November - December 2007
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Tech-Bytes: iPM Makes Project Management More Efficient
By Ann Overton, public affairs managerVirginia Transportation Research Council
A new software application, created in-house and already saving the Virginia Department of Transportation time and money, recently received a 2007 Digital Government Achievement Awards from the Center for Digital Government.
VDOT’s new Integrated Project Manager system, or iPM, was one of four Virginia honorees for these prestigious technology awards.
The other recipients were www.virginia.gov (the state’s official Web site), the Council on Virginia’s Future and the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy.
The iPM system is an agency-wide, Web-based application that allows many users to log in to the program and work at the same time on various projects.
It replaced an aging mainframe system used for more than 20 years that did not adapt to VDOT’s new practices in project management.
This new joint technology and business effort provides a state-of-the-art integrated platform to better manage transportation projects.
For example, one person can pull financial data, cost estimates and project metrics from the Dashboard for one project, while another person can do the same for a different project through the same system.
The system maintains each project’s schedule within the application, where it controls appropriate access by a built-in security component, which recognizes the user through a specific code.
The security component itself is innovative for VDOT, because it was created as a Web service. It includes workflow and communications via e-mail and a “MyProjects” page for project managers, securing what is necessary while simplifying the entire process.
The iPM serves a core of about 1,500 VDOT employees involved in various aspects of project management throughout the agency’s Central Office and nine districts, although any of the agency’s staff could use it for specific projects.
It was created to be simple to use. In fact, some of the initial training was conducted via video conference rather than in person.
The just-in-time training during the implementation was held on site in all districts. Trainees voiced approval at how easy it was to master.
The programmers determined that its monthly benefit to the agency is about $56,000, based on the time its saves its users and as the number of projects entered into the system increases.
The Digital Government Achievement Award is a national program that recognizes outstanding agency and department Web sites and applications that improve information interactions, transactions and/or services.
The Integrated Project Management system, developed by programmers in VDOT’s Information Technology Division, won in the “government internal” category of this national competition.
VDOT staff involved with the project included:
- Ray Robinson
- Steve Kelliher
- John Nahm
- Alan Hood
- John Willard
It involved VDOT consultants:
- Peter Shue
- Annu Batra
- Nithya Prabha
