Dac Systems has implemented the McMethod.net project and portfolio automation solution, developed in conjunction with McManus Consulting, at a South African public sector investment entity to assist it in the establishment of a project management function.

The entity required a solution that would help IT, evolve its technology to be more innovative and deliver additional business value to the organisation. But with no project management office in place, the new system needed to provide a platform for it to deliver on projects and get its employees involved in this business-critical function.

“For the client, IT needed to be more than just a cost centre and had to deliver a support function. In essence, it had to become a strategic asset. Project management therefore had a big role to play in this. Following an extensive tender process, Dac Systems was selected because the McMethod.net solution was not only price sensitive but also promised the level of innovation required. Furthermore, it is built on top of the Microsoft Project Server and Nintex Workflow products,” says Aldo van Tonder, chief marketing officer at Dac Systems.

McMethod.net provides a turn-key project management methodology management solution and easy to follow best practices. In addition, it provided the client with the ability to define its own processes with project managers having a clear understanding of what each element or action requires.

“DAC had to work under very tight deadlines with the project managers keen to get started. The team provided us with a very configurable solution that enabled us to reduce our infrastructure footprint significantly while the implementation was going on,” says a senior spokesperson for the organisation.

As McMethod.net fulfilled such an integral role for the client, it was vital to ensure employees were trained and had the comfort levels necessary with the new system.

“DAC provided us with the assistance we needed to get everything up and running as quickly and efficiently as possible. Whenever we had a challenge, Dac Systems helped us to assess the problem and helped us move forward on the implementation,” says the spokesperson.

Following the implementation, the client could for the first time ever see where there are resource deficits in its projects and allocate the necessary staff to them as one example of the features being used. The return on investment has been significant.

“With McMethod.net, we have been able to achieve amazing returns. By helping us manage our budgets more carefully and prioritise resources and projects, we saved in excess of R2-million within six months of completing the project which pays for the implementation several times over,” adds the spokesperson.

For van Tonder, the relationship with the client has been one of the cornerstones behind the success.

“They have been really impressed with the capabilities of our team and the features of McMethod.net. Such has been the success of the project that the client has already indicated that they want to continue their relationship with us on a number of additional potential projects,” he concludes.