Project controlling software
With Rillsoft Cloud, mid-sized, project-driven industrial companies of 20 to 200 employees move their project controlling onto a hosted platform with a German server location - without running their own infrastructure project. Rillsoft Cloud is the Rillsoft-hosted operating mode of the Rillsoft Integration Server: planning and controlling logic stay in the Rillsoft Project desktop client, while data storage, multi-user operation and the connection to time tracking run through the Integration Server hosted by Rillsoft in the cloud. In what follows, we show how Rillsoft Cloud delivers the central aspects of project controlling - plan-versus-actual on time, effort and cost, plus baseline management - in a continuous multi-tenant operation.
Project management software: The foundation of project controlling
Before we delve deeper into Rillsoft Cloud as a project controlling solution, let’s first understand why project management software is so important. Project management software is a central tool for planning, executing, and monitoring projects. It facilitates team collaboration, enables efficient resource management, and promotes transparency and communication in all project phases.
Rillsoft Cloud bundles these capabilities in a hosted solution whose planning surface remains the proven Rillsoft Project desktop client. It offers a wide range of features and tools to assist project managers and teams in mid-sized industrial companies in smoothly executing projects. A critical component is project control, which encompasses various tools and functions to ensure that projects adhere to planned timelines and budgets.
In Rillsoft Cloud, you can save any number of baseline plans. Baseline plans for comparison are a central element of project control in a software solution. These plans represent the original project goals and schedules, serving as a reference point to assess current project progress. The software allows users to compare these baseline plans with current project developments to identify deviations and take appropriate corrective actions.
Furthermore, dynamic baseline plans are available. A Dynamic Baseline Plan in project control software is a flexible instrument that continuously updates to account for changes in the project’s course. This plan adapts to real-time progress, enabling project managers to introduce new information and adjustments in real time. The software offers the capability to compare the dynamic baseline plan with the original plans to determine current performance indicators and deviations.
Project controlling tools: A Comprehensive Overview
Project control tools refer to the features and tools within project management software that allow teams to track project progress in real time and make adjustments as needed. The following are some of the key features of Rillsoft Cloud:
Resource Management
Efficient allocation and management of resources are crucial to project success. Rillsoft Cloud enables project managers to allocate resources such as personnel, equipment, and materials and monitor their availability over time, ensuring that the right resources are available at the right time.
Project Tracking
Project tracking is an essential aspect of project controlling. Rillsoft Cloud offers tools for tracking the progress of tasks and milestones, allowing teams to ensure they stay on schedule. This feature also enables the identification of delays and the timely initiation of corrective actions.
Time Tracking
Time tracking in Rillsoft Cloud is a genuine cloud capability: employees record their working hours against tasks and projects through the hosted Integration Server, with no need to install a server component on company premises. The recorded hours flow back directly into the plan-versus-actual comparisons on effort and cost inside the Rillsoft Project desktop client.
Task Tracking
Task tracking in Rillsoft Cloud allows for detailed tracking of tasks and work packages. Project managers can monitor the status of each task in real time and make adjustments as needed.
Project Planning
Project planning is the starting point for any project. Through the Rillsoft Project desktop client, Rillsoft Cloud enables the creation of detailed project plans that include tasks, milestones, and dependencies. These plans serve as a guide for the entire project.
Actual vs. Planned Comparison
Time controlling
The actual vs. planned comparison regarding time allows for comparing the planned project timeline with the actual progress. Rillsoft Cloud generates schedules and Gantt charts that visually indicate whether the project is on schedule or if there are delays.
The Time Actual vs. Planned Comparison ist eine Funktion in der Projektcontrolling Software, die es ermöglicht, den geplanten Zeitrahmen (Soll) mit dem tatsächlichen Fortschritt (Ist) zu vergleichen. Diese Analyse hilft dabei, Verzögerungen oder Beschleunigungen im Projekt zu erkennen und rechtzeitig Gegenmaßnahmen zu ergreifen, um den Projektzeitplan einzuhalten.
Effort controlling
The actual vs. planned comparison regarding effort allows comparing the planned resource effort for a project with the actual effort. This aids in assessing the actual resource effort and identifying budget overruns.
Effort control in project control software focuses on monitoring and managing the resources needed for the project, including labor hours, material costs, and other types of expenses. The software enables comparing actual effort to the planned budget and identifying budget variances.
Costs controlling
Comparing planned costs to actual costs is a crucial part of project control software. Rillsoft Cloud allows tracking costs and budgets to ensure that the project stays within its financial limits.
Cost control is an essential aspect of project control. In project control software, users can track and analyze all project costs, including budget comparisons, expense monitoring, and identifying cost variances. The software provides reporting features to assist project managers in budget planning and control.
Budget Management
Rillsoft Cloud enables the creation and management of project budgets. It automatically alerts when the budget is exceeded and helps identify cost overruns.
Project Budget and Budget Control are key elements of cost management. The software allows for the creation and management of project budgets and offers tools for monitoring budget expenses. Users can identify budget variances and take appropriate measures to keep the project within its financial constraints.
Real-Time Dashboards
Real-time views in Rillsoft Cloud provide a quick overview of the project’s current status. They display key indicators and metrics for schedule, resource effort, and costs, allowing project managers to make immediate decisions - from any location, with no need to open a VPN tunnel to a self-hosted server.
Reporting
Effective reporting is crucial for project controlling software. Rillsoft Cloud automatically generates reports and dashboards summarising project progress and performance.
Performance Analysis
Performance analysis involves evaluating data to identify trends and patterns. Rillsoft Cloud provides analysis tools that allow assessing project performance and suggesting improvements.
Project Status Tracking
Project status tracking in Rillsoft Cloud enables real-time monitoring of the project’s current status. This includes progress, costs, and the project’s schedule.
The Project Progress Monitoring feature in project control software allows real-time monitoring of a project’s progress. It provides clear insights into the status of tasks, milestones, and project goals. Project managers can visually track progress and take actions to identify and address issues or delays early on.
Operating models: Rillsoft Project + Integration Server + Cloud
Rillsoft project controlling is organised across three aligned platform components - in exactly this order:
- Rillsoft Project - the desktop client where project planning, baseline plans and the plan-versus-actual comparisons on time, effort and cost are produced.
- Rillsoft Integration Server - the central platform component for database-backed collaboration, multi-user operation and the connection between time tracking and project controlling.
- Rillsoft Cloud - the Rillsoft-hosted operating mode of the Integration Server, with a German server location, multi-tenant architecture and a subscription model.
For mid-sized, project-driven industrial companies in the DACH region with 20 to 200 employees, Rillsoft Cloud is the fastest way into multi-project controlling: no infrastructure project of your own, no server maintenance, predictable subscription.
Conclusion
Project controlling software is crucial for the success of projects, and Rillsoft Cloud offers a comprehensive suite of tools and features to achieve this goal. From resource management to project tracking, budget management and performance analysis, the solution provides everything project managers in project-driven industrial companies of 20 to 200 employees need to control and monitor projects efficiently - with planning logic in the proven Rillsoft Project desktop client and central data storage in the Rillsoft-hosted Integration Server.
FAQ
What advantages does Rillsoft Cloud project control software offer compared to traditional project management methods?
Rillsoft Cloud project control software offers numerous benefits, including real-time project tracking, resource optimization, automatic time tracking, and budget management. Unlike traditional methods, it enables more efficient and precise project control, resulting in cost savings and improved project performance.
How does the software support resource management in projects?
Rillsoft Cloud project control software enables effective resource management by allowing users to allocate and monitor resources such as employees and materials. Real-time resource tracking helps avoid bottlenecks and optimize availability to ensure projects are completed on time.
What performance analysis features are available, and how do they assist in the continuous improvement of projects?
Rillsoft Cloud project control software offers comprehensive performance analysis features, including plan versus actual comparisons regarding time, effort, and costs.
The Plan vs. Actual Time comparison in Rillsoft Cloud project control software is a powerful tool for ensuring project time compliance. It allows companies to compare a project's planned timeframe with actual progress and time delays, enabling project managers to detect whether a project is on schedule or experiencing delays. This helps minimize project delays and ensures projects are completed on time, supporting effective time management and adherence to project schedules.
The Plan vs. Actual Effort comparison allows comparing the planned resource effort for a project with actual resource consumption. This comparison helps ensure efficient resource utilization and prevents overallocation or underallocation of resource capacities. Through the Plan vs. Actual Effort comparison, project managers can take timely actions to reallocate resources or provide additional resources to ensure successful project completion without exceeding the budget or time frame. This contributes to optimizing resource usage in projects.
The Plan vs. Actual Costs feature in Rillsoft Cloud project control software plays a crucial role in monitoring project costs. It enables comparing the planned costs of a project with the actual costs incurred during the project's course. This way, you can identify irregularities and deviations between the initial budget estimates and current costs. The Plan vs. Actual Costs comparison allows project managers and controllers to take early measures to manage the budget effectively and ensure the project stays within financial guidelines. This helps prevent cost overruns and maintains the financial health of the company.
How does Rillsoft Cloud project control software support project planning and tracking?
Rillsoft Cloud project control software offers comprehensive features for project planning and tracking. Users can create project plans, assign tasks, define dependencies, and set milestones. The software also allows real-time progress tracking and provides detailed reports on the current status and performance of projects, optimizing project planning and execution for efficient implementation.
What is Rillsoft project controlling NOT made for (delineation against enterprise controlling, SAP, BI suites)?
Rillsoft Cloud project controlling is designed for the operational project and resource layer of mid-sized industrial companies with 20 to 200 employees: plan-versus-actual comparisons on time, effort and costs per project, baseline plans, project progress and resource utilisation. It does not replace enterprise-wide financial controlling, an ERP/SAP system for bookkeeping, procurement and accounting, or a BI suite for company-wide reporting cubes. Its strength lies in the close link between project planning in the Rillsoft Project desktop client and plan-versus-actual data from time tracking via the Rillsoft Integration Server – not in a generic financial data model.
How do Rillsoft Cloud, time tracking and the Integration Server work together for project controlling?
The Rillsoft Project desktop client provides the plan: activities, baseline plans, efforts and costs. Employees book their working time – on the desktop or via the browser entry – against projects and tasks. The Rillsoft Integration Server stores these bookings in a multi-tenant and audit-ready manner and merges them with the planned values, so that plan-versus-actual comparisons on time, effort and costs are produced at the project level. Rillsoft Cloud operates this Integration Server hosted in German data centres; this removes the need for your own server setup, and project controlling is ready for use within a few days.
Where is my controlling and booking data stored in Rillsoft Cloud, and how is GDPR compliance handled?
All project, effort, cost and time booking data is stored and operated in Rillsoft Cloud exclusively in German data centres. Rillsoft operates the cloud platform itself and signs a data processing agreement (DPA / 'AVV') in accordance with Art. 28 GDPR with every customer; access rights, transmission paths, retention periods as well as technical and organisational measures (TOMs) are documented in the DPA. The multi-tenant architecture of the Rillsoft Integration Server ensures strict separation of the controlling data of different customers.
Which platform components do I need for project controlling with Rillsoft Cloud?
Project managers and controllers work with the Rillsoft Project desktop client as the central operating interface; employees additionally book their working time via a browser entry. Central data storage, linking of planned and actual data, baseline versioning, permission control and audit trail are handled by the Rillsoft Integration Server. Rillsoft Cloud is the Rillsoft-operated, hosted variant of the Integration Server with a server location in Germany; this removes the need for your own server setup. As your needs grow, you can switch to an on-premise variant of the Integration Server at any time.
For which companies is project controlling with Rillsoft Cloud suitable?
Rillsoft Cloud project controlling is aimed at project-driven mid-sized companies with 20 to 200 employees, especially industrial companies in the DACH region that run several projects in parallel, deploy their employees across projects and need operational plan-versus-actual controlling at the project, task and resource level. The platform is particularly suitable for companies that want to operate in a multi-tenant, GDPR-compliant way with a German server location, without setting up their own server infrastructure.