For more slides and tutorials visit www.p6academy.com Source: Collaborate 14

1. COLLABORATE 14 Copyright ©2014 by Monks Project Solutions Page 1
School District Gets an A+ in Primavera-PeopleSoft Integration by
Doing Their Homework
Bill Claveau
Monks Project Solutions
Abstract
Colorado's largest public school district has transformed their old school capital program and project
management methods into a Primavera-based, PeopleSoft integrated EPPM system. This case-study will
highlight the solutions implemented and more importantly, how the District was able to accomplish this
multi-year, multi-phase scope as envisioned with no significant missteps. Attendees will learn the value of
focusing on processes instead of tools.
Introduction and Objectives
Monks Project Solutions (MPS) is an Oracle Gold Partner located Denver Colorado. MPS specializes in
Oracle Primavera-based Enterprise Portfolio Project Management (EPPM) systems with a consulting
focus on providing value driven, sustainable organizational change. The company was founded in 1985
and has been a Primavera partner since 1987.
Bill Claveau is a Senior Consultant with MPS and an Oracle Certified Implementation Specialist in both
Primavera P6 Release 8 and Primavera Contract Management Version 14. Mr. Claveau brings 25 Years
of direct project and program management experience to his role, and 12 years specializing in Project
Controls and EPPM systems implementation.
Jefferson County Public School District (Jeffco) is the 35
th
largest School district in the United States and
the largest in Colorado. Jeffco’s Department of Design & Construction oversees all capital programs and
projects for the District.
The main objective of this paper and accompanying presentation are to foster implementation success
by: 1) Presenting key elements of a process-focused implementation methodology, 2) Demonstrating how
this methodology was applied to Jeffco’s EPPM implementation, and 3) Showcasing elements of Jeffco’s
integrated solution.
MPS employs a comprehensive implementation methodology developed and refined over many years
and projects. This paper is not a treatment of the complete methodology or the technical aspects of
EPPM implementation. The focus here is on the requirements development which, as all good project
management professionals know, is where we have the best chance to ensure our project achieves the
desired outcomes.
Why Do Many Enterprise Implementations Struggle or Fail?
It is helpful to introduce the topic of good methodology by reviewing the hallmarks of struggling or failed
implementations. They include:
1. Lack of Executive Sponsorship
2. Minimal User Involvement (lack dedicated resources)
3. Inexperienced Management & Facilitation
4. Lack of Implementation Methodology

2. COLLABORATE 14 Copyright ©2014 by Monks Project Solutions Page 2
5. No Clearly Defined Business Goals & Objectives
6. Lack of standardized Processes and Procedures
7. Lack of Firm, Defined Functional Requirements
8. Maximized Scope (Lack of Priorities & Phasing)
9. Unreliable Time and Cost Estimates
10. No Ownership or Buy-in Plan
This information and case study will touch on all of these issues but focus mainly on items 5-8 are at the
heart of the process-driven implementation methodology.
Key Elements of a Process-Driven Implementation Methodology
Well-Defined requirements and business processes are the key to planning and executing an enterprise
system implementation. Getting to this point requires that you involve the right people, establish a clear
vision, develop quantifiable goals and requirements that support your vision, and model all processes
needed to meet the specific requirements.
The Right People - Organizational change cannot not be accomplished without a team effort. Executive
Sponsorship is essential to champion the vision, ensure commitment of the necessary resources and
provide binding decisions that direct the team. Process owners are needed for expert and authoritative
representation of existing processes to the implementation team, development of new processes, and
authoritative representation of new processes to responsible users. Subject matter expertise is required
for each functional unit (e.g. Project Management, Accounting, IT, Resource Management, etc.) that will
be involved in or will support the implementation. In addition, subject matter expertise in enterprise
system implementation is critical and not commonly available within the organization.
A Clear Vision – A documented vision guides the overall implementation. Good visioning requires
executive sponsorship and ownership. Effective vision focuses on expected results and not on solutions.
Start with a vision statement that addresses why the organization is changing, why now, what it hopes to
accomplish, and what will be different when it is successful. Though a series of elaborative iterations, the
vision must be broken into quantifiable goals and requirements for process change.
Well-Defined Processes – The next key element is the process model. It is a detailed graphical
representation of the business processes needed to meet the specific requirements and support our
stated goals. A good process model validates requirements, clarifies the organizational and technological
change needed to succeed, and provides a foundation for detailed specifications and procedures.
Process modeling must reflect the workflow across the project lifecycle, detailing the specific work
activities in terms of dependencies, inputs and outputs, systems involved, and responsible roles.
Applying the Method to Jeffco’s EPPM Implementation
In 2010 Jeffco undertook an initiative to replace outmoded project management controls software and lay
the foundation for an integrated EPPM system. Chief among the issues driving this change were an
inability to manage and forecast multiple programs in the existing system. Their only ‘System of Record’
for program and project cost was their accounting system and it did not support all types of committed
cost tracking. As a result their cost management and forecasting process was highly reactive and prone
to bad surprises with no centralized record of all committed cost. Primavera P6 was being used in a
single-user configuration for tracking critical milestone variance and basic cash flow forecasting.

3. COLLABORATE 14 Copyright ©2014 by Monks Project Solutions Page 3
The Team
Jeffco dedicated a team to this initiative that was nothing short of an implementation consultant’s dream.
The team was anchored by the Executive Director of Facilities Planning & Construction who provided a
strong and clear vision, remained actively engaged in the entire process. The Director of Capital
Construction and the Project Controls Manager provided the primary process development support as
well as project management support for the implementation. Subject matter experts from across all
involved departments were made available and Jeffco retained MPS’ services for EPPM Implementation
expertise and facilitation. When it was time to take on the important task of developing functional
requirements for integrating the Primavera and PeopleSoft systems, a consultant with specific system
integration expertise was added to the team.
The Vision Statement
The department of Design & Construction will implement an integrated project management system for
capital projects to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of budget management, schedule
management, vendor management, and stakeholder communications. The system will utilize Oracle
Primavera Contract and Project Management software as a central platform to consolidate and automate
capital project management processes and data; and to integrate with other department management
processes and information systems. The project management system will improve the overall value
delivered on capital funded projects consistent with District policies.
The Results
Jeffco’s investment in the development of detailed requirements and process modeling served as the
foundation for planning and executing the implementation project. The model supported and facilitated
estimating, phasing decisions, detailed data requirements, and operating procedure development.
The benefits realized to date are substantial and growing. They can be directly correlated to the original
Vision and requirements which clearly demonstrate the team’s success in achieving the stated goals.
Jeffco is now in control of a complete and reconcilable forecast for all capital programs and projects.
Through centralized data and improved reporting, they are getting better management information faster.
They spend less time collecting and preparing decision making information, and more time making
informed decisions, which has significantly reduced the number of “bad surprises” in cost and schedule
management.
The implementation has significantly reduced redundant data entry and associated data quality issues by
eliminating unnecessary duplication across systems, and implementing a major system integration in
2013. The system integration automates the population of common project, budget and cost data
between the Primavera EPPM systems and PeopleSoft Financials.
The system integration has also enabled an improved cash flow forecast by automating the population of
budgeted and estimated (EAC) costs from Jeffco’s Primavera Contract Management system to the P6
Project Management system. Through the integrated BI Publisher reporting platform, complex
stakeholder reports requiring data from multiple sources are now generated in minutes, saving many
hours of manual report compilation each month.
Additional benefits from the integrated system include automated generation of business documents, and
distributed responsibility for project data. Project managers are now directly responsible for maintaining

4. COLLABORATE 14 Copyright ©2014 by Monks Project Solutions Page 4
project status, cost and forecast data which was previously maintained by Accounting and Project
Controls. This change has created a positive improvement in project management accountability.