Arbitron is an international media and marketing research firm serving radio broadcasters, cable companies, advertisers, advertising agencies and outdoor advertising companies in the United States, Mexico and Europe. Arbitron’s marketing and business units are supported by a world-renowned research and technology organization located in Columbia, Md. Arbitron employs a staff of more than 825 employees across the enterprise.

The Challenge:

Arbitron's newly formed Program Management Office (PMO) wanted to establish a new project management methodology in order to more effectively manage the organization's IT projects. The company needed an accurate way to track resource use across various projects in different departments, in order have a snapshot view of who was working on what, and who had what availability. Arbitron needed a single location housing all project-related templates and documents, so project teams would be able to easily access these documents and collaborate on them. The company’s management required accurate visibility into the status of projects, and the solution needed to integrate seamlessly with legacy systems. Up-to-date portfolio reports would help strengthen strategic decision-making.   

The Solution:

After careful evaluation of tools and providers, Arbitron selected Microsoft's scalable, easy-to-use EPM platform (Project Pro and Project Server 2003) to provide project teams with new resource management, document management and portfolio reporting capabilities, while leveraging their familiar Microsoft toolset.

The company chose Project Solutions Group, a Microsoft Certified Partner, to implement the solution, based on its long-term customer relationships and portfolio of successful EPM projects. Arbitron wanted to start with a successful pilot implementation and then expand the deployment of EPM to other departments across the organization during FY05. 

PSG collaborated closely with Arbitron's PMO to manage projects associated with developing new products to bring to market. One of the important projects in development during this period was the Portable People Meter, a sophisticated device worn by the consumer that measures his or her exposures to television and radio content.

The Results:

The Microsoft EPM solution provides strong long-term value in helping Arbitron effectively manage its portfolio of strategic initiatives. Arbitron's executives have the tools and data to make more informed decisions in real time. A centralized schedule provides Arbitron's PMO with the ability to see all ongoing projects and ensures compliance with best practices throughout the organization. Management has visibility into resource usage by project and department for better monitoring and control. Inefficiencies can be easily identified and resources can be assigned to highest priority projects. Project teams are collaborating more effectively. The result is that Arbitron's employees are working smarter and bringing new products to market faster.