Can you introduce yourself, your organisation and your role in it?

I’ve been working at the Faculty of Science at the University of Neuchâtel for 10 years. As part of the Faculty Secretariat and Dean’s Office team, I coordinate all academic activities relating to Bachelor’s and Master’s level courses.

I am responsible for the administrative and technical follow-up of courses and the smooth running of examination sessions, while ensuring that regulations are respected.

Why did you decide to take part in the Circular Project Management training course at the Prefix Academy?

I took part in this course as part of my CAS in public management, project management option.

What were the main challenges or problems you faced before the training?

I was regularly faced with problematic situations, the resolution of which required the implementation of a project methodology. I’m thinking in particular of pedagogical and technical developments, which are not easy to implement in a highly institutionalised academic environment where there is very little room for manoeuvre.

Since you took the Circular Project Management course, have you been able to apply the tools and methods taught? If so, can you share how this has contributed to the mastery and success of your projects?

Yes, even though the training was completed recently, a number of tools and an understanding of the importance of the project outline have enabled me to review the way we manage projects with my colleagues. We now have the tools we need to engage stakeholders and ensure that projects are carefully monitored. We’ll also be much calmer in the face of constraints and the inevitable obstacles.

What struck you most about Circular Project Management, and how do you find it different or more relevant than other certification methods?

No doubt its flexibility. In a way, this method is the ‘Swiss army knife’ of project management: you may not need all the tools presented, but the methodology makes it possible to define which ones are necessary and thus to form a coherent whole around the project outline and the dashboard.

It also allows the manager to take a step back and review his or her work.

Can you share a funny or memorable anecdote from the training that you think reflects Prefix’s values?

Several of them! But what I remember most of all was the good humour that reigned throughout the course. Thirteen people from all walks of life came together in a classroom in the basement of a building, and the result was some great encounters, laughter and life lessons to remember. And a fool-proof project management method!

Philippe’s teaching style has a lot to do with it.

Can you introduce yourself, your organisation and your role in it?

My name is Michel Burla, and I have been in charge of the Oils and Fats segment of the Centravo Group since 2019. This segment is based on two sites, an oils and fats refinery in Lyss (BE) and a margarine factory in Mitlödi (GL). It employs 120 people and generates annual sales of CHF 120 million.

Why did you decide to use Prefix’s services?

I had the opportunity to discuss project management with Philippe Lauper, who suggested that I carry out a test to establish my organisation’s project management maturity. The result of the test showed that we had a lot of room for improvement!

What were the main challenges or problems you faced before Prefix came on board?

We already had a project management process in place, but it was clumsily defined, incomplete and not recognised as a process within the group. In short, we lacked project skills and culture. The test also revealed to me that we had no control over our project portfolio.

Which of Prefix’s services did you choose?

Following the test, Prefix was able to make me a proposal targeted at our weaknesses. We chose to start with a full Circular Project Management course and training on the Microsoft Project scheduling tool, so as to build up our skills. After that, we took out a support subscription to become more autonomous.

What struck you most about Circular Project Management, the Prefix method?

I appreciate the flexibility that this method offers. It corresponds well to the frequent changes in our company’s environment (customer requirements, legal requirements). I also appreciate its simplicity and adaptability.

I also like the shape of the 8 method, or lemniscate depending on how you read it. It gives me a good mnemonic to remember it. Since the training course, I’ve been using it regularly to explain certain principles of project management to people around me.

Have you noticed any significant improvements in your team’s productivity or efficiency since working with Prefix?

Yes, clearly. Following the training, we overhauled our entire project management process and the associated documents, and integrated them into our quality system. From now on, we won’t accept any project that doesn’t comply with the method. Thanks to this, we’ve been able to revitalise dormant projects, increase the number of parallel projects and improve our credibility with the group and our customers.

When I read the results of the test, I found it hard to accept that we had major shortcomings in project management, but now we’ve stopped tinkering with things, we’re taking a professional approach. Not only has it made my job easier, it’s also re-energised my team. We should have made this investment much earlier!

What struck you most about Prefix’s services?

For me, Prefix is the art of asking the right questions and coming up with the answers. Everyone in my team is now involved in the project management process and we’ve got into the habit of asking ourselves the right questions!

Can you share a funny or unusual anecdote that happened while you were accompanied by Prefix?

We had planned to do the training in English, the language most common to Prefix and my team. In the end, the oral exchanges were a spontaneous mix of German, Swiss German, English and French. In the end, we all spoke Prefixian!

What other question would you like to answer?

Has the Centravo Group benefited from the return on its investment in Prefix?

Before committing myself, I made a quick calculation of the cost per hour and per person of the team I had tied up for this process. It turned out to be negligible compared with the estimated time saved thanks to our increased skills. I’d advise everyone to start with the test and go through the same experience as we did.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I love the quote that says “When a man’s hungry, it’s better to teach him to fish than to give him a fish“. Prefix has been like our fishing rod!

CONTEXT

The administration of the canton of Neuchâtel represents more than 4’500 people, organized in 5 departments and the chancellery, the 3 government bodies and 3 supervisory authorities.

ACHIEVEMENTS

1. Prefix is part of the continuing education program of the State of Neuchâtel with the Circular Project Management, which counts for the CAS in Public Management. Prefix also teaches shared governance.
2. Implementation of a project portfolio management tool in 3 services of the Department of Finance and Health and the Cantonal Police.
3. Coaching the Public Health Department in crisis management during the Covid pandemic.

Vincent Huguenin-Dumittan, Head of the Cantonal Public Health Department

In a complex environment and with the need to find operational and agile solutions to an increasingly changing context, PREFIX’s tailor-made support allows us to quickly have the essential tools to face our challenges.

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CONTEXT

Celgene Corporation is a pharmaceutical company that makes cancer and immunology drugs. The company has its headquarters in the USA and is a subsidiary of Bristol Myers Squibb.

In 2015, the company decided to build a new manufacturing site in a valley of the Canton Neuchâtel in Switzerland, called Val-de-Travers. At this occasion and since this was a major project, the management needed a strong project team and took the decision to outsource team building activities to Prefix.

Later the company also mandated Prefix to organize different other team building events, workshops and a social program for the employees.

ACHIEVEMENTS

1. Organization of a 2-days project kick-off during which the team worked on the design of an absinthe fountain, as per the tradition in Val-de-Travers.
2. Organization of a project team building event to celebrate the inauguration of the fountain installed somewhere secret in the woods.
3. Organization of a team event for 100 people during which the group participated to the cleaning of a very touristic area called Gorges du Seyon.
4. Organization of a social program that offered the opportunity to employees to spend quality time with handicaped people.
5. Training in project management.

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CONTEXT

Nutriswiss operates both nationally and internationally in the oil- and fat-processing industry. In Switzerland, Nutriswiss is a leading company in the segment of special and organic products.

ACHIEVEMENTS

1. Evaluation of the company to identify its level of proficiency in project management.
2. Training of the management team in Circular Project Management and on the Microsoft Project tool.

Michel Burla, Head of Nutriswiss

The iterative nature of projects in the food environment leads to special demands in project management. We made an online assessment of the maturity level of our project portfolio and project management proficiency and realized that we need to raise the bar.

The management team of our business unit was trained in Circular Project Management. The mix of theory and exercises allow an immediate application of the learnt topics into real projects. I would like to highlight especially the last training day that proved to be of big value for us, as practically all participants chose live projects in our organization for their personal work.

Highly recommended.

Interview with Michel Burla

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