Deploying the Next Generation of Engineering Software
Releasing increments of multiple manufacturing applications across the world using governance based on a Program Management Office.
The Client
The Client is one of the world's largest automotive manufacturers with global sales of more than 6.5 million cars and annual revenue exceeding US $170B. The company has over 245,000 employees and 100 facilities worldwide.
The Challenge
The Client was experiencing a unique set of challenges in successfully managing multiple releases (projects) of an enterprise environment consisting of the following components:
- Computer Aided Design (CAD)
- Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)
- Computer Aided Engineering (CAE)
- Product Information Management (PIM)
The releases formed one of the most complex IT Programs ever undertaken by the Client.
The Program was global in scope and involved multiple businesses, IT, and vendor organizations. The Client's IT department acted as the primary system integrator responsible for bridging the requirements and delivery demands of stakeholders, including major engineering and manufacturing teams within the Client's corporate organization and brand divisions. The Program planned to incrementally deploy process, method, architecture, and technology components during a four-year period to meet the Client's business requirements.
The primary challenge was the management of business transformation initiatives to support the Program. This included release life cycle plans as well as the design, development and deployment of program tools, processes, and technology. The following critical needs determined the right solution:
- Roles and responsibilities established
- Program milestones and deliverables identified and managed
- Major deliverables and the overall solution signed off
- Major deliverables and the overall solution signed off
- Release processes setup and in according to a global governance plan
The Pcubed Solution
Pcubed proposed that a fully outsourced and integrated program management structure be implemented. The program management structure was comprised of distributed Project Management Offices, one in each contributing organization, with an overarching Program Management Office reporting directly to the Program Manager. This solution tied together the management of Architecture, Methods, Tools, Release Management and Deployment activities.
A central data repository for all program and release information was created, which transformed reporting from ad hoc to a standard more structured approach in communicating program and release status, addressing schedule milestones and variances as well as key issues, risks, and changes.
Pcubed designed a release planning and tracking approach built on consistent program and project management principles. Microsoft Office Project was deployed to integrate schedules from all contributing organizations with release (project) schedules for management and reporting purposes. This new approach also 'rolled up' all of the individual releases for a cross-release or program view of the overall status.
The program was thereby able to ascertain where it was at in its life cycle, how it was performing, help unearth risks before they became problems, and ensure timely resolution of issues that could impact successful completion.
The Results
Pcubed helped the client establish program governance by setting up and leading the Project Management Offices and Program Management Office. The deployment of processes and tools provided consistency and visibility across all releases, which drove effective business decisions.
The solution helped the Client become far less reactionary and more proactive in managing its work and ultimately became a role model for other IT programs. A number of the solution's processes and tools were adopted as standards by the Client's IT department.