Easy project upgrade: achieve more efficient operations at eNET

Struggles before switching to Easy Project

Screening of all functions of the old system, removal of redundant functions, making important functions more usable, difficulties of the cloud solution, and the problem of the reporting function database. At eNET Hungary Ltd., the journey towards finding an efficient project management tool began in 2017, driven by the need for adaptable solutions to facilitate resource-efficient work. 

After thorough market research and considering cost-effectiveness, Easy Project emerged as the chosen software, despite initial challenges during its introduction as an internal project. The primary objectives were to estimate and track project costs and resources, provide up-to-date information, especially time reporting, and support sales activities.

In 2023, eNET decided to transition to a cloud-based environment, prompting an evaluation of alternative software options. Despite strong competition from Wrike.com, Easy Project emerged as the preferred choice due to its comprehensive features, including time tracking and CRM modules crucial for daily operations. By November 2023, eNET concluded that upgrading to Easy Project was essential for their continued success.

Why Easy Project

For eNET, robust reporting capabilities were vital. While accessing custom reports was straightforward with the previous on-premise solution, transitioning to the cloud posed challenges. Easy Project addressed this by creating a private cloud environment for eNET, ensuring continued access to the database for custom reporting needs. However, cloud operations introduced a new challenge: data deletion cannot be undone as in server operations. Consequently, employees at eNET Hungary had to exercise caution to prevent data loss.

The assignment

For eNET, the reporting function was a crucial aspect. The company could only query custom reports if colleagues with expertise in the BI field had access to the database internally. This was easily achievable with the previous on-premise licensed solution, but it posed a significant challenge in the new cloud version. The issue was resolved by the Easy Project team creating a private cloud environment for eNET, allowing the company to access the database and address custom reporting.

Expectations to meet: Time reporting and CRM module, monitoring the allocation of resources to projects, easy-to-use system and clear functionality, customizability, flexibility, the possibility of creating roles, capacity planning, project dashboards, monitoring project costs, WBS overviews. 

Time to implement

Preparation

In December 2023, eNET Hungary initiated preparations for implementing Easy Project Upgrade after six years of software usage. With a wealth of stored data, decisions were made regarding its transfer to the new system, considering elements from closed projects, old customer data, and historical time reports. 

The preparatory team meticulously reviewed existing functions and modules, gathering change requests from project managers and the sales team. Focused on employee needs, they aimed to streamline the system by eliminating unnecessary functions while retaining essential operational elements. This involved a comprehensive examination, cleanup, and continuous coordination, recognizing the significant resource demands of such a transition.

Training    

In February 2024, eNET conducted training and presentation sessions for the new Easy Project system. Since every employee in the company is an Easy Project user, everyone could already use the system before the presentation. During the presentation, the speakers primarily emphasized explaining the changes and drawing attention to the useful modules of the new interface. Due to the exploration of potential shortcomings, several questions were raised during the training that employees had to answer, bringing other needs to the surface. 

The professional preparatory team examined these emerging unique requirements in the days following the presentation, and decisions were made regarding their retention or exclusion. Consideration was given to how critical the demand was from a workflow perspective or how easily it could be substituted, and how much it facilitated or complicated the daily work.

Testing

The Easy Project support team provided a test interface for the company to manage the preparations before the introduction as efficiently as possible. The test interface showcased the company's new system with data from before November 2023. This allowed them to review the interfaces and modules for different roles, and, in addition, multiple employees simultaneously tested the new system, examining the proper functioning of features relevant to their work. With the assistance of project managers, interns, and key account managers, the team could more easily address individual needs. During the testing period, bug reports were collected and resolved with the help of the Easy Project support team.

Evaluation

Objectives and Benefits

For the organization, one of the ultimate goals was to improve time efficiency. Dual administration has been consuming a significant amount of energy and time from employees for years. With the introduction of the new Easy Project system, this burden has been lifted from the shoulders of the company's professionals and employees. Additionally, the old system had many errors and deficiencies that neither the project managers nor the eNET Easy Project administrator could address. These issues have been addressed, and the system now supports the eNET team with a new, transparent, and user-friendly interface. During the introduction of the new software, the company had to reconsider the comprehensive use of project management tools, including their useful and less useful features. 

This process to some extent shed light on the operations, leading to the cleansing of six years' worth of company data. A major advantage of the new solution is its support for cloud operations, eliminating the need for the company to bear the costs of a server park infrastructure. The cloud version is accessible from employees' homes, even via mobile phones through a mobile application. This allows for the modification of recorded working hours from anywhere in unexpected situations, and the company's interns can also track the hours approved or to be approved by project managers from home.

The ability to integrate the new Easy Project with the company's SharePoint system is a tremendous advantage for the company. Apart from eliminating dual administration, successfully avoiding dual document storage was another achievement with the introduction of the new system. The introduction of a new project management tool in a company is always a lengthy and challenging process. However, as seen in the case of the Easy Project Upgrade, the invested time and energy paid off. In addition to time and cost savings, the new Easy Project system now aligns much closer to the needs of professionals and employees. It proves to be much more useful in planning and managing projects, thereby increasing the efficiency of project teams and ensuring the proper achievement of goals. The system was customized with the assistance of the Easy Project support team, aligning with the specific needs influencing eNET's operations, as defined by the company's employees, and deemed relevant by the professional preparation team after verification.

How about some results?

The implementation of Easy Project brought:

• One tool for managing tasks of every department
• An easy-to-use interface
• Support (assistance in Hungarian)