The Challenge

Prior to the Inland Rail project, ARTC faced several limitations and challenges with its existing project management tools, including problematic workarounds. These challenges included:

• A lack of key policies, plans and procedures in pre-planning
• A heavy reliance on paper-based approvals
• Non-standardized records management procedures
• A lack of systems, policies and procedures to meet audit requirements
• Transitioning from emergent maturity level
• Key data managed in multiple places and not in a centralized system

All of these challenges led to inefficiencies and potential risks for ARTC moving forward. So, in 2017, the company identified an opportunity to implement a robust project management tool for cost management collaboration with its contractors that could integrate with its existing systems.

The Solution

As ARTC began its search for an integrated project management solution, it had several goals in mind including a product that could:

• Control and synchronize master data
• House program budgets, actual costs and forecasts
• Provide web-based access for updating data, producing reports and triggering core processes
• Provide selective web-based access to external contractors
• Provide web-based functionality to log issues for assessment by project controls
• Generate payment certificates and substantiation reports
• Extract data to a central data warehouse for strategic and analytical dashboards

Following a competitive tender process, ARTC chose Contruent to implement a comprehensive project management software suite, which included cost, change, procurement and contracts capabilities. Leveraging Contruent’s integration functionality with ERP and scheduling tools, ARTC could connect to SharePoint, FlowForma, Power BI, and Active Directory. This facilitated an integrated ICT solution, enhancing financial management in decision-making for the company.

The implementation involved collaboration, innovation and a long-term vision, resulting in streamlined processes, reduced manual tasks, and the development of the Contruent core product offering. The partnership sparked further innovations, including a web portal for remote project data updates and a secure Contractor Portal for external contractors.

The Results

Following the implementation of Contruent Enterprise, ARTC has experienced significant improvements in its project management processes. Manual tasks, such as form filling, data transfers and Excel file management, have been drastically reduced. Neil Burlison, Director of Finance at ARTC, notes, “The consolidation of project data in one place has led to enhanced reporting and performance measurement, yielding improved forecasting and change management activities.”

Contruent Enterprise has streamlined month-end processes, reduced time and enhanced data integrity in reporting. The tool facilitates better team engagement by allowing controlled, direct updates to the system, eliminating the need for data transfer. Data integrity is ensured through a meticulous data migration process, leading to consistent and reliable information. The system’s single reporting source and data warehouse enable controlled, consistent reporting, while enhanced visibility of project and program spend is achieved through aligned workflows and a comprehensive coding structure.