The necessary information is simply there
User report from PEAK System Technik
PEAK System Technik is a leading supplier of hardware, software and services for industrial communication. In addition to the development as well as the distribution and trade of hardware and software products, PEAK System Technik offers customers its own know-how in the form of various services. Systems developed by us, for example, link taximeters to vehicle electronics or control the blue lights in police cars. In 2008, Projektron BCS was introduced at PEAK, and by now all our employees work with it.
PEAK System was founded in 1999 as an independent company. Before that, however, we already existed as the development department of the PEAK Service Group. From the beginning, we developed hardware and software for CAN bus applications, mainly microcontroller modules for the embedded sector.
Our customers come mainly from the aerospace, mechanical and plant engineering and automotive industries. In the latter, we are suppliers to Opel, General Motors USA, Audi and Daimler, among others. Our meanwhile almost 30 employees are divided into three departments: Hardware, Software and the Marketing and Documentation Department. Together we work on 25 to 30 projects a year, with durations varying between two months and two years. In addition, there are 10 to 15 internal development projects per year.
A typical project at our company, for example, involves the development and production of aftersales electronics in the automotive sector.
Why was an external project management tool necessary?
The main impetus for us to look for external software was PEAK's growth. At some point, we were no longer able to manage time recording and invoicing for customers with our Excel lists. In addition, we expanded internationally a few years ago. The French sister company in Nancy, which was added seven years ago, consisted of only two people, but still had to be connected.
We began our search for a suitable tool in winter 2007/2008 with an Internet search. In the process, four providers crystallized out, whose software we had demonstrated to us. The most important characteristics we were looking for in a new tool were: It had to be Internet-based, easy to use, and have a database that resides on our own servers. During the search, multilingualism became more and more important because of the new sister company.
Projektron BCS emerged as the winner from this selection process because the software was the easiest to use compared to the competitors. We were also convinced by the fact that installation with BCS was self-explanatory, so that we did not need any extensive training. That's why we had BCS installed by PEAK in 2008. Today, all of our employees work with it.
How is Projektron BCS used in daily operations at PEAK?
Today, it is impossible to imagine working processes at PEAK without Projektron BCS, with the main application being time recording. When an employee arrives at PEAK in the morning, the first thing he does is take a look at the BCS calendar: Who is there? Which room is occupied? Is the EMC lab free? Or: Is a company car available? From the first moment, the employee has to ask around less. The information is simply there.
This saves time and, of course, money. BCS is also important for the project managers, who evaluate the ongoing projects and keep the customers informed about the status. Reporting has become much easier since we started working with BCS. At PEAK, we place particular emphasis on the ticket system and milestones.
All of this together leads to much greater transparency for us and for our customers. It has also significantly improved our resource planning. Facts have replaced gut values in recent years, which has naturally led to significant improvements in the preparation of quotations for customers.
All in all, we can say that we at PEAK are very satisfied with Projektron BCS and that we will certainly continue to use it in the future.
