by Joe Appleyard | Feb 25, 2025 | News
In today’s digital landscape, security and access control are paramount in project management.
Many of our clients are required to store project data within specific jurisdictions due to regulatory or contractual obligations.
Ensuring compliance with these requirements is critical for secure collaboration and maintaining trust with stakeholders.
Managing a complex schedule requires collaboration across multiple stakeholders, but without the right security measures, project data can become vulnerable. XER Schedule Toolkit is already built with strong security foundations, holding Cyber Essentials Plus certification and leveraging the robust AWS server network to ensure top-tier protection.
However, XER Schedule Toolkit’s Enterprise License goes beyond this, offering enhanced security features such as seamless integration with your company’s Single Sign-On (SSO). This ensures secure access while maintaining compliance with corporate security policies.
Additionally, multiple SSO configurations can be supported, allowing different companies to collaborate securely without compromising authentication integrity. With AWS-hosted solutions in a location of your choice, you also have full control over where your project data is stored, eliminating concerns over data sovereignty.
Seamless Single Sign-On (SSO) Integration
With XER Schedule Toolkit’s Enterprise License, companies can integrate Single Sign-On (SSO) security, allowing users to access the system using their existing corporate credentials while maintaining strict security controls. This eliminates the need for multiple logins, reducing password fatigue and improving user experience.
Additionally, SSO enhances security by centralising authentication management, reducing the risk of unauthorised access. By leveraging corporate identity providers such as Azure AD, Okta, and Google Workspace, organisations can ensure multi-factor authentication (MFA) enforcement and role-based access control (RBAC), further strengthening data security. This not only streamlines login processes but also ensures compliance with stringent security policies and regulatory requirements.
Multi-SSO for True Collaboration
Unlike many other project control solutions, XER Schedule Toolkit can support multiple SSO configurations. This means that different companies working on the same project can each use their own authentication systems while still securely accessing shared project data. Whether working with joint ventures, contractors, or clients, data remains protected while maintaining a collaborative workflow.
Built on Industry-Leading Security Standards
Security doesn’t stop at authentication. XER Schedule Toolkit is designed with multiple layers of protection, ensuring that your project data is safeguarded from unauthorised access and cyber threats.
- Cyber Essentials Plus Certified – XER Schedule Toolkit holds the Cyber Essentials Plus Certification, a government-backed standard that validates our strong cybersecurity measures. This certification demonstrates our commitment to protecting project data through industry-recognised best practices, including rigorous testing of our security controls to ensure a secure environment for all users.
- Hosted on Secure AWS Servers – XER Schedule Toolkit is built on Amazon Web Services (AWS), leveraging world-class infrastructure and security compliance.
- AWS provides encryption, access controls, and monitoring tools to keep data safe from external threats.
- Your Data, Your Location
Concerned about data sovereignty? With XER Schedule Toolkit, you don’t need to worry about where your data is stored. We offer the flexibility to host your project data in the AWS region of your choice, ensuring compliance with local regulations and corporate data policies.
Advanced License Management for Enterprise Users
XER Schedule Toolkit’s Enterprise License is a standalone instance used exclusively by your company, ensuring complete control over data security and access.
It provides organisations with enhanced control over user access and project oversight, ensuring efficient and secure management of scheduling data. XER Schedule Toolkit’s Enterprise License provides organisations with enhanced control over user access and project oversight, ensuring efficient and secure management of scheduling data.
- Enterprise-Level Access Control – Multiple super users can be designated to manage user access at an enterprise level, allowing structured and secure administration.
- Comprehensive Project & Usage Insights – Super users have visibility into active projects, user engagement, and overall toolkit utilisation, helping optimise resource allocation and project oversight.
- Additionally, they can identify and remove inactive users who have not accessed schedules, further reducing data entry point vulnerabilities and enhancing security.
- Centralised User Management – Password resets can be managed centrally, reducing IT workload while maintaining security and seamless access control.
- Customisable Access Restrictions – Administrators can restrict menu options and feature visibility, ensuring users only access the tools relevant to their roles, improving both security and usability across the
- enterprise.
Why Security Matters in Project Scheduling
In large-scale projects, multiple stakeholders need access to scheduling data, including contractors, suppliers, and project managers. Without proper access control, sensitive project information could be exposed to unauthorised users or compromised due to weak security measures. With XER Schedule Toolkit’s Enterprise security features, you get:
- Granular access control – Define who can view, edit, or share project data.
- Seamless but secure collaboration – Work with external partners without the risk of exposing critical information.
Future-Proof Your Project Data Security
With cyber threats evolving rapidly, companies must ensure their scheduling tools are not just collaborative but also secure. XER Schedule Toolkit’s Enterprise License provides enterprise-grade security, seamless access control, and compliance with industry standards, ensuring your project schedules remain protected at all times.
For organisations looking to enhance their project security, XER Schedule Toolkit offers a comprehensive, cloud-based solution that balances collaboration with uncompromising security.
by Joe Appleyard | Feb 6, 2025 | News
Have you fully unlocked XER Schedule Toolkit’s potential?
Whether you’re a planner, project manager or project stakeholder, XER Schedule Toolkit isn’t just for creating schedules—it’s for everyone involved in your project’s success.
Imagine saving hours of back-and-forth emails and meetings by giving your team and stakeholders the ability to access and explore a fully functional project schedule. With XER Schedule Toolkit, you don’t just manage projects—you empower everyone involved to find the information they need, when they need it.
Here’s how you can make the most of XER Schedule Toolkit’s features:
1. Transform Communication with the Schedule Viewer
Tip: Give everyone on your team full access to the schedule—no Primavera P6 required!
The Schedule Viewer makes it easy for stakeholders at all levels to open and explore project schedules without needing specialised software. This means fewer delays, fewer questions, and more informed decision-making.
💡 Trick: Share schedules with stakeholders so they can zoom in on the details that matter to them—whether it’s milestones, deadlines, or activity progress.
Bonus Tip: Use the cost and unit removal feature to create a tailored view for clients, ensuring they get the schedule insights they need while keeping sensitive data private.
2. Simplify Updates with Progress Reporting
Tip: Let XER Schedule Toolkit handle the heavy lifting of collecting updates.
Stop chasing project teams for progress updates! XER Schedule Toolkit’s Progress Reporting feature allows you to send each team a list of their activities so they can report what they’ve completed. They can even break their activities into subtasks if needed.
🛠️ Here’s why it’s a game-changer:
- No more endless emails: Let XER Schedule Toolkit remind teams to submit updates on time.
- Clear accountability: You’ll instantly see who has provided updates and who hasn’t.
- Review with confidence: All updates are stored in the toolkit, ready for you to review before merging them into the source schedule.
- Stay organised: Forget about losing notes or scribbles—XER Schedule Toolkit keeps everything in one auditable place, giving you peace of mind if issues arise.
💡 Trick: Use Progress Reporting to engage your teams and reduce update delays. This ensures your project stays on track and your data remains complete and reliable.
3. Keep Your Data Safe with Top-Notch Security
Tip: Sleep easy knowing your data is secure.
At XER Schedule Toolkit, data security is our top priority. Here’s how we keep your information safe:
- Cyber Essentials Plus Certified: Our platform meets rigorous UK government standards for cybersecurity.
- Single Sign-On (SSO): Need enhanced access control? XER Schedule Toolkit can integrate with your company’s SSO system for seamless and secure logins.
- Global Data Storage: Your data can be stored almost anywhere across the world using AWS’s extensive network of secure server locations.
💡 Want more? How about a fully branded version of XER Schedule Toolkit?
- Customise the entire interface with your company’s logo and colour scheme.
- Generate reports that showcase your branding, reinforcing your company’s identity every time they’re shared.
🛠️ Trick: Leverage the branded version of XER Schedule Toolkit for client-facing projects—it’s a simple yet powerful way to maintain professionalism and stand out from the crowd.
4. Focus on What Matters with the Dashboard Creator
Tip: Create dashboards that deliver instant insights.
With the Dashboard Creator, you can pinpoint exactly the information you need—whether it’s progress, performance, or risks—and save your settings to apply across all schedules.
💡 Did you know?
- You can share your dashboards with others in your team, ensuring everyone stays aligned.
- Let team members create their own dashboards based on the single source of truth in XER Schedule Toolkit, so they can focus on the metrics that matter most to them.
🛠️ Trick: Use dashboards to prep for meetings or reviews and give stakeholders visually engaging insights in real time, cutting down on miscommunication.
5. Analyse Every Change with Project Comparison
Tip: Forensically examine every line of your schedules.
The Project Comparison tool allows you to highlight every change between schedules—even across multiple schedules—within seconds. It’s perfect for:
- Checking supplier schedules: Verify they haven’t made unreported changes.
- Creating monthly narratives: Explain why the programme is moving or why activities are delayed.
- Monitoring the critical path: Quickly identify and respond to key shifts.
💡 Trick: Export the comparison report to Excel to fully unleash the power of the tool. Use the data to create tailored reports or deeper analyses—because knowledge is power.
6. Save Time and Build Trust Across the Board
The real magic of XER Schedule Toolkit? It saves everyone time.
- Planners streamline their workflows and build better schedules.
- Project Managers make informed decisions faster.
- Stakeholders get instant access to the information they need, without relying on someone else to provide updates.
And when you share schedules with clients or external teams, you’re in control of the level of detail they see. Keep sensitive information private while still providing all the insights they need to stay aligned.
Why Upgrade?
If you’ve enjoyed the free trial, it’s time to take the leap! Here’s why upgrading to XER Schedule Toolkit is the best decision for your team:
✅ Share fully functional schedules with all stakeholders.
✅ Save hours by letting people find their own information.
✅ Build trust with clear, accurate, and transparent project data.
✅ Empower everyone—whether they’re planners, managers, or clients—to stay engaged and informed.
✅ Keep control of your data by removing costs and units when sharing schedules.
✅ Automate updates and stay organised with auditable Progress Reporting.
✅ Train your team to deliver higher-quality schedules with configurable Schedule Quality checks.
✅ Pinpoint insights with customisable dashboards that save time and keep everyone aligned.
✅ Highlight every schedule change with Project Comparison for full transparency and better decision-making.
✅ Rest easy with Cyber Essentials Plus-certified security, SSO, and global data hosting.
✅ Showcase your brand with a fully customised interface and branded reports.
💡 Pro Tip: By upgrading, you’ll gain unlimited access to all the features and remove the restrictions of the trial. It’s a small investment that delivers massive value for your team and stakeholders.
👉 Start your XER Schedule Toolkit journey today and give your entire team the tools they need to succeed.
Got questions? Need help getting started? Start your free trial—we’re here to help you get the most out of XER Schedule Toolkit!
by Joe Appleyard | Jan 3, 2025 | News
Managing schedules from suppliers and legacy projects presents unique challenges.
Accepting schedules in Primavera P6 format often introduces unnecessary risks like database corruption, duplicate codes and misaligned standards. XER Schedule Toolkit offers a streamlined, efficient solution to mitigate these issues, preserving your database integrity while enhancing collaboration.
The Risks of Imported and Legacy Schedules
Importing supplier schedules directly into your Primavera P6 database is not only unnecessary but also risky. These schedules can burden your system and create problems, including:
- Global, EPS, and Project Code Duplication
Supplier schedules come with their own codes and structures, which can duplicate or overwrite your carefully maintained standards, leading to inconsistencies with your own schedules.
- Resource and Calendar Clutter
Imported schedules often include unique resources and calendars that can clutter your database and cause misalignment in future projects.
- Legacy Schedule Issues
Older schedules created with outdated methods or standards can compromise the integrity of your enterprise setup, introducing obsolete data and practices.
- Performance Degradation
The accumulation of unnecessary codes, resources, and calendars slows down database performance, making schedule management inefficient and error-prone.
XER Schedule Toolkit Advantage: Simplified and Secure Schedule Management
XER Schedule Toolkit eliminates the need to import schedules into your database, providing tools to review and validate them in a secure, standalone environment. Key benefits include:
- Clean Reviews Without Importing
Open and assess schedules in their original formats (XER, XML, or Microsoft Project exports) without importing them into your Primavera P6 database. This keeps your system clean and ensures standards remain intact.
- Share Without Risking Source Data
Share schedules via a fully functional viewer that offers filtered, role-specific views and dashboards. Stakeholders, even without expensive Primavera licenses, can access the information they need without exposure to sensitive source data.
- In-Depth Analysis and Validation
Analyse critical paths, identify high-duration activities, and review lags to ensure schedules are optimised and risks are mitigated before integration. This proactive approach improves project outcomes and decision-making.
Collaborative Schedule Sharing
With XER Schedule Toolkit’s integrated viewer, you can share schedules with all stakeholders without compromising data security or requiring additional Primavera licenses. For example:
- Project Managers: Highlight critical paths and milestones.
- Resource Managers: Focus on resource allocation and usage.
- Stakeholders: Access relevant insights tailored to their roles.
By keeping sensitive source data protected, the toolkit fosters transparency and alignment without exposing inexperienced users to unnecessary complexities.
Real-World Benefits
Implementing XER Schedule Toolkit in your schedule management process provides:
- Database Integrity: Prevents duplication and ensures standards are preserved.
- Efficient Collaboration: Simplifies stakeholder communication with tailored insights.
- Time Savings: Reduces the need for time-consuming data clean-up.
- Improved Accuracy: Enhances scheduling precision by validating data before integration.
Supplier and legacy schedules don’t need to burden your Primavera P6 database.
With XER Schedule Toolkit, you can review, validate, and share schedules securely and efficiently, ensuring your enterprise setup remains clean and optimised. By avoiding unnecessary imports and leveraging robust analysis tools, you’ll maintain control over your schedules while fostering collaboration across teams. Take control of your scheduling process today with XER Schedule Toolkit and ensure your projects are delivered on time, within budget, and without compromise.
👉 Start your XER Schedule Toolkit journey today and give your entire team the tools they need to succeed.
Got questions? Need help getting started? Start your free trial—we’re here to help you get the most out of XER Schedule Toolkit!
by Joe Appleyard | Jan 3, 2025 | News
In the fast-moving world of project and commercial management, the ability to measure, control, and predict project performance is essential.
Projects often face challenges balancing cost, schedule, and scope, and without an effective method to integrate these elements, delays and budget overruns can become inevitable. Earned Value Analysis (EVA) is a proven technique that brings clarity and control to project performance, offering actionable insights to project managers and commercial teams alike.
At its core, Earned Value Analysis provides a structured way to assess whether a project is on track, behind schedule, or over budget. By comparing planned work with the work completed and the costs incurred, EVA delivers a set of quantifiable performance indicators that help managers understand a project’s current status and predict its future trajectory. For commercial managers, this method is invaluable in ensuring resources are used effectively, and for project managers, it’s a powerful tool for maintaining control over execution.
What makes EVA even more impactful is that it draws directly from the XER Schedule Toolkit platform, the single source of truth for all stakeholders. By using the platform to create reports, users ensure that the data is always accurate, up to date, and reflects the latest schedule. This unified approach enhances alignment among all project participants, ensuring everyone is working from the same reliable information. By eliminating the risks of outdated data or conflicting interpretations, XER Schedule Toolkit platform provides a robust foundation for informed decision-making and confidence in project performance insights.
One of the greatest strengths of EVA is its ability to provide early warnings of variances between the planned and actual progress. Traditional reporting methods often identify issues only after they’ve caused significant disruption, but EVA highlights discrepancies early, enabling managers to take corrective actions before they escalate. For example, if actual costs are trending above budget for the work completed, or if key milestones are slipping, EVA will expose these variances with clear, data-driven insights.
For commercial managers, the forecasting capabilities of EVA are equally vital. By analysing current performance trends, EVA allows you to predict the total cost at completion and the likely time required to finish the project. This level of foresight is critical for managing budgets, controlling cash flow, and ensuring that contractual obligations are met. EVA also empowers commercial teams to align more effectively with project managers by creating a shared understanding of the project’s health and priorities.
XER Schedule Toolkit makes it easier than ever for commercial and project managers to implement EVA independently, without needing to rely on planners. The toolkit’s simple and intuitive interface allows managers to access and create their own EVA dashboards and reports with ease. This capability not only empowers managers to take control of project insights but also lightens the workload on planners, who can focus on higher-value tasks rather than generating reports for others.
With XER Schedule Toolkit, creating comprehensive EVA dashboards is effortless. Predefined metrics allow you to generate immediate insights into cost and schedule performance, presenting the data in a visually clear and actionable format. The ability to customise reports ensures that both high-level summaries and detailed analyses can be tailored to the specific needs of your team or stakeholders. For those who prefer further analysis in external systems, the toolkit’s Excel export functionality provides an efficient way to share data across teams.
By providing access to EVA tools directly to commercial and project managers, XER Schedule Toolkit fosters greater autonomy and collaboration across teams. Managers no longer need to wait on planners to prepare EVA outputs; instead, they can generate and interpret these insights themselves, making informed decisions faster. This self-sufficiency enhances efficiency and ensures that every stakeholder is equipped to contribute to the project’s success.
EVA isn’t just a tool for monitoring performance; it’s a way to protect your projects. The proactive insights provided by EVA, especially when enhanced by XER Schedule Toolkit, empower managers to mitigate risks, control costs, and keep schedules on track. For example, if activities on the critical path are delayed or if earned value metrics show underperformance, EVA equips you with the evidence needed to adjust strategies and maintain project momentum.
In today’s complex project environments, the ability to integrate cost, schedule, and scope into a single, cohesive analysis is essential. EVA, supported by XER Schedule Toolkit, provides that integration, offering the clarity needed to drive informed decision-making and successful project delivery. By adopting this powerful combination, commercial and project managers can take direct control of their analysis and reporting, streamline their workflows, and enhance their ability to deliver projects on time and within budget—all without adding unnecessary workload to already busy planning teams.
by Joe Appleyard | Dec 21, 2024 | News
In project management, the accuracy and timeliness of schedule updates are critical.
Yet, many organisations still rely on outdated and inefficient methods that are not only time-consuming but also prone to errors and miscommunication.
The consequences of these traditional approaches often emerge during project close-out or dispute resolution, where missing evidence or inconsistent audit trails can lead to costly delays and unplanned expenses.
XER Schedule Toolkit Progress Request and Update Facility offers a smarter, more effective way to manage progress updates while safeguarding the project with robust audit trails and actionable data.
Let’s consider the typical challenges faced in managing progress updates. In many projects, planners are tasked with visiting the site to gather progress updates directly from the teams performing the work. This can mean an entire day spent walking through activities, cross-referencing the actual progress against the schedule, and attempting to capture accurate information.
This manual approach not only consumes valuable time but also introduces risks of misinterpretation or omission, especially if updates are provided verbally or through informal notes.
Email-based updates, another common method, often result in equally frustrating outcomes. Teams submit progress reports in a variety of formats, none of which align perfectly with the master schedule.
Planners are then forced to interpret these updates and manually adjust the programme, a process prone to errors and inconsistencies. In this disjointed approach, updates may inadvertently contradict dependencies or fail to reflect real delays, leading to discrepancies in the critical path or resource allocation.
At the end of each month, these inefficiencies reach their peak. Planners are expected to compile and incorporate updates from multiple teams simultaneously, often under significant time pressure.
With annotated PDF schedules and informal email chains as the primary sources of information, much of the context behind changes is lost over time. When disputes or claims arise, the lack of a clear audit trail becomes a liability, leaving the project team scrambling to piece together evidence or relying on costly consultants to retrospectively analyse schedules and progress.
XER Schedule Toolkit Progress Request and Update Facility transforms this landscape. By enabling planners to gather updates directly from project teams in a structured, programme-based format, the toolkit eliminates the inefficiencies and risks associated with traditional methods.
Instead of relying on site visits or scattered emails, teams can access tailored schedule views showing only the tasks relevant to their work. They input updates directly into the toolkit, ensuring these updates align seamlessly with the master schedule.
One of the most significant advantages of this approach is the continuous flow of updates throughout the project lifecycle. Rather than waiting for a frantic end-of-month update cycle, planners can receive accurate, real-time progress data as tasks are completed. This ensures the schedule remains current and reflective of on-the-ground realities, enabling proactive risk management and better decision-making.
The audit trail provided by XER Schedule Toolkit is another game-changer. Every update is logged with details of what was changed, when, and by whom. This traceability creates a robust evidence base that is invaluable during claims, disputes, or final settlement discussions.
Annotated PDF schedules and informal emails, which are prone to being lost or misfiled, are replaced with a centralised, secure repository of all schedule updates. Comments can also be added to updates, providing further context and rationale for changes, which enhances accountability and transparency across the project.
This structured and auditable approach to progress updates doesn’t just protect the project during disputes—it also saves significant time and expense. At the end of a project, when schedules need to be scrutinised for final settlements or delay claims, having a clear and detailed record of all changes reduces the need for costly external analysis. Instead, XER Schedule Toolkit provides all the necessary evidence, neatly organised and ready to support any necessary analysis or negotiations.
Moreover, by maintaining such a clear record throughout the project lifecycle, organisations can proactively prevent disputes and align stakeholders more effectively. This eliminates the need to piece together fragmented updates or justify decisions retroactively.
Instead of addressing problems after they escalate, project teams can use the toolkit to manage updates consistently, ensuring that potential risks are mitigated before they impact project delivery.
For planners, this transformation is invaluable. Instead of spending hours or days manually gathering updates, they can focus on analysing the schedule, managing risks, and optimising project outcomes. Teams on the ground also benefit from having a clear and structured way to report progress, fostering better collaboration and accountability across the project.
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