ELVA, a strategic IT partner specializing in ERP and CRM systems, faced significant challenges in managing their growing team and complex projects efficiently. Struggling with outdated tools and manual processes, they sought a more effective planning solution. In this article, Sanita Saukuma (Internal Quality Consultant and Jira Administrator at ELVA) shares how ActivityTimeline impacted ELVA's project management and resource planning.
The Challenge
The limitations of the existing planning tools used by ELVA became obvious as the company grew larger.
“We had huge issues with planning. When we implemented Jira Cloud, we dropped off one solution. We had a sort of overview of what was planned, but it was not up-to-date; it was like day-old data. We understood that we were quitting that solution and we needed something for planning. We need to see how many tasks are on an employee and what the workloads are. So we needed a solution that showed us a nice plan for one week; this is the minimum, and for the longer period, let's say rough plans.”
Sanita Saukuma, Internal Quality Consultant and Jira Administrator at ELVA
The Solution
After evaluating different options, ActivityTimeline appeared as a perfect fit because of its simple design and robust planning capabilities
“It was understandable. It was easy to use. And we got this overview of the plan for the week, for the day. When I tested it first, I said we are taking it.”
Sanita Saukuma, Internal Quality Consultant and Jira Administrator at ELVA
The real-time data capabilities and user-friendly interface of ActivityTimeline addressed the critical needs of ELVA's team, making it the ideal solution for their challenges.
The Implementation
The implementation of ActivityTimeline was carefully planned with training sessions on Jira, Service Management, and afterward ActivityTimeline itself.
“We ensured the training was customized to our requirements. What I taught there was how to do the work, how to plan, how to navigate, and how to look for the issues and, then the reports. I just showed that they were there because what I needed was for them to start planning.”
Sanita Saukuma, Internal Quality Consultant and Jira Administrator at ELVA
The training sessions went well, and the employees quickly noticed and recognized the new tool's benefits.
The Results
Sanita Saukuma's initiative to gather feedback from ELVA's managers who use ActivityTimeline has shed light on the positive impact of the tool within the organization. The managers' responses revealed a strong appreciation for features like "Planer" and "Workspace”, “Timesheets," which have become integral to their daily routines. These features, particularly the "Workspace" functionality, were highlighted for their significant contributions to enhancing productivity and streamlining workflows.
“We can now extend tasks over several days or weeks and have better visibility of workloads. It has made our planning more efficient”
Sanita Saukuma, Internal Quality Consultant and Jira Administrator at ELVA
They appreciated its ability to provide a clear overview of projects, simplifying better scheduling and more efficient management of tasks. This has led to noticeable improvements in project management processes, making it easier to extend tasks over multiple weeks and generate insightful reports.
Conclusion
In conclusion, since ELVA moved to the cloud, ActivityTimeline has played a critical role in revolutionizing project management. Its significance in increasing productivity and simplifying tasks is highlighted by Sanita Saukuma's observations, confirming its position as a vital instrument for overseeing big groups of people and challenging projects. ELVA is well-positioned to maintain its success in its project management endeavors as it wants to utilize ActivityTimeline even more.
