DMC’s client needed an availability management system to track which projects each of their engineers work on and to identify engineers who have upcoming availability to work on new projects.  The client wanted the ability to view both a project manager’s required resources and the employee’s anticipated time allocation to project work. 

A key component of this solution is the integration of data from their Deltek ERP system. Anytime a new project site is created in SharePoint Online, an availability dashboard is generated. The project manager can indicate the amount of effort that needs to be spent on the project over a specified time period.  The project manager can also indicate if the dates are flexible or not. Integration between Office 365’s SharePoint Online Platform and the Deltek ERP system is accomplished through the use of Azure Web Services.

The Financial Overview dashboard provides information on the current financial status of a project broken down into different categories. For each category, the project manager and team members can see the project's budget, as well as the amount of effort put into the Job to Date (JTD) and the estimated Cost at Completion (EAC) based on the tasks assigned.

The Project Allocation web part allows project managers to view resource scheduling for a single project, including all employees assigned to the project, who project phases are assigned to, and how many hours will be spent working on that phase in each upcoming week.

Using the Project Scheduling dashboard, engineers can view all of the projects assigned to them. If an engineer modifies their project assignments, other engineers working on the project are automatically notified. 

Lastly, the Availability web part allows managers to easily find employees who are available for project work during certain weeks. The list can be filtered by project timeline, position, office, category, and competency.

Other benefits of the employee availability system include the automatic generation of a vacation list to keep colleagues aware of who is scheduled to be out of the office. An integrated competency matrix of experience and skills allows management to instantly determine whether or not an available engineer will be suitable for an upcoming project.

The result is an availability system that avoids the dilemma of employees managing up or managers managing down. Project priority and resource distribution is viewed from both directions so that all employees are on the same page with regard to how much time individuals are expected to work on a project.

Learn more about DMC's SharePoint and project management system expertise.