New capability enables program managers to model alternate change scenarios prior to commitment
Actify, the leading provider of visualization and program management solutions for the automotive supply chain, announced availability of Assistive Scheduling in its cloud-based Automotive Program Management (APM) suite.
Program launch teams manage large numbers of interrelated projects across multiple locations, departments, and suppliers in compliance with quality standards, tight budgets, and OEM deadlines. A central component of their responsibility is keeping launches on track in the face of continual changes. The goal of Assistive Scheduling is to make well-informed schedule changes that have weighed available options and change combinations and modeled their outcomes. Once a scenario has been selected, the system instantly informs team members of changes affecting their individual tasks and timelines. Assistive Scheduling enhances managers’ ability to fully utilize their experience to make informed decisions that reduce cost and risk.
“This is a breakthrough capability not previously available in any commercial program or project management software,” said David Opsahl, CEO of Actify. “It allows automotive suppliers to manage schedule changes with unprecedented diligence, efficiency, and confidence.”
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“This is a breakthrough capability not previously available in any commercial program or project management software. It allows automotive suppliers to manage schedule changes with unprecedented diligence, efficiency, and confidence.”
Actify APM is an integrated software environment that delivers a better way for automotive supplier teams to manage program launches, and it replaces industry-wide legacy practices that rely on disconnected spreadsheets, project tools, and dashboards. Actify’s integrated solution eliminates non-value-added activity and allows launch teams to focus on achieving optimal program outcomes. Additionally, it creates a foundation on which to develop innovative capabilities that elevate automotive program management success, such as Assistive Scheduling.
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The Power of Assistive Scheduling
Actify APM improves the daily work experience not only of program managers, but all program participants enterprise-wide, including senior executives and OEM relationship managers. Each user sees a live dashboard that reflects the specific information they need. Program participants see the tasks and deadlines assigned to them and can access files and develop deliverables within the system. Program managers see the status and health of every program and project they are guiding. Executives see a summary of programs across locations and plants with the ability to view by customer and drill down into potential problems.
Legacy program management methods are disconnected, and with changes often occurring on an hourly basis, any status information may be out of date. The result is that staff at all levels must meet, phone, or email to confirm actual work status any time a customer requests a report or an in issue needs to be resolved. Each such request takes up precious time that could be spent managing program outcomes. Actify APM reduces the time consumed by meetings and instead allows staff to focus on productive work while they resolve the issues that inevitably arise.
Actify Assistive Scheduling leverages this foundation of comprehensive, accurate program and project status and allows managers to see the impact of a change or combination of changes without impacting the live project. Alternate schedules can be viewed side-by-side with net changes highlighted. Managers can model and remodel different scenarios with visual depiction of their resulting schedule impact, but no change is implemented until the manager has reviewed with colleagues or obtained customer or internal approvals, as needed. After all considerations are complete, one click implements the finalized scenario, and any affected APM user’s dashboard is immediately updated. No additional meetings, emails or phone calls needed.