Microsoft® Project automated a tracking and reporting system for strategic planning at Litton Industries. The time required to make scheduling changes was cut by up to 50%.
Vital Statistics:
Litton Industries
Woodland Hills, CA
Standards and Resource Management Group
Sergio Cortez, Corporate Program Manager
Industry:
Aerospace and Defense
Employees: 29,000
Software Programs:
Microsoft Windows® 95
Microsoft Project
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Schedule+
Microsoft PowerPoint®
Hardware:
Dell Dimension P75 PCs
Results of Using Project:
"Microsoft Project allowed us to integrate
various schedules into a single application giving maximum flexibility for editing and for preparing executive
briefs using Microsoft PowerPoint."
Litton Industries is a $3.3 billion aerospace and defense company based in Woodland Hills, CA, with principal operations throughout the United States, Canada, Germany, and Italy. Litton is organized into product groups ranging from navigation, guidance and control systems, and electronic warfare and command to information technology and communication systems. Every product group and division is responsible for maintaining and reporting on the current status of strategic planning operations.
The Standards and Resource Management Group serves as a facilitator, providing support for other groups and producing a wide range of reports for senior management.
Strategic planning was reported to senior management on a regular basis by all groups using a paper scheduling and tracking system. Keeping top executives informed by presenting only the information they needed required a lot of work using the existing system.
Corporate Program Manager Sergio Cortez explained that one division manager asked his department if there was a tool available that could automate the paper scheduling system by producing strategic planning reports using a computer. After meeting with the manager and analyzing his scheduling and reporting needs, Sergio’s department decided to create a system based on project management software.
Sergio identified the most important features his company needed in a project management software application after meeting repeatedly with the division manager. The software program needed to have output capabilities flexible enough to duplicate the reports currently received by senior management. Microsoft Project was selected after investigating a number of different software products.
Preparing these reports using the paper tracking system required extensive effort. Data retrieved from paper files had to be entered into a computer, then cut and pasted into a report. The new system needed to simplify this procedure and be easy for administrative personnel to learn. Support staff members were expected to maintain files once initial schedules were set up.
The Standards and Resource Management Group wanted to be able to easily update files and transfer information to create presentation charts. Sergio found that Microsoft Project fulfilled all of the needs in question and more.