Energy management consultancy, Annasa Energy has implemented Project Portfolio Office (PPO), an online project portfolio management (PPM) and collaboration application, in order to assist in the rollout of two million compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) to the public of the Western Cape.
According to Tsholo Matlala, MD of Annasa Energy, the organisation opted for PPO to assist with project and data management around the installation of the bulbs. “As part of its Efficient Lighting Programme, which involves the large scale exchange of CFLs in the residential sector, Eskom appointed Annasa Energy, as a company that provides for the implementation of energy efficiency solutions, to assist in helping Cape Town-based residents to reduce energy consumption.
“Through Annasa Energy, five consultancies have been tasked with physically replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFLs, as well as collection of the old bulbs for disposal. We needed PPO to help keep track of the entire process – from the number of CFL bulbs installed, to the removal and crushing of the incandescent bulbs.”
Matlala maintains that PPO’s strength, in this case, lies in its ability for live information updates. “Consultants in the field can update the system as bulbs are replaced, meaning that we can tightly control progress and effort as well as provide accurate, current reports to Eskom.
“Due to PPO, management of progress and effort can be speedily verified, within one day, as opposed to a five day wait when using our previous offline system. In addition, cash flow management is greatly improved, meaning reduced payment times for contractors.”
Guy Jelley, Project Portfolio Office CEO, says that PPO’s collaboration abilities are key to this project, with access needed by Eskom, Annasa Energy, the consultancies and the bulb crushing company. “Using PPO allows project teams and stakeholders a far greater visibility of the status of work, projects, programmes and portfolios. It creates a collaborative environment for teams to work, plan and complete projects together and provides the required communication and alerts to keep teams informed.
“By the same token, PPO’s planning and task management features are also critical to Annasa Energy’s success in this instance. Solid planning and effective task management are crucial to the successful delivery of any project, and PPO facilitates this by providing accountability and visibility, allowing team members to update tasks and providing immediate progress updates, as well as generating real time e-mail alerts and reminders of task progress and status,” Jelley states.
