Project Management Procurement

Procurement for projects is typically hindered by issues of request management, approval, and accounting. The integrated Project and Purchasing applications within TrackerSuite.Net mitigate these issues.

For organizations seeking to manage their purchasing process for projects they are undertaking, several common issues arise:

• An inconsistent purchase request process, where purchase requests are submitted lacking required information or in different formats, do not follow a strict approval process, and suffer clerical issues (misfiled or lost paperwork).
• Delays in request approval and fulfillment, which lead to corresponding delays in the project as teams wait for required materials.
• Vendor management and invoice fulfillment.
• Accurate accounting, particularly the separation of capital from non-capital purchases.

TrackerSuite.Net, a suite of Web based business applications, provides modules that help to simplify, streamline and improve the accounting of procurement for projects.

The TrackeSuite.Net modules that make this possible are Purchase Tracker.Net, a Web based purchasing system, and Project Tracker.Net, an online project management system.

Vendor Management and Invoice Fulfillment

Purchase Tracker.Net provides a single online purchase request forms that users can submit at any time, from any location. These online forms are easy to fill out, allowing users to select vendors from a database as well as auto-populating shipping information based on the user's location. Validation rules ensure that purchase requests are not submitted until they are filled out completely.

Streamlined, Secure Approval

On submission, purchase requests are automatically routed through the approval process, securing the project management procurement process. Purchase Tracker.Net supports unlimited approval workflows, and includes the ability to set proxy approvers in case a designated approver is unavailable when a purchase request enters the approval cycle. Purchase Tracker.Net can be configured to deliver purchase requests for review and approval via email, allowing approvers to click a link on the email form to sign off on it without ever leaving their email.

Secure procurement

As well as its automatic routing ensuring that each purchase request is directed to its designated approver or proxy, Purchase Tracker.Net also secures project procurement workflow with activity logs embedded in each purchase request form, that record all edits and approvals to the request with time and date stamped electronic signatures, establishing a trail of responsibility for every purchase request. If a change or update to the purchase request is necessary after it has been approved, a change order can be submitted that preserves the original request and logs the update.

Improving Project Financial Accounting

The integration of TrackerSuite.Net project management and procurement modules benefits accounting as well. For example, the purchase order form includes a General Ledger coding section, where the total amount of the purchase request can be divided against multiple account codes. Users can charge GL codes against specific tasks in a project's WBS, as outlined in Project Tracker.Net.

Data from Purchase Tracker.Net is pushed to the Tracker Data Warehouse, where it is used to generate a variety of reports, including Purchase Lists and Purchase Order vs. Payment.

For More Information

For more information about TrackerSuite.Net and its integration of project management and procurement workflows, please contact Automation Centre today at (520) 882-9287, or email Info@Acentre.com.

Automation Centre is also pleased to offer a free demo of TrackerSuite.Net, which includes its applications for project management, time and expense reporting, purchasing, payment requests, personnel management, support services and more. Interested parties may register for immediate access to an evaluation site to make a hands-on evaluation of TrackerSuite.Net for their needs.