Complex Project and Program Portfolio
Planning

of project managers say their planning tools are insufficient for complexity management

60%

is helping organisations around the world to transform the way they manage their complex portfolios of programs and projects

Ensure every project directly supports your organisation's capability goals.

Rank your initiatives based on capability value-addition, risk, and resource utilisation.

Secure continuous commitment from your executives, sponsors, and key resource owners

Establish clear decision-making authorities, stage-gates, and escalation paths.

Provision a consistent collaborative framework across all your engaged personnel.

Monitor whether projects actually deliver their intended capability value after completion.

Balance your resource availability against portfolio demands to avoid over stressing.

Assign the right personnel to critical path tasks based on skills and expertise.

Track inter-project dependencies to prevent one delay from stalling multiple initiatives.

Identify, aggregate, and mitigate threats across the entire project portfolio ecosystem.

Provision Role-based dashboards for accurate, up-to-date reporting on performance metrics.

Evaluate the portfolio-wide impact of scope changes before approving them.

Solution

Goodbye Static Project Plans
Hello Dynamic Portfolios

BOXARR Models are inherently dynamic DigitalTwins of your systems and organisations. They can consistently evolve through changes in underlying data feeds from your information systems and from the collaborative input from the stakeholders and subject experts across your enterprise:

Human Readable without the need to learn complicated modelling languages
Multi-contextual visualisations to reveal opportunity and mitigate risk
Intuitive usability reduces time/cost of training and optimises your adoption
Collaborative engagement by stakeholders across your organisation
Analytical by design with computational Functions and conditional formatting
Interoperating with your data sources and infosystems via CSV & API
Scalable from small Project plans to Enterprise-wide Portfolios.

BOXARR Solutions by Design
Boxes | Arrows | Groups | Fields

Boxes

Generate Box Types to represent your Portfolio network - e.g.: Process; Decision; Outcome; Document; etc.

Arrows

Generate Arrow Types to represent their interdependency relationships - e.g.: Process Flow; Cycle; Variable Outcome; Reference; etc.

Groups

Generate Group Types to represent contextual lenses - e.g.: Programs & Projects; Responsible Work Centers; Responsible Actors; Delivery Phases; Geo-Locations; Readiness; etc.

Properties

Assign relevant data Fields to each Type of Box/Arrow/Group to reflect their attributes and KPIs - e.g.: Numeric, Alpha-numeric, Boolean (Checkbox), HTML, URL, Temporal, Function Results, etc.

Data

Leverage data from your enterprise infosystems - e.g.: ERP; Legacy Project Planning Tools; Spreadsheets; Databases; etc.
Leverage data from your external sources - e.g.: D&B Reports; Risk Reports; FX; Tariffs; Questionnaires; Intelligence Feeds; etc.

Design

Projects that Compute
Functional Analytics

BOXARR incorporates a powerful Functions Framework to enable computation and analyses of data and relationships across the Model.

Functions can compute data values within and between the Objects in a Model, and follow paths of Arrows, or hierarchies of Groups. For example:

Roll-ups (aggregations) of costs / time / risks / assets / etc.
Counts and summaries of up/downstream dependencies

Functions can also be utilised to conditionally format the Model Objects (e.g. apply RAG status or heatmap based upon a risk metrics).

Functions can be applied on demand to a Model as-a-whole or to individual Model Layers (e.g. to assess a change-scenario)

Functional Analytics

Constraining Complexity at Scale
Layers | Views | Roles

Model Layers

Configure and apply pre-Filters to slice-and-dice your Portfolio and Projects for differet use-cases or User Groups - e.g.:
- "Layer A" = Entire Portfolio
- "Layer B" = Project 1
- "Layer C" = Project 2 (Subset X)
Define which data attributes are available in the Properties Pane
Utilise Layers for Collaborative Editing (can merge changes)
Utilise Layers for performing 'What-if' change-impact Scenarios

Model Layer Views

Generate pre-configured default Views for:
- Gantt Schedules / Dependency Networks / Data Tables
Configure and apply additional pre-Filters per View
Define which Label Sets are available to Users
Define which Colour Sets are available to Users

User Roles

Define which Users/User Groups can utilise each Layer
Define User permissions - e.g.:
- Access / Edit / Merge / Import / Export / etc.

Layers Views Roles

Forecast & Backcast your Project Portfolio
Dynamic Gantt Schedules

BOXARR’s integrated scheduler generates Gantt Schedule visualisations of the Model using data attributes assigned to Boxes (e.g. Duration) and Arrows (e.g. Precedence).

Generate "Date" Schedules (i.e. actual calendar dates)
Generate "Relative" Schedules (i.e. Week-1 / Week-2 / etc.)
Switch the Schedule between Contextual Groupings
Zoom in/out of the Schedule to adjust the temporal scale
Expand/Collapse the Schedule Depth for more/less fidelity
Select Objects to reveal Earliest Start and Latest End
Select Objects to view their attributes in the Properties Pane
Show/hide Scheduling violations

Forecast: by scheduling from a specific Start date

Understand when your Objectives can be realised.

Backcast: by reverse scheduling from a specific Target date

Understand when investments, change, and effort need to be made.

Gantt Views

Engage with your Project Portfolio as
Dynamic Dependency Networks

With BOXARR, your Project Portfolio can also be visualised and navigated as dynamic task dependency networks:

Switch the Model between Contextual Groupings - e.g.:
- Work Breakdown
- Work Centers
- Locations
Expand/Collapse the Network Depth for more/less fidelity
Zoom and pan the Network to focus on areas of concern
Show/hide configurable data Labels on Boxes/Arrows/Groups
Show/hide empty Groups (Groups which contain no activities)
Show/hide Colour Options (conditional formatting of Objects)
Apply variable 'weights' to Arrows based on selected metrics
Summarise Arrows with aggregated Data Labels
Apply data summaries to Groups (aggregated Box Data)

Network Views

Engage with your Project Portfolio as
Dynamic Data Tables

With BOXARR, your Project Portfolio can also be visualised as dynamic Data Tables of KPIs:

Generate Data Tables of data for Boxes / Arrows / Groups
Assign, order, and sort columns by Data Fields & Functions
Incorporate Colour Functions for visual indicator metrics - e.g.
- RAG
- Risk
Define formatting styles for numeric, date, time, values
Export data to spreadsheets (User permissions required)

Data Table Views

Review and Edit Project Data
Properties Pane

The Properties Pane displays selected data attributes of any Box or Arrow or Group selected by the User. The Properties Pane can be individually configured for each Model Layer for relevance, and for sensitive data protection (e.g. where some data Fields/Functions may not be relevant to ,or may be withheld from, certain User Groups).

Display Field values and Function values by Object Type
Field/Functions can be sorted into collapsible Tabs for easy navigation
Field values can be edited when the Model is in "Edit Mode"

This approach ensures your Model Views remain clear and uncluttered for effective visual analysis - while enabling detailed information to be easily accessed by Users on demand.

The Properties Pane can be hidden by the User when not required.

Properties Pane

Navigate and Focus by
Parametric Filters

In addition to the preset Filters applied to your Model Layers, Users can configure and apply their own parametric User Filters. For example:

Filter to specific a Project
Filter to a specific Phase
Filter to specific Teams
Filter to specific types of Activities
Filter to specific Work Centres
Filter to specific Locations
Filter to specific paths of Tasks
etc.

User Filters can be reconfigured on-the-fly, to follow and focus on areas and aspects of concern.

Filtering

Surface KPIs
Dynamic Labelling

Users can switch between "Label Sets" to surface different collections of KPI reporting data (Field/Function values) onto the Objects in the Model - enabling rapid visual analysis:

Labels on Boxes

Display configurable Sets of KPI data on Boxes

Labels on Arrows

Display configurable sets of KPI data on Arrows (6 positions per Arrow)
Arrows can be 'Summarised' when Groups are collapsed
Summarised Arrows display aggregated values (min/max/sum/count/etc.)
Summarised Arrows can be "Split" by up/downstream Group Type
Arrows can also be "Weighted" by a selected Field or Function value

Labels on Groups

Display configurable Sets of KPI data on Groups
Group Data:
- Display Group data which auto-aggregates according to Group Depth
Box Data Summaries:
- Display mini-pivot tables of Box Data for Boxes within the Group
- Auto-aggregates according to Group Depth
- Pivots can be "Split" by variable Group Type (up/downstream)

Labels

Visual Analytics
Dynamic Colour Analytics

Users can switch between "Colour Sets" to apply different Colour-by Functional Analyses onto the Objects in the Model - enabling rapid visual analysis:

Colouring Boxes

Colour Boxes by their Box Type (default); or
Colour by a Function (e.g. a Task Completion heatmap, etc.)

Colouring Arrows

Colour Arrows by their Arrow Type (default); or
Colour by a Function (e.g. inherited slippage, etc.)

Colouring Groups

Colour Groups by their Group Type (default); or
Colour by a Function (e.g. a cumulative risk metric value, etc.)

Colouring Labels

Colour Functions can also be assigned as Labels on Model Objects: Boxes/Arrows/Groups
Enable rapid visual RAG/Heatmap indicators

Colours

Mitigate Risk with
Collaborative Planning

BOXARR is an inherently collaborative platform. This means that Project Managers can collaborate both within and between individual Projects and across the Portfolio as a whole to manage complex interdependencies.

In addition, other Stakeholders and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) across your organisation can be engaged with Role-based Permissions to collaborate on planning and problem solving.

Access authorised Model Layers with Role-based permissions
Navigate and analyse projects and portfolios via multi-contextual Views
Collaboratively edit projects, tasks and data attributes
Leverage data imports from your external infosystems and data sources to populate and update
Merge your changes to the Master to update the project and portfolio
Export selected data to inform your other infosystems

Collaboration

Assure resilience with
Change Impact Scenarios

With BOXARR, you can create "Layers" over your Master Model to perform "What-if" change-scenarios. Then visualise/analyse the propagating impacts of changes. This enables evidence-based decision support and collaborative de-risking the delivery of your Objectives and builds resilience across your modelled system of systems.

Proactive Value

Proactively "model & evaluate" potential changes to your Master Plans (additions, delays, variations, critical events, etc.).
Collaboratively visualise and assess the propagating effects
Quickly and effectively update your Master Plan when required

Reactive Value

When the unforeseen inevitably happens:

Respond to critical change quickly and effectively
Collaboratively visualise and assess the propagating effects
Collaboratively war-game and plan remedial action
Merge your remedial action into your Master Plan

Scenarios

Assure Stakeholder reporting with
Dynamic Dashboards

BOXARR nSight enables the enormous analytical value generated from your Project Portfolio Models to be presented to stakeholders as interactive and interrogatable Dashboards.

Dashboards can be assigned to take data from specific Model Layers
Generate Dashboards for holistic Project Portfolios
Generate Dashboards for specific Projects
Visualise Projects and Portfolios as:
- interactive Gantt Schedules
- interactive Dependency Networks
- interactive Data Tables
Surface KPI metrics in interactive dynamic charts and graphs
Share Dashboards with relevant Stakeholders

Learn more about BOXARR nSight Dashboards

Dashboards

Orchestrate with other infosystems
BOXARR Data I/O and API

Most organisations struggle to manage multiple 'siloed' information systems, tools, and data repositories...

BOXARR can be effectively utilised as the "Aggregating Overlay" - enabling you to collate, aggregate, visualise, and analyse the holistic data across the system of systems: identifying hidden risks of interdependency and revealing hidden opportunities for opimisation.

BOXARR supports data-exchange (Input/Output) with 3rd-prty systems via both CSV import/export and configurable BOXAR JSON API:

Import Project data from 3rd-party planning/infosystems
Export data to 3rd-party planning/infosystems
Round-trip data with unique Internal and External Ids

Data Exchange

Reflect Your Reality With
'Real World' Scalability

A significant problem with legacy modelling tools is their inability to scale to the actual size of challenges you're are facing. Even a small organisation can't be realistically reflected in a Slide, or a Diagram, or a Systems Drawing - let alone reflecting a multinational enterprise.

BOXARR enables you to build and evolve Models which reflect the 'real world' scale of your organisations; with the breadth, depth, and fidelity to truly understand and manage your complexity:

Operate Models which can scale from simple systems to highly complex networks incorporating hundreds of thousands of Boxes and millions of data attributes.