Steve Goulder

1
Welcome

• Steve Goulder
• Group Financial Systems Manager - MVA
• Also
• Systems Manager - Systra Consulting
• Chairman, AUKUG

2

About MVA/Systra

• Transport consultants/planners
• Social Researchers
• IT Developers
• Rail Simulators
• Infrastructure Designers
• Owned by SNCF, RATP various French Banks

3

About MVA/Systra

• Agresso currently in place in subsidiaries
• Not in main parent (yet??)
• Multi company, multi currency, multi site
• Offices across the world in UK, France, Asia, USA
  all using Agresso Web back office
• 2 servers located in UK USA
• 500 Employees using Agresso
• Turnover on Agresso approx US100m

4

Why the Agresso Company?

• Global company
• Experience in our business vertical (PSA)
• Many satisfied customers
• Technologically up-to-date constantly
  evolving/forward thinking
• USA picked Agresso as a DIRECT result of MVA and
  our success with them

5

Why the Agresso Product?

• Integrated solution all modules look familiar
• Replacement for many existing databases
  (projects, proposals, marketing, training,
  skills, staff planning)
• Primitive existing Accounting/HR systems
• Strong Reporting capability
• Systra MVA benefit from shared learning curve

6

Our Implementation

• Live on Agresso 4 in 1997 on Oracle 7
• Upgraded Agresso 5.21 in 1999
• Live Agresso 5.4 in 2002 on Oracle 9i using MVA
  template (Systra Implementation)
• Upgraded Agresso 5.4 SP4 in Aug 2004
• Now Web servers available worldwide
• Supported by Agresso in UK/Asia, Agresso Americas
  in USA
• ME (worldwide) !!

7

Modules Used

• Financials, PCB, HR, Fixed Assets, SOP
• Web T-sheets/Reports/Absence/Competence
• Web Project Budgeting, Forecasting
• Web Resource Planning
• Web Expenses (UK only)

8

Implementation (Agresso)

• Agresso REALLY up to speed now
• Reliable support infrastructure
• Good development team
• The product can do so much
• Demanding, as there is so much to learn and
  support
• Some really smart guys employed now

9

Systra Global solution

• Similar coding across the Group
• Identical systems and approach to issues
• Transferability of knowledge between Group
  companies and employees
• Use of similar reports
• Single person (me !!) providing support to many
  sites (economies of scale) across the world

10

Where are we now?

• Web access worldwide
• Strong set of Reporting developed
• Expanding use of Browsers on Web
• Excelerator E-mail core to our business
• New functionality rolled out regularly
• Absence recording
• Competence HR self service updating
• Web Expenses

11

Product Versatility

• Product very versatile different companies can
  do very different things with the software
• but SO simple to set up new companies
• Think out of the box
• So much functionality that difficult to implement
  it all
• Web help and field names customised
• Areas of product used in non standard way

12

Use of Project Activity Code

• Requirement to manage projects by phase, task,
  subtask and discipline
• Only limited functionality offered by product
  should we use project, workorder, activity ???
• Think out of the box
• Activity code 12 characters !!!!!!!!
• Can we therefore split this up somehow?
• Systra Activity code solution

13

Use of Project Activity Code

• L9 / 1 / 02 / 08 / 60
• L9 Labour (9 Reserved character)
• 1 Phase
• 02 Task 2
• 08 Subtask 8
• 60 Signalling Discipline
• Use Agresso/Excelerator to split this up

14

Use of Project Activity Code
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Resource Planning - Systra

• Review in 2004
• Want to share data already held in Agresso
• Need simple tool to book and track staff
• Agresso Web is already in use
• Review of Agresso Resource Planning Module
  undertaken
• It might just work !!

16

Resource Planning - Systra

• Ability to book requirements by project
• Can book by grade/position
• System accepts days (number) or hours
• No standard booking by employee.. BUT
• As ever, 4 user defined fields possible for
  defining by employee, team, technical expertise,
  office if required
• Variant which allows new forecast each month

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Resource Planning - Systra
Can have different Monthly variants
Record Hours in month required
User Defined Fields
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Resource Planning - Systra

• Time requested by project manager
• Can be rolled forward month by month by simple
  sql update script
• Managers and staff can review on line by
  technical expertise, project or team
• Either book a person, or book a type of person
  and the team leader can assign based on who has
  spare capacity

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Resource Planning - Systra
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Resource Planning - Systra
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Resource Planning - Systra
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Resource Planning - Systra
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Project Budgeting - Systra

• Requirement access to PMs on web to maintain
  their budgets, by activity
• Steve thinking outside the box AGAIN !!
• Use web Project Estimates
• Budget hours, costs, revenue and margin
• Can be updated/maintained at will
• Budgets can be uploaded into Back Office

24

Project Budgeting - Systra
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Project Forecasting - Systra

• Can measure against EACH LINE of budget (down to
  employee etc if required)
• Want to measure estimate to complete compared to
  budget
• Track hours, costs and to complete
• Can be updated monthly/periodically
• Adjust hours, remaining and independently the
  cost amount

26

Project Forecasting - Systra
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Project Forecasting - Systra
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Our Customised Web
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Our Customised Web
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Customised Help Text
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Timesheet Audit Process

• Systra requirement for electronic timesheet
  approval
• Agresso customisation for pop up, audit table and
  forbidding manager corrections
• HUGE effort to get procedures authorised by DCAA
  approved auditor
• Now accepted by MBTA, NYCTA etc
• ?? Only package in US not requiring manual
  signature of every timesheet

32

Timesheet Audit Process
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Absence/Leave Requests

• Requirement
• Want to record absences in advance on Agresso
• Team leaders approval on line
• Electronic enquiry for team leaders
• Solution
• Agresso Absence module

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Absence on the Web
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Competencies

• Can be used to record training requested
• Also follow up on training received
• Record other information relating to skills
• COULD be maintained by employee
• COULD be used for managers to search for
  particular skills
• Potential to update CVs sent to clients ???

36

Competencies on the Web
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Reporting on the Web
38

Leave Flexi Balances
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Team Balances
40

Reporting (Excelerator)
41

Expenses

• Wish to avoid re-keying data
• Allow employees to enter expenses simply
• WEB WEB WEB !!!
• Simple screen without need for a/c codes

42

Expenses on the Web
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Where do we go from here?

• Continue worldwide access via Web
• Roll out product elsewhere in Group ??
• Continue Report development Web views
• Roll out more functionality
• Implementation of other Agresso modules
• Integrate with Payroll BACS system ?
• Early Customer Programme 5.5

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Any Questions?
45
Thank You

• Steve Goulder
• Group Financial Systems Manager
• The MVA Group