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Provide aggregate, customizable reports of Track-IT Help Desk and Redmine Projects issues on portal islands to enhance upper management’s ability to prioritize projects and allocate resources. Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union. Strategic Resource Allocation Application.
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Provide aggregate, customizable reports of Track-IT Help Desk and Redmine Projects issues on portal islands to enhance upper management’s ability to prioritize projects and allocate resources. Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union Strategic Resource Allocation Application Best Tie-in with a 3rd party application Passageways POWWOW 2008 Presenter: Aaron CopelandMay 2008
PEFCU Background • Purdue Employees Federal Credit Union • West Lafayette, IN (Purdue University) • 60,000 in total membership • >400M in assets • Approximately 170 staff members • 8 Local Branches (400 total locations) • Goal • Your financial partner for life
The Problem • Poor strategy for allocating resources • Long, unproductive mgmt team meetings • Poor communication • No clear project priorities • No central location for information • Why isn’t MY project being worked on? • Scarce IT resources • Key personnel turnover • No prioritization standard for IT staff • What should I be working on?
Results • Missed deadlines and unfinished projects • Poor IT production • Confusion and dissatisfaction in upper mgmt • Unnecessary corporate friction
Goals for Strategic Resource Allocation • Inclusive and clear strategy for resource allocation • Categorization and prioritization standard for projects • Communicate project level detail in aggregate form • Central location to view: • Project Priorities • Project Issues and Due Dates • Open Help Desk calls • Increase communication, reduce friction
Strategic Alignment Consistent project definitions allow easy comprehension and provide uniform terminology when discussing resource allocation. How will the definitions be enforced?
Redmine Projects Customization • Enforce Project Definitions and Data Integrity Custom drop-downs enforce data integrity and reinforce terminology Ajax allows drag-and-drop prioritization
Decision Path • Identify the need for reporting • Management team needs to make an informed decision • What is on the table? • Aggregate data • Merge different kinds of databases into similar objects • One line per issue • Portal solution • .NET Framework power • Portal availability and security
Development • Began as 2 reports and a top 11 Project priority list • ~40 hours of development • 30 hours Developer, 10 hours DBA • Acceptance was very high and immediate! • Other reports were requested: • Audits • All Due Projects and Help Desk • Dynamic top 11 Project priority list • “My Assignments” portal island based on portal ID • Additional 40 hours of development for the new reports
Features • Original 2 reports and Top 11 list • Brought online and into meetings in < 4 weeks Portal Island with action buttons to create up-to-the-second reports.By Assigned – Alphabetical list of employees and their assigned project issues and Help Desk callsBy Date – Project issue list based on priority and due dateHyperlink exports to a rich text document for printing!
Features Top 11 version 1 (right) Top 11 version 2 (below with expandable project issue lists!)
Increased Functionality • More, more, more! • New reports, enhanced graphics, user controls Portal User ID
Turn Obstacles into Opportunities • Make data from multiple data sources with different organization appear seamless • Provide centralized, readily available, accurate, and up to date information • Incorporate new strategic plan and enforce data integrity by customizing the Redmine Project application • Persuade management team to “buy in”
Measurable Outcomes • Help Desk call queue in steady decline, from 50+ to 29 in 3 months and still falling with no additional staff!!! • Strategic Resource Allocation management meetings changed from 2 to 3 hour marathons to <30 minute productive sessions. • IT is already meeting its three major goals for the year due to the new prioritization standard.
Intangible Outcomes • Better communication and less confusion • Project priorities are public and decided by a committee representing all business units • More realistic deadlines • Increased IT productivity • Some projects are finished, not every project half done • Less project hopping • Less stressful work environment • Everyone is on the same page
Quality • Documented and tested reporting framework • Can support SQL, MYSQL, and Oracle databases in the same application • Reports are fully HTML compatible • Allows for “rich” reports and an interactive online experience, i.e. colors, tree-views, mouse-over, etc. • Reports are instant and up-to-the-second • Management team responded quickly and positively. It is now in practice. • Training is negligible. It’s so easy…
Strategic Resource Allocation Conclusion • Redmine Project integration with the Passageways Portal is a fundamental piece to the success of PEFCU projects • Business priorities and practices are enforced through the Passageways Portal • Aggregate information at your fingertips • Combining Track-IT Help Desk issues with Redmine Projects Issues • No more sifting through external websites or databases • Converts easily to paper, color too! • Access to reports based on portal roles • No more confusion with “My Assignments” island • My project issues are ordered by priority and due date