Powering Project Management:
Leveraging the Power Platform to Improve Processes and Reporting
How ATS Transformed Project Management with the Microsoft Power Platform
Introduction
Applied Technical Services (ATS) is a privately held company that provides a range of testing, inspection, engineering, and calibration services. For over 20 years, ATS has been actively investing in its existing business as well as acquiring other businesses in the Testing, Inspection, Certification, & Compliance (TICC) sector.
As of 2024, ATS has added over 30 subsidiary companies to their Family of Companies (FOC).
The Need
ATS needed a new project management solution to streamline their processes and deliver reports more efficiently to their customers.
ATS had been using a project management solution built in SharePoint 2013, but with SharePoint 2013 going end-of-life, they saw an opportunity to not only replicate what they had, but to meet with their business units to see what had changed in their business over the years and build a brand-new solution from the ground up.
Additionally, the old project management system had several limitations, including:
- It was not user-friendly and lacked automation.
- The task management process was convoluted, requiring many clicks to close out tasks, which led to employees not closing out their tasks.
- The system also lacked a schedule to show all assigned tasks, leading some departments to use other solutions to manually track their tasks.
The Solution
After several design sessions with key stakeholders across several different departments and business units, Abel Solutions developed a solution using the Power Platform, which includes Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, as well as SQL Server and Dataverse.
The new ATS project management app integrates with other tools such as Microsoft Planner, SharePoint, Dynamics, and Traverse, and has been customized and enhanced to meet the specific needs of the different departments and FOCs.
Implementation
ATS began rolling out the new project management app to their core departments, with plans to onboard their FOCs in the future.
The onboarding process for different departments and FOCs has presented some challenges, as each company has its own unique business processes and requirements. However, the app has been designed to be flexible and configurable, with the ability to turn features and functions on or off as needed.
Results and Next Steps
While the app is still being updated and enhanced based on user feedback and business needs, it has shown promise in streamlining processes, improving task management, and providing more visibility into project status and billing. The app has also been well received by many employees, who appreciate the improved usability and functionality.
Additional enhancements are planned for the project management app, including the development of additional applications to replace Planner and improve time tracking. The goal remains the same—to continue to improve and streamline the processes for ATS and their FOCs.