SharePoint 2010 Custom Workflow Solution Accelerates New Product Revenue by Decreasing Time to Market
Project At a Glance
RDA developed a global-scale SharePoint 2010 custom workflow solution for our client that automates and dramatically improves the process of reviewing, evaluating and managing the development of new product ideas and inventions, a critical business need for generating revenue. The new streamlined process is far more efficient than the previous manual method, significantly reducing the amount of time – and money – required to evaluate new ideas and decide whether they should be developed into products. Viable new products can be identified and released to market more quickly, generating additional revenue opportunities for the company.
About Our Client
Our client is a global tool manufacturer and product development company which was formed by the merger of two companies.
Background
The recent creation of our client’s tool division created the need to integrate the operations of two merged businesses. In the Hand Tools division, a business process that was a high priority to address as part of this integration effort was “Ideation,” the innovation process by which the review and evaluation of new ideas and inventions is performed and managed. New products are critical to achieving sustained revenue growth for the business, and the streamlining of the innovation process would facilitate a reduction in the time it takes to perform due diligence and decide whether new ideas and inventions should be developed into new products.
Prior to RDA’s solution, the innovation process was predominantly manual. Our client determined that the Microsoft SharePoint 2010 platform, with its business processing, reporting and content management capabilities, could be the basis for an innovation process that meets key business needs. The “To-Be” model looked to leverage SharePoint functionality around forms; workflows and escalations; content management and collaboration; and reporting and dashboards.
Solution Detail
RDA developed a highly effective custom workflow solution for our client that automates the Ideation process using SharePoint 2010, InfoPath 2010, SQL Server 2008, and various other technologies.
The solution enables our client’s research and development departments to review, evaluate and manage new product ideas and inventions using a trackable, fully automated process that is dramatically more efficient than the previous manual method.
In addition to workflow capabilities for internal users to initiate and approve electronic forms, the solution provides a central repository for forms and a collaborative portal for idea development that is accessible to team members across the globe.
Internal users are able to report on various metrics associated with idea submissions as needed throughout the process. All forms are browser compatible, and the solution provides for internal user authentication through Active Directory.
Benefits
Our client’s research and development departments are now able to review, evaluate and manage the Ideation process using a trackable, fully automated workflow solution. The new streamlined process is far more efficient than the previous manual method, significantly reducing the amount of time required to perform due diligence and decide whether new ideas and inventions should be developed into new products. Viable new products can be identified and released to market more quickly, generating additional revenue opportunities for the company.
RDA’s solution also provides a true collaborative environment for idea development accessible to team members in different locations across the globe.
Our client is able to report on various metrics associated with idea submissions to support the evaluation process.
Senior management now has visibility into an aspect of their business that is critical to company revenue – the generation and development of new product ideas.
Our client’s product managers and channel managers benefit from an improved process, as they are responsible for managing the revenue around the creation of new product ideas.
Technically Speaking
RDA’s solution leverages Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, InfoPath 2010, SQL Server 2008, Nintex 2010, Visio Pivot Diagram using SharePoint 2010 Visio Services and PivotViewer (a Silverlight control that displays information visually and creates collections of information that can be displayed in various ways, such as by market/region/stage). The Silverlight PivotViewer webpart pulls from data collections built in Just In Time (JIT) using LinQ to SQL.
Screenshots of the solution are provided below.
Ideas by Stage:
Idea Detail:
Sorted by location:
Visio Services Pivot Diagram displaying metrics and custom webpart showing all project KPIs:
Typical Project Site:
Project Status Rollup:
Data from SQL Server and SharePoint Lists:
