How itm8 uses WorkPoint to synergise Project Management and QMS Workflows
Driving efficiencies and gaining a competitive edge in modern business takes two things: the right mindset and the right tech. As an IT consultancy and WorkPoint Partner, itm8 is dedicated to both understanding complex business challenges and solving them through technology.
Delivering Microsoft-based IT solutions to large organisations and enterprises across multiple sectors, itm8 saw an opportunity to create synergy between project management and quality management.
In fact, by integrating a WorkPoint solution into Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, itm8 has been able to create real value for its customers through a combination of technology and collaboration. Itm8 consultant Birgitte Bjørn explains all.
The WorkPoint structure is ideal for reflecting project processes and structure in all kinds of organisations. WorkPoint makes it much easier for us to implement the right solutions for our customers.
Project-orientated and quality-driven
itm8 is a global IT consultancy with 28 branches and a strategic presence in four countries. Its consultants – teamm8s – deliver value for customers across four business-critical areas: Cloud Services, Digital Transformation, Application Services, and Cybersecurity.
At its core, itm8 implements Microsoft 365 projects at the enterprise level. Although the company implements IT projects across various sectors – from energy to retail – its customers have similar needs: a project-oriented approach and a need for robust and quality management.
In terms of delivering IT solutions to meet both these needs, WorkPoint 365 is a great fit.
Consistency and security in project management
Most of the functionalities I need to assemble a project management system are already there in WorkPoint 365.
Large organisations and enterprises handle huge volumes of documents and data. Most projects involve multiple internal and external contributors. That means information must be both accessible to those who need it, and secure enough to mitigate a data breach.
Ensuring people have just enough access to relevant information is hard to get right. For that reason, organisations can benefit from implementing a consistent folder structure, project sites with the same look and feel, and the ability to control access levels. Having a master site that you can easily change – such as adding a new layer of folders to the structure, or changing the look and feel, or even security levels – makes deploying changes at scale much easier and quicker than doing it manually.
On top of that, most business leaders need both oversight and insight into project status, and other key project data. Establishing a hierarchy of information – from vendors to nonconformities – is an essential component of successful project management. Being able to build processes around your existing project workflows – and then optimize them – can be a huge benefit, especially when you introduce automations and AI integrations.
You can do this without WorkPoint 365, but it requires a combination of custom coding, Power Automate, and Power Apps to get things set up in the right way.
With WorkPoint 365 most of the key functionalities are there already – you simply need to switch them on.
Quality management for any project
WorkPoint is great at making links between customers, projects, and documents, so you always have a hierarchy. You have the full circle.
Large corporations – especially those that have customers with unique requirements – have more and more regulatory requirements put upon them to ensure quality assurance as part of their day-to-day project work. For example, the automotive and aerospace industries take a highly structured approach to quality in the shape of Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP).
Project management and quality management typically share the same documents and need the same level of document management. In many cases, the lines between project management and quality management are blurred. Key aspects of project management apply to quality as well. Things like hierarchy and the ability to track changes to documentation are vital.
WorkPoint makes it easy to associate customers with projects, projects with customers, and changes made with non-conformities and audits. On top of that, the steps needed for plan, do, check, and act can be built into workflows with no custom coding required.
Why WorkPoint just works
Most of the features I need to build a project management system are already there in WorkPoint.
The ability to add hierarchy to folders and documents is native to WorkPoint. And, like the ability to build processes around your existing workflows, no additional coding is needed. This not only makes implementation more straightforward, it also makes life easier for everyone touched by project management and quality management systems.
For itm8, a WorkPoint solution is part of the conversation at the pre-sales stage. In fact, when a company needs separate sites for each project, consistency in structure, and a high level of security – WorkPoint is the logical choice. In terms of roll-out, it makes most sense to set up a project management solution first, followed by a quality management module. That’s because it’s very much dependent on project documentation.
Of course, that’s the beauty of a WorkPoint solution in terms of sales and customer needs. Once one module is up and running – and the customer sees the benefit and convenience of managing documents and processes in this way – it often inspires them to deploy it in other aspects of their business, such as HR portals.
Since the arrival of WorkPoint Version 4 – with the built-in process builder – it really is a seamless experience when integrated within the Microsoft environment. Most of the functionality takes place in the background (like document handling via SharePoint), and users work within a familiar Microsoft environment – so there’s no real learning curve once it’s deployed.
To discover more about IT solutions from itm8, visit their website: https://itm8.com/
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