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More Than a Fit: Implementing Projects Expert for Oracle PPM Success

  • Writer: Projects Expert
    Projects Expert
  • Jun 23
  • 3 min read

Updated: Jun 25

Part 3 of 4 | Interview Series: Finance Transformation with Projects Expert




Interview with: Nitin Bansal, Projects Expert's Lead Implementation Consultant, Oracle PPM and Transformation Specialist


Yugwan: From a consulting standpoint, what were the biggest technical or integration challenges when deploying Projects Expert?


Nitin: When you’re working with a core platform like Oracle PPM Cloud, the biggest challenge is simple: don’t break what already works. 


The client's tech team had every reason to be cautious. They’d spent years building a stable ERP environment. Their first reaction to a third-party tool? “Will this mess up our setup?” Fair enough. 


Then there was the complexity of their portfolio - dozens of projects running simultaneously, each with nested budgets, milestone dependencies, regulatory conditions… You name it. We knew the solution had to scale without slowing anything down. 



Yugwan: So, how did Projects Expert address those concerns?


Nitin: The smart thing about Projects Expert is that it doesn’t force Oracle to change. It works with Oracle, not around it.


The tool is built on Oracle-native APIs and respects all security controls, including role-based access, SSO, and audit trails. It’s not an overlay; it’s an extension. Users log in the same way. Permissions flow through the system as normal. From a risk and compliance standpoint, nothing is compromised.


We also place a strong emphasis on invisible integration. By the time we hit UAT, users couldn’t tell where Oracle ended, and Projects Expert began-which is exactly what we wanted.


Yugwan: What best practices contributed to the rollout's success?


Nitin: Three things made all the difference:


1. User co-design. We didn’t just work with IT - we had project managers and finance users involved from day one. That meant the solution reflected real-life scenarios, not abstract requirements.


2. Dedicated Oracle sandbox. Everything was tested in isolation first, with high project loads and cross-module stress tests. We found and fixed quirks before they reached production.


3. Phased rollout. We launched the core features milestone planning and RAID tracking with a pilot group. That helped us iron out wrinkles before scaling to the full portfolio. It also gave us champions inside the business.


Honestly, those steps didn’t just reduce risk-they built trust. Especially important when you’re touching anything Oracle-related.



Yugwan: How quickly did the client start seeing value?


Nitin: Fast. Within four weeks of the first rollout, they’d already eliminated 50% of spreadsheet-based rework in project planning. That’s hours reclaimed per project. And because reporting was now live and visual, project boards were spending more time on decisions and less on data wrangling.


For the IT team, the fact that Projects Expert didn’t require any bespoke Oracle configuration was a huge win. No custom code, no quarterly panic - just a clean Application embedded within the Oracle Platform.



Yugwan: What's next in terms of innovation?


Nitin: This is what gets me excited.


Projects Expert isn’t just solving current pain-it’s positioning for the future. Although we have made significant progress in adopting Artificial Intelligence, there are some more transformative features already in the pipeline:


  • Predictive planning that flags risks before they materialise.


  • Intelligent risk scoring using data patterns-not just manual tagging.


  • Natural language reporting enables teams to ask, “Where are we over budget?” and receive instant visual insights.


  • Portfolio Analysis with the ability to design your bespoke prioritisation models


And the long-term play? Integration beyond PPM. Think Procurement, HR, even Legal. A joined-up view of how your projects operate across departments-not just in silos.



Yugwan: Any final advice for teams considering this solution?


Nitin: If you’re using Oracle PPM and feel like it’s 80% there, this fills the final 20%. And it does it without breaking the bank or bending your existing processes.


Projects Expert is one of the few applications I’ve implemented that genuinely makes things simpler, not more complicated. It gave this client the agility they needed without losing the rigour they’d built.


From a consultant’s perspective, that’s rare. From a client’s perspective, that’s gold.



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About Projects Expert


Projects Expert is the first-of-its-kind Oracle partner that specialises in project-centric enterprise Solutions. We aim to deliver sustainable, robust, and business-friendly Oracle solutions for project-driven organisations.


To know more about what we can do for you, visit our website at www.projectsexpert.com.

Reach out to us at +44 330 330 5154 or drop a note at info@projectsexpert.com 






 
 
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