Intranet Development for a Project-Based Enterprise

Intranet Development for a Project-Based Enterprise

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INTERNET: INFORMATION REVOLUTION IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ISOC (NIG) ‘99Port-Harcourt - January 1999

By Aliyu A. Aziz

Afri-Projects ConsortiumAbuja - Nigeria

[email protected]

January 1999 Intranet Development for a Project-Based Enterprise

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Introduction Internet Society

About MeAbout Me Principal Consultant - Afri-Projects Consortium (APC) B. Eng. (Civil), M. Sc. (Struct) - Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Professional Bodies

Member, Nigeria Society of Engineers Member, Computer Association of Nigeria Member, Internet Society


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About APCAbout APC Afri-Projects Consortium, a comprehensive Project

Management outfit specialises in:- Project Management; Engineering; Planning; Post Project Evaluation;

Facility Management.

Professional Associations Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) Council of Registered Engineers (COREN) Four other professional associations and eight International Agencies

Employs 114 professionals and 93 support staff


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Part 1:Part 1: Information Management.

Part 2:Part 2: IT Infrastructure at APC.

Part 3:Part 3: Project Management Workflow.

Part 4:Part 4: Project Management Information System.

TopicsTopics


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Information Management

Make Project Information available to those who need it, when they need it, how they need it and where they need it.

Specific Information related to Scope, Quality, Time, Cost, Risk, Human Resources, Contract/Procurement and Integration - Information and Communication.

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Aim Aim


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Increase leverage by work simplification. Empower workers and domain experts. Enable collaborative and group work. Increase productivity through streamlined

business processes. Eliminate sub-optimal resources utilization. Ultimately, create wealth and add value to APC.

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Why ?Why ?


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Pursuing innovative initiatives using information technology differently.

Globally Networked Business Concept and Enterprise Computing using Internet-based Technologies on Intranets and Extranets.

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How ? How ?


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Allows us to manage information internally. Offers robust solution to the demands of our

business. Improves organisational efficiency through

streamlined business processes, more effective communication and a higher level of collaboration.

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Why Intranet?Why Intranet?


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Broadens the Intranet solution to key individuals outside the company such as business partners, clients and contractors

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Extended Intranets (Extranet)Extended Intranets (Extranet)

Intranet

Project Consultant

s

Intranet

Management Consultants

Intranet

Clients

Extranet Server


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IT Infrastructure at APC

Relating the management consultant, the project manager, contractors and clients in an efficient working relationship where information is readily available to those charged with the responsibility for timely decision making for efficient project control.

ConceptConcept

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ProjectsEarly Warning System (Client)

M an a g e m e n t M o d u le

Communication Services

Human Res. Management Materials Management Financial Management

Decision Support System

Docu men ts a n dI n form a ti on Ma n a gemen t

ProjectsTracking Automation and M onitoring

Engine (Client)P rojects

Selection and Initiating module (C lient)

Decision Support System

∙ Executive Summaries∙ Functional Summaries∙ Operational Summaries

Project M onitoring & Tracking

. S ta tu s∙ How far∙ How m uch∙ How w ell

∙ P r o b le m s e n c o u n te r e d∙ R e v is io n s /S o lu tio n s D e v ise d∙ N e x t p h a s e o f W o r k∙ A p p r o x . f in ish e d d a te fo r ta sk∙ E a r n e d v a lu e∙ V a r ia n c e A n a ly s is

M anagem ent Cons ultant(P rocess Control)

M anag em entC onsultant

Client

Management Consultant

Zonal Consultantsetc.,

Documents Project Proposals Project Briefs Terms of Reference Funding Agreement

Contract Document E-mail Schedule Meetings Discussion Forum, Brainstorming sessions

Projects: Tracking-Automation & Monitoring Engine (Server) Early Warning System (Server) Executive Information System Documents and Information Management (Server ) Materials and Human Resources Management (Server)

Consultants

Early Warning System

. Trend Projection

. C ritical ratio Control Limits

Communicationlayer

Consultan ts

IT Infrastructure at APC Internet Society


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IT Infrastructure at APC Internet Society

Key Areas Internet/Intranet. Documents Management. Knowledge Management. Collaboration/Personalization. Workflow. Business Process Management. Policies/Procedures Management. Integration/Documentation.


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Physical Client/Server Network with fast Ethernet backbone designed around a 3-tier Hierarchical Network architecture.

n-tier logical architecture with a distributed-components implementation.

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NetworkNetwork


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Three (3) ServersPrimary Domain Controller (also runs SQL Server

relational database).

Backup Domain Controller (also the GroupWare Server).

Application Server and Web Server (based on the Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0).

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Network ServersNetwork Servers


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All Servers run the Windows NT (V4.0) Operating system Lotus Domino (Advanced) Server (V4.5) orchestrates the

GroupWare services, the documents repository and then provides the Workflow infrastructure.

MS SQL Server 6.5 is the corporate relational database server. Our applications are built as business components, which represent

discrete business processes within the enterprise. A multi-threaded Project Server running as a middle-tier business

service, manages all project transactions. The HTTP server is Microsoft Internet Information Server version

4.0.

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Server ApplicationsServer Applications


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Client Interface: WEB Browsers. User specific interface. Lotus notes client, adapted to suit some user

requirements, suitable for certain categories of users.

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User InterfaceUser Interface


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DACON - Data on Contractors and Consultants Database designed to capture essential information on

consultants and contractors registered with the Clients. Information search engine Data Entry via Keyboard, fax machine, Scanners, Internet

using Teleform. The process of creating, distributing and reading information from HTML-based forms has been automated with TELEFORM Internet Solution.

Certificate based access control and user authentication.

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Intranet Implementation ExampleIntranet Implementation Example


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Security Features control access to the network and information through the use of :- Access Control List (ACL) Authentication. Public/Private Keys securities. Data Encryption. Digital Signatures.

SecuritySecurity


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Project Management InformationSystem (PMIS)

Exhaustive project planning function. Distributed Project Monitoring Concept. Information for Project Control

Automated tracking of critical project indicators. Performance forecasting and trend Projection. Early warning systems. Information broadcast.

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Project Management PlatformProject Management Platform


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PMIS-Architecture Internet Society

Lotus Notes

. GroupWare Engine

. Group Calendering

. Group Scheduling

. Messaging

. Agents Enabled Applications

. Web Browser

. •Work-Flow Engine

. Documents Management

Domino Server

Objects StoreWEB ServerContent ReplicationEnterprise securityFull text Search engineSMP SupportServer partitioning

Transaction Process Monitor

Transaction based Business rules Server pages

Data Services Layer

Relational Database Management Server

•Active Components

. Business-rules Engines

. Application Server pages. ISAPI based servers

•Publish and•Subscribe broker

User Interface

Browser

CO

M

CO

M

CO

M

User Processes User Processes

GroupWare user application;Users interact mostly with Notes-based client application

Thin Client application be deployed via WEB browsers andActive desktops to user workstations in the enterprise

Database for non-transactional objects,and Enterprisereplication

Relational Database for transactionaldata deployed on its Server.

User interactive business components

Active Server pages, that run aseither in-process componentsor out-of-process servers.

They are transaction basedprocesses built to handle thebusiness rules of the enterprise

User Processes


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PMIS-Project Control Workflow

Accounting

Client Payment Review cycle

Project Consultant

Certificate Agent

APC Managementreview cycle

Central Project Trans./GroupW are Server

Desk Off icersProject Update

Projec

t Prog

ress d

ata

Certificate for Review/Signature

W orkFlow Path

Certificate O

K to P

ay.

APC ApprovedCertificate

Certif icate Agent

Z onal Project-Trans./GroupW are Server

$

V I S I O C O R P O R A T I O N

Mail EnabledPayment Certificate

Monitoring Agent

Project contro l, certification and paym ent process Workflow

Client GroupW areand Accounting server

Project Consultants at thework sites, summarize thecummulative progress ofcontractor and sends themto the managementConsultant

AT APC .Desk Officers, updates theprogress of work on the serverand upon trigger the PaymentAgent generates the certificatebased on the cummulative worksdone and the results of previoustransactions.

The Payment Agent routes/broadcast the certif icate aroundthose who must review and sign.As each reviewer applies hisdigital s ignature the certificatemoves to the next reviewer untilthe cyc le is complete.


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Summary

The Implementation of our Intranet for Project Management was

conceived as a result of the necessity to simplify our work

processes.

As a result, we had to devise ways of using technology differently.

What we have shared today was borne out of an overwhelming

need, which eventually resulted in something different and effective

for our operations.


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Acknowledgement

Miss Ifeyinwa Obi - my able PA

Engr. Sunny Osaje and Ibrahim Tizhe - my Resource Consultants

Engr. N. A. Rafindadi - our team leader

Mal. Salihijo Ahmad - my mentor

Engr. Abdurrahman Dahiru - my Managing Consultant (MD)

APC, who provided the environment

Finally, praise be to Allah, who made everything possible


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THE ENDBy

Aliyu A. Aziz

[email protected]

Intranet Development for a Project-Based Enterprise

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ISOC (NIG) ‘99