Introduction
Documents. Documents everywhere. You’ve got them. Your manager’s have got them. The people you’ve tasked to help with your improvement project have got them. You share your documents with others on your team. They make changes and send them back to you. But, they sent you changes on an older version and not the document you sent them. You now have to update these changes on your own.
Does this sound familiar? Document management is no easy task yet it is imperative that your documents can be found, recalled, viewed and updated as needed – a task made much harder if your crucial documents are spread out over your entire company.
Overview
Enter the Document Management System (DMS). A PPM user can either research and download a DMS, and integrate it with their current system (which can be very time consuming) or a user can utilize a cloud-based DMS that works synergistically with their PPM software – no installation required.
“COMPASS is easy to use with many available tools and tutorials. A project management tool like COMPASS allows more transparency of projects through all levels of leadership within an organization.”
Jeanette C.
Your Solutions-Driven Management
PPM and DMS, an advantageous partnership
The COMPASS PPM software works synergistically with Microsofts Sharepoint DMS to provide you with not only industry-leading project portfolio management tools but precision management of all your project documents. Sharepoints version control system means no more updating outdated documents. All documents can be checked in or out to allow only one individual at a time to change the file. You can create a workflow for your document to complement your PPM project workflows. With a DMS software, you now have complete control over your documents.
Through the COMPASS QMS System the Sharepoint integration would look something like this.
Workflow
- When an end user launches a Project, they simultaneously open a new SharePoint File (two clicks total). The File will automatically contain all the necessary COMPASS-based tools to support improvement work. Clients can customize the contents of every Project File as a combination of COMPASS files and files they may themselves deem important to the work.
- The end user can set up additional permissions in SharePoint to allow access to the Project File by various stakeholders
- As Project work is undertaken by the Project Leader, documentation is created in COMPASS and any tools needed to support project work will be accessed within SharePoint. There will be no downloading or uploading of files.
- If a tool outside COMPASS is utilized (ie Minitab) the user can simply drag and drop these tools directly into the Sharepoint Project File.
- When executives wish to see progress on Projects, they will sign into COMPASS, select the project and be taken to either a single page or 5-page report. If they wish to see the completed tools from that project, a single click from within COMPASS will automatically take them to the SharePoint site where completed tools are located. A date stamp will reveal the most recent date the tools were last used.
- COMPASS includes an email feature to advise managers of updates to projects. One click by the end-user sends a pre-defined list of stakeholders a notice of a project update. One click from that notice will take the manager to the Project Summary, a second click takes them to all completed tools. No other PPM offers a comparable feature.
Additional Features of the COMPASS – SharePoint integration
- Single Sign-On – no need to sign into SharePoint separately
- Skype for chat and video – integrated with SharePoint
- Project Calendar for each Project File
- Meeting Minutes Template for each Project
- Team Discussion Whiteboard for each Project
- Recycle Bin (for purposes of eliminating tools that are not used)
Summary
The implementation of a Document Management Software in conjunction with your ppm software, will help ease the time burden of documentation as well as keep accurate track of those processes. The PPM software will help keep overall track of the improvement project and allow managers to determine what ideas to implement into standard work in order to improve their efficiency overall. PPM and DMS work synergistically to aid management and employees complete their improvement projects.