This article contains detailed explanations of the Benefits entity available in PPO:
- What is a benefit;
- Accessing the Benefits entity;
- Standard Configuration;
- Customising the Benefits entity;
- Benefit Reporting;
- Benefit Tracking Life Cycle.
What is a benefit
There are numerous definitions of a benefit but in essence: “[It] is a quantifiable and measurable improvement resulting from an outcome which is perceived as a positive by a stakeholder and which will normally have a tangible value expressed in monetary or resource terms” - OGC
Why would you want to do benefit tracking?
By following a structured approach to benefit tracking, you are forced to explicitly identify the benefits associated with a project, quantify these benefits and track whether the planned benefits are in fact realised.
When is benefit tracking done?
The planned benefits need to be identified and captured at the start of a project. As the project progresses or after completion of the project, the identified benefits will hopefully start being realised and you can start measuring the expected benefits versus the actual benefits realised.
How does PPO support benefit tracking?
A Benefits entity is configured by default in PPO and can be used to capture and track benefits. There are also some standard reports that are available to support the process of benefit tracking.
Accessing the Benefits entity
The Benefits entity can be accessed when you hover over the Projects Menu or from the Project View page. If you do not see the Benefits entity, make sure that the entity has been enabled on your instance and that your user group has been granted access to the entity.
For more information about setting up user group access rights, read the following knowledge base article.
Standard Configuration
The screenshot below shows the standard configuration of the Benefits entity.
Please note that the Actual Value and the Feedback fields are not completed when benefits are initially added. These are captured once the benefit has been realised either partially or in full. At this time, the Feedback field can also be updated to explain the Variance and Benefit Status which are automatically calculated.
Customising the Benefits entity
Should you wish to configure the benefits entity to align to your own methodology, access the following knowledge base article which will guide you through the process of adding or updating existing data fields. If you also need assistance in the process, feel free to log a support call and the PPO Support team will gladly assist you.
Benefit Reporting
The benefit reports available in PPO will assist the executives and project managers to track and monitor the realisation of the project benefits. They are:
- Benefit Realisation Report - the report shows a summary of the status of all the benefits available on the project. It offers drill-down capability into the underlying benefit information.
- Benefit Detail Report – the report shows a data dump of all the data fields available on the benefits entity. It is only available in a datasheet view.
For more information on the report explanations access the following knowledge base article.
Benefit Tracking Life Cycle
A standard benefit tracking life cycle is available on your PPO instance, if you don’t already have a current life cycle you are using.
The life cycle can be accessed by clicking on the “Life Cycle” menu item and then clicking on the “Benefit Tracking” icon on the landing page.
Should you wish to change the current life cycle to align to your internal methodology, access the following knowledge base article which will assist you in making changes to the current lifecycle, or alternatively feel free to log a support call and the PPO Support team will gladly assist you.