Transforming a project business into a modern project, portfolio & work management experience.

As FLSmidth had already conducted a few pilots with the creation of canvas-driven Microsoft Power Apps for individual business needs, and the Microsoft Dynamics platform being an integrated part of business processes, a model-driven Microsoft Power App was the logical next step to explore. Together with the longtime Microsoft Partner Context&, FLSmidth chose Projectum xPM (formerly Power PPM) for future Project & Portfolio best practices.

Projectum xPM is built with an integration to Microsoft Project for the web directly in the cockpit, as well as Microsoft Power BI for project and portfolio reports and dashboards.

Delivering a better experience

User experience, and that the solution also works with the rest of the Dynamics 365 platform. Also, a best-in-class performance should be the target. Soon, the right data entities were established, and a simple, yet user-friendly UI was agreed on. Because of the underlying Dataverse, the solution showed fast performance and responsiveness. Further, the solution got the right “project portal” experience by adding a few work areas from the front page, such as Portfolio Overview, Program Execution, PPM Insights, and Project Planning.

Project for the web

As Microsoft Project for the web is also based on a dataverse backbone, Project for the web has been embedded into the PowerPPM solution as the engine for Project Execution. Project for the web enables a modern work management experience, of working in a traditional waterfall mode or an Agile Kanban board.

Custom Controls

Out-of-the-box custom controls, available in the model-driven Power Apps platform, enable a “live” responsiveness on individual pages, contributing greatly to a user-friendly experience. Another way to enhance the user experience is custom visuals that can be applied on any page. In this case, the classic risk register has received a great overhaul, allowing for individual visuals – again, allowing for real-time visualizations, and enhancing the experience of project participants working with the platform.

Microsoft Teams

As a model-driven Power App, Projectum xPM (formerly Power PPM) has been embedded in Microsoft Teams, and supports FLSmidth’s desire to transform the organization into a modern workplace. The Teams integration allows individuals to collaborate seamlessly across unites and roles.

Power BI

As Microsoft Power BI is a leading reporting technology in many independent vendor studies, FLSmidth already uses Power BI extensively. As Power BI is also a part of Power Platform, there is an extensive value-add gained by having Project and Portfolio dashboards displayed inside the Projectum xPM (formerly Power PPM) solution.