This project, portfolio and workflow management solution was developed by McManus Consulting and Dac Systems using leading technologies from Microsoft and Nintex.

Why are we so confident about the value in McMethod.net?

Join us on a technology voyage of discovery as we reveal the force behind this solution and why it speaks to genuine agility in business. McMethod.net is THE way to reinforce projects, processes and operations!

Date:                27 August 2013

Venue:              Microsoft Technology Centre, 3012 William   Nicol Drive, Bryanston

Time:                2pm for 2.30pm – 5pm

RSVP:              Contact Colleen Harris at colleenh@dac.co.za to book your seat

To achieve maximum control over key business processes, including innovation management and methodology management, it is critical to have the right solution in place and the right experienced partner positioned to offer support and guidance.

This is the view of experts behind McMethod.net, a project, portfolio and workflow management solution developed by project management consultancy McManus Consulting in collaboration with technology expert firm, Dac Systems.

The company, in association with its partners, recently hosted an exclusive business technology showcase session to highlight the advantages of McMethod.net, its use of Microsoft and Nintex technologies, and what it means to businesses.

Explains Tony McManus, MD, McManus Consulting (Pty) Ltd, “This solution is designed to help decision makers transform their operations by correctly identifying and executing projects which deliver business benefit. This solution also allows clients to leverage off their existing investments in Microsoft products such as SharePoint and Project Server”.

Among the key benefits of McMethod.net are that the enterprise can define their desired processes, executives can correctly prioritise projects, project managers have a clear understanding of what process each project type requires, and the application of best practices will typically result in an improvement of project success rates.

Most notably, the solution comes with datasheets, dashboards and a pre-built methodology aligned with one of the leading international project management methods. The solution can be deployed on a client site during the course of a single week.

Once installed, the solution can be tailored to suit the requirements of any client and any number of reports, methodologies or processes can be accommodated. .

McManus emphasises the tight integration with existing systems and the ability to unleash the power of existing Microsoft investments as other important benefits.

“We continue to engage with companies that are serious about their projects, standardised processes, improved workflow and appropriate governance to enhance their ability to compete. We have been very pleased with the response to our hosted technology showcase, which feature live demonstrations and there is certainly an increasing requirement in the market for what this solution can do,” says McManus.

There are solutions that can be strategically integrated and easily applied – in line with cost-cutting principles required in business today – that help decision makers decipher the conundrum posed by advanced project, portfolio and workflow management requirements.

This is one of the key takeaways from an executive roundtable hosted recently by the creators of McMethod.net, a leading technology, based on Microsoft and Nintex products, and developed by Project Management specialist McManus Consulting in collaboration with Dac Systems

With the offer of an opportunity to experience the flexibility and quality of this solution at the Microsoft Technology Centre, the roundtable drew substantial interest from decision makers in business, eager to learn how this technology can make a difference to their companies.

In a bid to delve more deeply into the dynamics of how technology and methodology should be applied to benefit businesses, the organisers posed the question “What came first, the technology or methodology?”

In answering the question some attendees suggested that technology had to have come first because, generally, people tend to act before they think. This was further supported by the observation that methodologies tend to become more important as an organisation grows and the need for standardised approaches arises.

The roundtable discussion offered an opportunity to review technology modules and their relevance in the broader technological scene. The point was made that application of methodology has huge implications for technology, as reflected in Microsoft’s growing solution portfolio.

The corporate market continues to be defined and redefined by the pursuit of solutions that automate processes and procedures. However, these solutions are differentiated by the value they provide various industries.

For example, from a banking and finance point of view, the requirement is for service providers to supply flexible, robust and effective technology that suits the specific environment, whereas in the mining industry, well established, engineering-based practices guide the way.

Organisers and attendees concurred that technology – along with methodology – can and should be tailored to suit the needs of each business, and that no single approach suits every business.

The discussion also covered what tools a project manager needs to help ensure project success. These include clear project processes, documentation management including standardised templates, a project scheduling tool and above all, a collaborative and communicative environment.

The group was then introduced to McMethod.net and the potential benefits it offered businesses.

The primary benefit of McMethod.net is that it is built on the leading Microsoft solution stack including SharePoint® for collaboration and document management, MS Project Server® for integrated planning, MS Project for ease of adoption and Nintex® for comprehensive workflow definition.

These technology benefits translate into business benefits which include the ability to use the processes, standardised templates, workflow and governance management built into McMethod.net or to define processes specific to their business.

Other benefits include providing project participants with a clear understanding of what they need to do within each project type as well as an improvement in project success rates through the application of best practices

“How would you change your business now?” asked Tony McManus, MD, McManus Consulting (Pty) Ltd. The answer to that is “Projects!”

“Projects are all about change. If you don’t manage the effect of the change on your people, you will rarely succeed. Keys to project success include careful planning, effective communication, stakeholder participation and the tools to achieve these” he said.

“The reality is that environments and customers are different and therefore we, together with our project solutions, have to be flexible,” commented Aldo van Tonder, Solutions Executive, Dac Systems.

Industry analysts agree that Project Management will play an increasingly significant role in business in 2013 and beyond. Service providers in this space are ploughing resources into the development of solutions designed to make a difference to decision makers as they negotiate the challenge of effectively managing their project portfolios. In this competitive marketplace, differentiation and value-add are survival tools.

One service provider that seems to be getting it right is McManus Consulting, based in Johannesburg, a global provider of project management services and solutions.

Established in 1994 by Tony McManus, McManus Consulting began as a services consultancy firm and is now an established solutions business.

The value of its offering is such that the company treats ‘any organisation or individual that runs a project’ as a potential customer.

Its mission is to help clients achieve success by ensuring that projects work through effective project management methodologies and automation solutions without forgetting the human aspect.

The value in McMethod.net

The company has elevated its profile in the market with its contribution to the development and introduction of McMethod.net, a project and portfolio management workflow solution based on leading technologies developed by McManus Consulting in collaboration with Dac Systems.

Dac Systems is the company’s development partner and has been actively involved in the development of various generations of core Project Management solutions.

McMethod was first developed in the 1990’s as a supporting toolset for consultants providing project management services.

McMethod.net Enterprise is currently specific to the enterprise market, but will soon cater for a hosted or cloud option and is available on the Microsoft PPM solution stack.

It offers the user a number of advantages that Tony and his team of associates are eager to present to clients.

Among the key benefits of McMethod.net are that the enterprise can define their desired processes, that project managers have a clear understanding of what process each project type requires, and that the application of best practices will result in an improvement of project success rates.

McManus also suggests the tight integration with existing systems and the ability to unleash the power of existing Microsoft investments as other important benefits.

Turnkey power

The market is currently looking for solutions that can be easily and instantly integrated, that provide value from the get-go.

In McMethod.net, McManus Consulting believes it has a turnkey solution that adds immediate value to the Project, Portfolio or Operational Management environment.

The company’s technical acumen in the applicable products reflects an advanced, up-to-date and relevant skills base that differentiates it clearly from competitors.
To date McManus has been the project management service provider of choice to a range of high profile clients within the insurance, financial and ICT/ telecommunication sectors.

“We are very well positioned to add immediate value to clients and have a successful track record of helping clients extract maximum benefit from their project management investment,” says Tony McManus