Overview of Cora Systems

Cora Systems Introduction

Founded in Ireland in 1999, Cora is now a worldwide leader in providing enterprise project and portfolio management solutions to global organizations and government agencies.  We partner with these enterprises so we can supercharge their journey from strategy to execution through our solutions.

Understanding your needs

We adopt a consultative approach to solving your pain points. We make sure we fully understand your requirements.  Cora has rich industry experience and draws on over two decades of R&D and PPM implementation experience for our installations.

We have industry experts for each vertical market we serve.  Senior project managers run our implementations, which are delivered with Cora-certified education and training.

Cora is renowned in the industry for our successful, large-scale roll-outs with some of the foremost companies in its market sectors, including Allergan, Honeywell Building Solutions and the UK’s NHS National Health Service.  Implementations that have garnered a string of industry awards.  We also partner with PwC and selected regional partners to embellish the service we can give you.

Cora Products

Cora from Cora Systems allows organisations to achieve full control, governance and insight across their portfolio of projects. Organisations from various sectors and industries have achieved significant benefits through the application of Cora which enables project portfolio offices to control all manner of project types and methodologies.

The solution is tailored to an organisation’s terminology and processes with a support structure from Cora Systems. Cora can be deployed in the cloud or on-premise with majority of our clients opting for a cloud deployment.

Cora is designed for all type of users with varying degrees of project management knowledge and position in the company; catering for users at strategic, tactical, management and operational levels. Cora intuitive user interface can be broken down into key areas which each serve to help guide the user through the platform, by grouping similar functions.

Why integrate

There are a number of reasons why customers want to integrate their own or 3rd party applications with Cora.  Cora delivers a single version of the truth providing the right information to the right people, allowing customers and their clients to make better decisions and uphold strong governance.  The reasons and types of integrations vary from customer to customer, depending on the use case(s) they describe to Cora Systems.

The most common use case is to centralise project, programme and portfolio managed by pulling information from other systems into a platform to provide a single truth. This ensures a number of key benefits, which may include:

• Enables a common, standardized approach across programmes
• Enables centralized management of complex governance structures
• Supports delivery through evidence-based decision making
• Supports real-time reporting and interrogation of data
• Maximizes opportunities for multi-locational collaboration
• Reduced cost through the removal of duplication
• Drives effective risk management
• Provides confidence in programme delivery
• Fast identification of programmes in distress
• Improved quality of programme management products

Integrations Capability

Cora provides at least three ways to integrate with the rest of your enterprise technology estate;

Low-Code Cora Connectors:  These provide near out-of-the-box integration to common business applications.  We currently have a connector to SharePoint (for document storage) and MS ADO/TFS with connectors to Salesforce™ and Microsoft Teams™ in development.  A small amount of configuration will be required by your IT support team working with Cora’s support team

Cora API (Application Programming Interface):  A full-featured RESTful Application Programming Interface that provides endpoints to all the key data in Cora.   Your IT Development teams can easily integrate Cora into your service orientated architecture

Cora Bespoke Development:  Where a connector is not available or you do not have in-house IT expertise to leverage the API, Cora has extensive experience of creating solutions to integrate Cora with your other enterprise systems

The way in which you integrate with your / 3rd party applications will depend again on the use case as well as other factors such as technology, platform, software versions, quantity and quality of data sources, etc. In some cases, more than one method might be used, consult your Cora representative to discuss these options in more detail.  

Vendor Applications

Commercially available 3rd party applications that Cora has / can integrate with is summarised below.  

There are many interfaces and connectors available within Cora PPM to ensure a seamless world for customers.  This list is continuously updated as Cora Systems invest in new interfaces and connectors for customers.

We also continue to expand our Restful API to enhance the sharing of data with other platforms that customers are using our mobile Apps (iOS and Android) use our API to continuously connect to the project/programme/portfolio for real-time information.

Architecture

Cora is developed on Microsoft’s Visual Studio 2017 development environment. Team foundation Server (TFS) is used to manage the development backlog within an Agile development environment.

The Cora Systems development team develop applications using the best design techniques to eliminate security issues such as SQL injection etc. Cora uses “IronWasp” as the application scanner tool to ensure that common security weaknesses are discovered and fixed. See https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/topic/ironwasp-part-1-2/ for more information 

The system can be hosted on a Microsoft Windows Standard or Enterprise Server versions 2008 to 2012 and can run on a virtual or physical server.

Integration Points from 3rd Party data Source

Below is an illustration of a sample of 3 types of integration, as in 

1. Push Data Direct from 3rd Party to Cora PPM API – using iPaaS /other ESB Technology.
2. Push Data via flat file from 3rd Party to Cora PPM API – using iPaaS /other ESB Technology.
3. Push Data via flat file from 3rd Party to secure FTP site (sFTP) – using Cora service to load data into Cora PPM via API on demand / scheduled.

Where the integration data push is ‘scheduled’ or ‘on demand’, this is usually limited to Administrators and Cora will usually recommend scheduled to be set during off peak/low working hours to avoid performance concerns.

Using a Flat file Structure

When using a Flat File (options 2 and 3 in the previous section) to push data from a 3rd party application to Cora, this sample illustration describes of the process flow of data for that flat file.

That file or spreadsheet such as a CSV, (if for example the integration was to push Project Costs from an ERP such as SAP or Oracle ERP), this would need to include the following data as a minimum.

This however varies from customer to customer depending on a number of factors, the business process, the applications, the technology, data quality and quantity etc.

Customer Integration Stories

Story 1:  Automated Logic

At Automated Logic, we've been developing and supporting intelligent building solutions that have helped customers operate their buildings more efficiently for over 40 years. We take pride in being global leader in building automation systems and working with customers ranging from small, family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 corporations.

For more information see https://www.automatedlogic.com/

Use Case

The use case for the integration was for better synchronisation between the ERP and their project portfolio management system, Cora. Thereafter ALC need a platform to make EAC adjustments to better forecast planned expenditure from project manager adjustments. The last use case was to have a platform for Project Managers to load a Bill of Materials BOM so as to streamline the procurement process with the buying team. It was therefore decided to build 3 integrations.

Project Setup and Project Financial from ERP to Cora

The main system of truth for ALC is their ERP. ALC wanted project details, for example Name; Project ID; Project Manager & other key roles, and project financials to be sent to Cora.  The integration would be the only way new projects were to be created in Cora, which would be sent as the projects were booked in ERP.  Project Financials needed to be sent multiple times per day, However, they needed financial import to be paused during the forecast period for financials to stay static.

EAC Adjustments

ALC had moved all financial processes – forecast, WIP and EAC – to Cora.  However, EACs needed to get back over to the ERP. ALC needed a near real time integration to get these adjustments back to the ERP as the EACs were approved via a workflow in Cora.

Material Procurement Tool

ALC would the ability for Project Manager to be able to load a Bill of Material (BOM) and then create order for materials that then would be sent to their purchasing team for procurement.  Updates on orders then will be pushed back to Cora.  

Technology

Applications/Middleware used can be summarised as follows;

For the Project Setup/Project Financial integration from ERP to Cora

• Application used: Microsoft Dynamics Solomon (MSD SL) 
• Current: Flat File via sFTP 

The next phase of the integration project is planned by converting from the flat file process to directly via the Cora API, also using the Catalina API (Middleware)

For the EAC Adjustments integration from Cora to the ERP

• Application used: Microsoft Dynamics Solomon (MSD SL)
• API & Middleware: Catalina API 

For the Material Procurement Tool integration

• Application Used: eParts Services 
• Cora API

Timeline

1. For the Project Setup/Project Financial integration from ERP to Cora – 45 days 
2. For the EAC Adjustments integration from Cora to the ERP - 9 months. (A number of customer audit procedures required new requirements to complete thus taking time)
3. Material Procurement Tool - 3 months

Risks, Issues and Recommendations

Flat files were originally sent 3 times daily, and then was increased to 8 times daily. This increased the effort to manage and the load on services. The need for current data kept increasing as users became more and more familiar with the system. Therefore, this is being converted to an API in the next phase to be near real time and trigger as soon as change is made in the ERP. The immediate need for this conversion came with the EAC process.  Therefore, the recommendations are to use the Cora API rather than Flat File imports to better support synchronic systems.

Story 2:  Honeywell HBS

Buildings affect people every moment of every day. And at Honeywell Building Technologies (HBT / HBS), we’re transforming the way every building operates, because better buildings make our lives better. Over 23,000 HBT global employees support buildings of every type, from commercial offices, stores and schools to hospitals, airports and arenas.

Our diverse technologies and brands enable us to create holistic solutions, improving virtually every aspect of your building’s environment and experience.  We believe buildings should be efficient and sustainable — and that building data can guide business decisions.

For more information see https://buildings.honeywell.com/

Use Case

The use case for the integration was to provide a real time project cost position. And in addition, to support accurate forecasting of both materials and labour costs against revised cost estimates. 

• Materials import linked directly to the schedule to achieve an integrate schedule view of the project. Then use EVM metrics to confirm performance and progress
• Push Estimate At Completion EAC information back to financial system once approved in Cora

Technology

Single Integration using an Extract Transform Load ETL process to; 

• Create and Update existing Project with project Meta Data from Salesforce
• As Sold (OCE) financial Information broken out by Account code
• Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) to include any Change order broken out by Account code
• Actual and committed costs including PO, Invoice and Direct costs information by account code. Load is nightly using SFTP connection and ETL service designed and Hosted by Cora

Timeline

The Initial implementation timeline has been achieved in less than calendar 12 weeks and the integration phase was complete in less than calendar 8 weeks.

Risks, Issues and Recommendations

The initial challenges were around defining level of data required in the integrations. Others were;

1. Confirmation of the data mapping and,
2. the business configuration required to provide data insights as part of reporting and monitoring

As a recommendation for this type of integration is to ensure that the data require is sufficient for the Project Manager /Cost Controller to complete their activities within the application.

Story 3:  Genentech

Considered the founder of the industry, Genentech, now a member of the Roche Group, has been delivering on the promise of biotechnology for more than 40 years.

Genentech is a biotechnology company dedicated to pursuing ground-breaking science to discover and develop medicines for people with serious and life-threatening diseases. Our transformational discoveries include the first targeted antibody for cancer and the first medicine for primary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Genentech became a member of the Roche Group in March of 2009. As part of their merger agreement, Roche and Genentech combined their pharmaceutical operations in the United States. Genentech's South San Francisco campus now serves as the headquarters for Roche pharmaceutical operations in the United States. Genentech Research and Early Development operates as a separate business unit within Roche.

For more information see https://www.gene.com/

Use Case

The use case for the integration was similar to that of ALC, so as to provide a real time project cost position.  In addition, to support accurate forecasting of all project costs against revised labour cost estimates. This process is supported by three file imports from SAP into Cora PPM Cost Book.  These files contained;

• New Purchase Orders, 
• Purchase Order Amendments in SAP, and 
• Paid /Cash Out Actuals

Thereafter, push APPROVED Estimate At Completion EAC information back to SAP once approved in Cora.

Technology

The technology currently used at the time of this document was to push .csv Comma Separated Value files on a sFTP network site for the 3 files coming from SAP (New POs, PO Amends, and Actuals). This process has been described earlier in this document. These files are prepared by the customer and manually stored on the sFTP site. Using the Cora API, on a nightly automated service, these files are imported into Cora via the API. A set of checks and validation are included in the automated service to check for errors, for example if the project if the file exists in Cora.

Then export of the approved EAC back to SAP is also left on the sFTP site, which is included in the automated export service. Cora prepares this file as a service too. This file is imported into SAP by the customer.  

The next phase of the project is to automate this process by eliminating the need for ‘flat file’ import, automation via the APIs directly.

Timeline

The timeline for this integration is ongoing at the time of tis document, where new technology and efficiency improvements are being designed. However, the initial integration to share files via the sFTP took 3 months to complete.

Risks, Issues and Recommendations

The risks at the onset of the implementation of Cora was primarily around the large volumes of PO data from the customer that was available however it was not understood what parts of those large volumes was actually needed in Cora to complete the process at the time. 

Issues currently faced is primarily the around the manual handling of files, subject to error, and the required validation scripts prior to importing. Meaning, small errors in the file can halt an entire import process for the night. 

The recommendations for future implementations of this integration type would be to:

1. Rather use the direct API method as opposed to intermediate flat files, even if as a stop gap solution
2. Rather than investing in all data that can be shared by SAP to Cora, limit to just what is needed to complete the process
3. Avoid large data volumes in single processes, split them up
4. Avoid using old processes, the introduction of Cora should be an opportunity to build new ones
5. Avoid using detailed and constrictive data validations at the onset of the implementation