Neuron ESB, an application, service and workflow integration platform, tapped into deep Microsoft and integration expertise to provide Power Costs, Inc. (PCI), software solutions for the energy industry, with a connection between Microsoft Project and NetSuite Services Resource Planning (SRP) to increase efficiencies in project management and planning.
PCI used Microsoft Project to manage its slate of accounts, while relying on NetSuite SRP to manage time and billing operations to link forward-planning with real-world billing. Yet, NetSuite SRP did not offer its own connector to Microsoft Project and with no built-in option for integration, PCI was conducting manual imports and exports between the two platforms. Data synchronization was too complex, and managing and tracking projects in the smartest manner would require a two-way interface between the two.
Neuron ESB stepped in to provide its existing add-in product that connected and easily synchronized Microsoft Project and NetSuite SRP. Neuron ESB worked alongside PCI to sync up both organizations’ needs, knowledge, and capabilities, delivering a forward-looking planning instrument and coordinating directly with time and billing. The integration eliminated finely-detailed manual processes and allowed PCI’s Microsoft Project experts to capitalize on their abilities. Additionally, Neuron ESB accelerated deployment by creating and setting defaults for selected custom fields in NetSuite SRP. The project took less than 60 days, and met and exceeded PCI’s requirements.
“PCI now has a far more robust and coordinated platform thanks to the Microsoft Project plugin from Neuron ESB. Their Microsoft expertise and integration experience enabled a smooth shift from OpenAir to NetSuite SRP,” said Scott Quin, Senior Director, Power Costs, Inc. “Our Microsoft Project team is more effective and our billing processes connect directly with our project planning system, allowing us to work more intelligently and productively than ever before.”
As a result of the enhanced integration, PCI is handling a greater number of projects without the need to increase headcount. Human error is greatly reduced as well, with automation replacing the need for data to be entered twice. Project Managers no longer have to waste time manipulating data and entering it in two places. In addition, Neuron ESB ensured that PCI’s team did not experience significant changes to established workflows. The Neuron ESB plugin for Microsoft Project has simplified creating and implementing project roadmaps, critical against PCI’s backdrop of a growing client base, to help them work smarter and more efficiently.
“This project was all about time management, both improving time spent overall and eliminating waste,” said Quin. “By reducing time spent manipulating data, our teams have more resources for analyzing results and taking action based on those results. We have a comprehensive solution that helps us manage our resource allocations more effectively than ever.”
Neuron ESB was able to create synergy between the two systems, and enabled a smooth transition for PCI. The Neuron ESB team represents a unique combination of deep Microsoft expertise and diverse integration knowledge. To learn more about the Neuron ESB and Power Costs, Inc. case study, visit neuronesb.com and follow Neuron ESB on Twitter.