. Organizations with low maturity can also benefit from SaaS, as the organization s maturity level increases, additional features can be leveraged. Because the operational requirements of supporting and maintaining both the infrastructure and software are offloaded to the service provider, the IT department can now focus on other critical tasks. Lower risks. Your SaaS vendor takes care of infrastructural risks and ensures high-availability for your organization s needs. Implementations are faster and involve fewer risks as they are handled by third party experts. Because most SaaS solutions have an out-of-box implementation, you can ensure that PPM best practices have been considered in the functionality design. Because SaaS solutions are structured by user, you can add and decrease licenses as you go vs. purchasing software up front, eliminating the risk of excessive license purchases. Increased security. SaaS solutions are extremely secure. Security is one of the top concerns for any SaaS solution provider and they have a reliable and secure infrastructure in place for varied customer needs. For an on-premise solution to match the security of a SaaS solution, it requires a major investment. In addition, most SaaS vendors offer automated backup services to ensure your data is always safe. Reduced resource requirements. Because the operational requirements of supporting and maintaining both the infrastructure and software are offloaded to the service provider, the IT department can now focus on other critical tasks. Resource workload is not affected and the team managing the system and its structure are both trained and qualified to take over all system maintenance and support. Support as a service. Software as a service is just that, a service. Along with access to the software, you are typically entitled to some form of support within the price of the monthly fee. If users are easily supported, you can expect adoption to increase. As with any solution model there are always disadvantages to consider. With SaaS models, internet stability is required for tool usage and performance. Resistance to change or fear of the unknown (leveraging new up and coming applications) may also play a role in SaaS adoption. Internal security requirements may prevent SaaS usage and/or complex design requirements may force organizations to choose an on-premise solution. Make sure your organization is considering all the pros and cons when making a deployment decision. EPM Live Buyer s Guide 6

Candidates for SaaS Organizations with little to no IT support Organizations with small license requirements Organizations looking for new wave and innovative PPM functionality delivered as a service to support immediate PPM requirements Organizations with minimal customization requirements needed upfront Organizations looking for minimal commitment upfront in order to prove out PPM concept Organizations looking for a rapid deployment of 30 days or less Organizations with low maturity looking for basic functionality that will scale with maturity progression Organizations with limited budgets SaaS financial considerations Is your organization looking for a rapid deployment of 30 days or less? Are you working with with limited budgets? If so, SaaS might be right for you. In order to accurately estimate the costs associated with SaaS PPM, ensure all of the considerations below have been reviewed: 1. Subscription cost How many licenses will you need for executives, team members, etc.? 2. Set up cost SaaS PPM allows end-user customization in order to align the system with your specific business needs; however, it is typically usable right out of the box. If your organization has complex business processes that need to be automated, you may want to consider set up configuration support service costs. 3. Implementation services (training per role) Some PPM SaaS solutions (including EPM Live) offer multiple training programs for end users, managers and admins. These training programs come in various formats including online courses, how to videos, forums, user guides and instructor led courses. Many of these services are offered at no cost to the user and others are put in place to ensure your organization is getting the proper training you need for maximized user adoption. 4. Consulting services Consulting services are optional for SaaS. If your organization is looking for best practice guidance or maturity assessments for example, you may want to bring in the experts. 5. Technical services Some technical services are included in SaaS licensing; however, additional services are always available to clients. For example, email and phone technical support may be provided while one-on-one support and ticket priority may come with an additional fee. Follow on training and technical support for future configuration or development would also be considered when determining technical service fees. EPM Live Buyer s Guide 7

On-premise Benefits Total control. Contrary to a SaaS model, an on-premise solution offers you total control over your application. In many cases, customization of your PPM solution may be limited when residing in a shared online environment. In an on-premise model you have total control over your infrastructure, hardware, software and maintenance. Extensive customizations may not be possible in a SaaS environment. Secure data. All your sensitive data is stored internally and there s no need of exposing it to a third-party vendor. For many organizations, security requirements are complex and restricted to an on-premise solution. Firewall policies may also affect the ability for users to communicate with an online environment. EPM Live is built on SharePoint; therefore, organizations can use the tools familiar to their users and already procured to deploy PPM. Long-term ROI. In many cases, the initial investment for an on-premise PPM solution may be considered quite high; however, these solutions pay off over time. Although most software will require a maintenance fee to support future upgrades, the software is owned and therefore does not require additional reoccurring software license fees. Investment protection. Depending on the software, you may be able to protect current IT investments by leveraging the systems you already own to deploy additional solutions. For example, EPM Live is built on SharePoint; therefore, organizations can use the tools familiar to their users and already procured to deploy PPM. There is no need to purchase additional infrastructure or a stand-alone system that will require additional hardware and expertise. Integration flexibility. Because the software is owned, integrations may be much easier to achieve. Access to both integration systems will make the connection easier and will give you total control over the data points. In some cases, SaaS solutions may prevent integration with defined tools due to security and future support requirements. As mentioned with SaaS, there are always disadvantages with every solution model. For on-premise, the flexibility for endless customization is a benefit but it can also become a disadvantage. Depending on what changes you make to your application, how often and which versions you are on, your software could eventually become unsupported by the vendor. Some vendors even stop supporting their own software after versions become extremely outdated. EPM Live Buyer s Guide 8

Candidates for On-premise Organizations that have already made a substantial investment in infrastructure, hardware or software Large organizations that have a large user base and therefore require a high number of licenses Organizations that have invested in IT support and expertise Organizations with strict security policies and firewall or internet limitations Organizations that want full control over internal data due to compliance or regulatory standards Organizations requiring a highly customized solution Organizations with flexible budgets that can make large budgetary commitments up front for a longer term ROI On-premise financial considerations In order to accurately estimate the costs associated with on-premise PPM, ensure all of the considerations below have been reviewed: 1. License cost How many licenses will you need and for which roles? 2. Annual maintenance This will cover all future upgrades and system maintenance. Has your organization already made a substantial investment in infrastructure, hardware or software? Have you invested in IT support and expertise? If so, an on-premise solution might be right for you. 3. Annual license growth How many new licenses/users do you anticipate adding every year? 4. Server cost The cost of servers required to install software. Make sure you consider upgrades every few years. 5. Database cost Cost associated with installing a relational database needed to run your software. Make sure you consider upgrades here as well. 6. Other infrastructure cost Other costs that may be required to run internal software such as additional disaster recovery or development environments. 7. Support cost The cost associated with supporting your software should your users have issues, questions or guidance. 8. Set up costs Most PPM products require set up support costs to get the system up and running to defined requirements. 9. Training Training costs should be considered regardless of the implementation model and is crucial to the system s success and adoption. 10. On site expertise If you do not have a software expert on staff, you may want to consider hiring one depending on the number of users that will need to be supported. 11. Consulting services Consulting services are optional. If your organization is looking for best practice guidance or maturity assessments for example, you may want to bring in the experts. EPM Live Buyer s Guide 9

About EPM Live EPM Live is the leading work management platform that revolutionizes the way organizations manage projects and work. EPM Live s platform is the first build to order platform that extends project portfolio management (PPM) to all areas of the business regardless of work focus. Small to large organizations can apply cost saving disciplines such as delivering projects successfully, optimizing resource utilization, and selecting the right work to all business teams including new product development, IT, services, operations, sales and project management. Chosen by thousands of companies in over 30 countries, EPM Live stands out above the rest. Bringing Work Together. In Gartner s latest research for the Magic Quadrant and the PPM Marketscope, Gartner noted that today s PPM platforms must accommodate integrations with other platforms such as NPD (New Product Development), Service Management and ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) in order to have a competitive advantage. EPM Live is the only PPM platform that not only integrates with these systems but offers all these solutions in one offering. EPM Live is designed to manage all work in the truest sense. Organizations can now manage their projects, their products and their services as well as all other work in one platform without the need for integration. Because all of this work is managed differently, EPM Live has solution apps that allow each department/team the right tools they need to manage any type of work. Organizations can now manage their projects, their products and their services as well as all other work in one platform without the need for integration. For the People. EPM Live specializes in allowing only the functionality required to meet each user s need and maturity level. Marketing can leverage the simple scheduling tools to run marketing campaigns while product teams may use more mature agile tools to plan their iterations and releases and IT PMOs may need full blown scheduling engines to build out their plans. Regardless of the maturity, the tools are offered in EPM Live. In addition some teams may simply assign tasks to resources while other teams may need to forecast the resources, match skill sets, perform resource modeling scenarios and then assign a resource that meets the requirements. Each EPM Live capability has various usage scenarios to ensure every user is only using the functionality needed to match their maturity/skill set. EPM Live Buyer s Guide 10

With Flexibility in Mind. EPM Live is the only PPM application that offers a full work management app marketplace within the solution to ensure the users always have what they need to scale their PPM system. The free apps range from full solutions (NPD, ALM, ITSM, PPM) to process definitions (PMBOK, Agile, Prince2), to 3rd party partner apps (Yammer, HelpDesk, K2) all the way to single app plug ins such as expense reports, invoices, help desk tickets, etc. An iphone is a powerful device; however, it is much more powerful due to the endless apps that extend its base functionality. The same goes for EPM Live, the PPM features we offer are award winning and rank among the best on the market. But our apps, in addition to our base PPM, are revolutionary and will change the way organizations use PPM today....our apps, in addition to our base PPM, are revolutionary and will change the way organizations use PPM today. We Are Your Partner in Success. PPM systems are typically not simple and many times resistance follows due to forced processes, change and fear of the unfamiliar. EPM Live s SharePoint base already contributes to less resistance and faster user adoption; however, we offer users many support formats to ensure users have what they need to continue to increase productivity with EPM Live. EPM Live has the following support tools offered to every user: Live chat User forums Access to knowledge base (KB) Online training EPM Live University How to videos FAQs Technical blogs Phone support Email support The Choice is Yours. Many PPM systems specialize in either online or on-premise solutions. EPM Live offers all deployment methods to support the requirements of every customer. EPM Live offers online, hosted and on-premise options as well as a dedicated environment offering. Large enterprise accounts will often run their POC online to get up and running fast and prove value quickly and then move it in-house later. Deployment option will never be a limitation. EPM Live Buyer s Guide 11

EPM Live Features Portfolio Management Selecting the RIGHT work. Ensure you are executing the right work to make your business successful. Find the right balance of keep the lights on activities and strategic opportunities to bring the most value to your organization. The right insight can make project and work selection easy! Project Management Executing work effectively. Leverage multiple scheduling tools to plan out your tasks for on time delivery. Keep project teams in the know by centralizing information for real time updates and statusing. Bringing your teams together will help you get more work done! Cost Management Track all costs associated to work. Plan, budget, forecast and track all costs associated to your projects and work. Visibility into cost will prevent overspending and could help you achieve more with less. Know what you are spending, when, and where for maximum profitability. Resource Management Assign resources to all work. Employees are the most valuable asset and the biggest expense for most organizations. The ability to deploy employees effectively against conflicting projects and other work priorities enables organizations to maximize their return on resource investments. Understand which projects and types of work are consuming your most valuable resources and effectively realign your staffing plan based on changing priorities and budgets. EPM Live Buyer s Guide 12

Work Management Plan, track and manage all work in your organization. The ability to manage project tasks alone is no longer enough. In order to get a true picture of project performance, all work that affects the bottom line must be considered. The need to maintain disparate systems to manage various types of work such as applications, products, projects and services, is no longer required. Work management brings all projects and all work together for true reporting and maximum efficiency. Social Collaboration Improve communication through mainstream collaboration. Share knowledge and better collaborate with your work teams to increase productivity and efficiency through various modes of communication. Connect to Microsoft Outlook and other business productivity applications to streamline conversations and drive efficiencies. Timesheets Track time against any work in the system. Capturing time spent on project and work items is critical for making informed business decisions. Capture time and track progress on project and non-project work so project managers can gauge the overall effect actual time has on their work initiatives. Reporting and Business Intelligence Streamline reporting for real-time insight. Leverage over 30 pre-configured reports and dashboards to gain insight into real-time work status. View project charts and graphs for visual presentation of project performance. Use familiar tools like Excel and Access to export data to create simple customized project reports. EPM Live Buyer s Guide 13

Workflow and Governance Automate processes and easily implement standards. Every business is filled with numerous processes whether it s project initiation, risk management, resource staffing requests/assignment, or processing a supplier request. It can be inefficient for resources to remember the exact process, track progress, and manually move items along. Enable project workflow definition, standardization, communication, and enforcement of business processes across the organization. Integration Integrate easily with any line of business system. Users familiar with Microsoft applications can leverage what they already know to collaborate on their work. Out of the box integrations with Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Access and Project give project teams flexibility in how they work with project data. Leverage Microsoft s Business Connectivity Services (BCS) for read/ write access to external data from other line-ofbusiness (LOB) systems. App Marketplace Pre-built apps to manage any type of work. Download powerful, easy-to-use, predefined apps that optimize EPM Live and accelerate the implementation process. Bring all work together into one solution to give your teams the tools they need to manage projects, products, services and much more! EPM Live Apps are built with leading industry and business best practices combined to enable rapid adoption and standardization of all types of work. EPM Live Buyer s Guide 14

What to Expect with an EPM Live Deployment Purchasing the software is only the beginning of your EPM Live partnership. EPM Live is here to guide you through your entire implementation whether it be a small online deployment or a large enterprise initiative. Our customer relationships are our #1 priority and our wide range of service offerings have been designed to ensure your success. Let s take a closer look as to what you can expect with an EPM Live deployment. Remember, these offerings are designed to meet the need of every customer regardless of size or budget. EPM Live consultants bring best practices from thousands of successful implementations. The EPM Live consulting teams are composed of experts with proven track records, first-hand knowledge, and passion to ensure your success. Our team of certified professionals has direct access to EPM Live s product and development teams and act as your voice, the voice of the customer. Quickstart Implementation: Need to be up and running quickly but need a little guidance getting there? EPM Live will provide a short, easy-to-use, build to order (BTO) questionnaire for your completion. The build to order questionnaire (BTO) is the most cost-effective approach to quickly enable a configured, customized environment. The BTO approach created by EPM Live is an award-winning innovative approach utilizing industry best practices to accelerate configuration and leverage key system capabilities to design the solution that fits the specific needs of your organization. The purpose of the Build to Order questionnaire is to effectively understand how your organization s EPM Live system should be configured by way of commonly used features and capabilities in conjunction with business specific processes, structure, and maturity. Customer Success Program: EPM Live s customer success team is dedicated to helping you succeed. The EPM Live customer success team understands your team needs to get your questions answered and problems solved in the way that works best for you. From web support to easy access to experts, your success team will guide you through your implementation. We are dedicated to your successful deployment so you fully benefit from your EPM Live solution. Every EPM Live deployment includes a standard success program to receive online support and getting-started training. The standard success program offers technical support during business hours with a defined response time. You also get anytime access to our standard online support community where you can find getting started training courses, how to videos, a support forum, product documentation and knowledge base articles. Because EPM Live relies on the voice of our customers, you will also be able to contribute to the forum, answer peer questions and submit new ideas. EPM Live Buyer s Guide 15

Premier Customer Success Program: Our most successful customers take full advantage of the most comprehensive service offerings included in our premier success program. The right combination of success resources, support and training will deliver a high ROI, strong user adoption and consistent alignment with your business objectives. The premier success program easily pays for itself through higher user adoption and increased business productivity. Support. When you need help, EPM Live s premier success program gives you fast access to our most skilled technical resources. Get 24/7 support with rapid response times to help resolve your issues quickly. Whether you have how-to questions or technical issues, we give you fast, expert answers. 24/7 Toll-free phone Forum Email Support Knowledge Base Priority Access Unlimited support incidents Training. EPM Live s premier success program makes it easy to train everyone on EPM Live through our EPM Live University online Learning Management System (LMS). EPM Live University is where you and your team can easily access all courses from our extensive course catalog for EPM Live. At EPM Live University, you ll be able to access all of our user guides, register for any upcoming webinars, and even watch videos on demand! Our live Q&A sessions offer a forum for customers to interact directly with our EPM Live experts! EPM Live s online elearning courses are designed to help you and your team, from anywhere in the world. Easily gain the knowledge needed to effectively use the solution immediately. Our elearning courses are informational webinars designed to help you quickly learn specific areas through product demonstration and Q&A. Since our elearning courses are offered every week, you have the flexibility to learn at your own pace and schedule. The premier success program includes sample training plans and role-based learning paths to guide you. Consulting Services: EPM Live also has a team of consultants ready to help you with any of your PPM consulting needs whether it be best practices, PMO development, process alignment or business strategy. EPM Live is a one-stop shop for PPM and work management. If you have any additional questions regarding EPM Live, what solution is best for you, or the services we offer, please contact us at info@epmlive.com or go online to access a free trial. We look forward to hearing from you! EPM Live Buyer s Guide 16