FOI rapidly increases the quality and quantity of their research initiatives with IBM Rational Focal Point software

FOI Defence Research Agency, a leading European research institute for defence and security, was founded in 2001 through the merger of two independent research institutes. Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, FOI employs approximately 950 employees, including 800 researchers across several facilities. With a turnover of SEK 1.1 billion in 2008, the institute’s core activities include research, methodology, technology and education.

The number of projects doubled
In 2008, two divisions were merged to form the Information Systems division, doubling the number of projects, project managers and business areas that business and operations manager Pär Carlshamre had to track.

With over 100 project managers, more than 400 projects, five business area managers and hundreds of business opportunities (potential projects), it quickly became apparent that the existing project management solution was inadequate for the challenge. Carlshamre explains:

“Previously, we used spreadsheets to see which projects were being undertaken, their status and who was leading,” he said. “However it turned out that a shared spreadsheet for so many users was unmanageable. Data was corrupted, and the system broke down on several occasions.”

IBM Rational Focal Point solution
FOI management realized they needed a new solution. They were already familiar with several project management systems, including the IBM portfolio management solution IBM Rational Focal Point™. Management selected Focal Point software as the new solution for several reasons: It was very easy to implement, simple to use, and it gave the management team a clear overview of the business.

“With Focal Point, we could get started on day one, and then we added more of the detail and continued to expand the system,” said Pär Carlshamre. “We simply imported the information we had and built on it. The system was easy to work with and to customize according to our needs, without having to enlist the help of the IT department.”

Rapidly integrated into the daily work
Rational Focal Point was introduced in the autumn of 2008, and went live in only a few days. It proved to be simple, fast and extremely configurable. Because business area managers could easily modify the tool during meetings, they quickly integrated it into their daily work. The Web-based solution meant that all information was available at all times, even when users were on the road. Managers at every level across the division now have the same picture of the business, the status of a project’s budget, and what is coming next.

“I would even venture to say that Focal Point is as business critical for us in operations management as e-mail. We can now quickly and clearly see the amount of resources we have invested in a specific project; where the risks lie; and how the business is developing in different areas. More importantly, we can now immediately understand the health and value of each project and be confident in our analysis.”

Make the right decisions in order to deliver business and customer value In most projects and activities, there is more work than resources available to do it. Here, the unique decision support capabilities of Focal Point software are very useful. Information Systems has used this in the selection and assessment of internal business ideas.

“By comparing project ideas against each other in pairs, according to different criteria, Focal Point can easily and graphically show which projects are appropriate to implement, given particular resource availability,” said Pär Carlshamre. “This feature is unique to Focal Point and very helpful for our business. It helps us make better decisions faster.”

For more information
To learn more about IBM Rational solutions for product and portfolio management, please contact your IBM marketing representative or IBM Business Partner, or visit:
ibm.com/software/rational