Winnipeg, MB (February 10, 2009); Online Business Systems, a leading North American consultancy for business and technology solutions, announced today that they, along with their client, Canadian Wheat Board (CWB), have received the 2009 Project of the Year award from the Project Management Institute (PMI) - Manitoba Chapter.

For the past five years, PMI Manitoba has been recognizing and honouring the successful completion of projects whose team members have demonstrated superior performance in the application of project management principles and techniques. (www.pmimanitoba.org/POY/) Six projects were submitted to PMI Manitoba for this year’s Project of the Year competition. Five of those projects were in the Health sector.

Online and CWB received the 2009 award for the Farmer Procurement & Payment Services (FPPS) project – a multi-year effort that has enabled farmers to conduct all of their CWB business online. For 70 years, farmers have been using a paper-laden process that included mail, telephone calls, and/or visits to their local grain elevator. More than 50,000 farmers are now managing this entire process from the comfort of their own homes by logging on to their account on the CWB website.

“This project was so successful for a number of reasons, one of them being the strong team approach that both companies brought to the table,” said Dale Martin, CWB’s Vice-President of Logistics and Supply. “Our partnership with Online has resulted in a truly innovative solution to a complex problem. We have seen a 600% increase in e-Service usage by farmers and have created a solid foundation to offer farmers new opportunities in the future.”

Scott Sanders, Executive Vice President of Online Business Systems said, “No project of this magnitude is without its challenges, but with strong leadership and a proven delivery methodology we successfully delivered a custom developed solution that tightly integrates into the CWB’s ERP Supply Chain Transformation initiative.”

Read more about the 2009 Project of the Year award on the Winnipeg Free Press website: www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/farmer_e-business_project_wins_award-39420187.html.

This is the second time Online has received top honours from the PMI. In 2007, their Portland team received the Excellence in Project Management Award for a project completed for Gas Transmission Northwest (GTN), a subsidiary of TransCanada (www.obsglobal.com/company/news/Pages/PMIAward.aspx). Read more about this project in the September 2008 issue of “Pipeline & Gas Journal” (www.oildompublishing.com/PGJ/pgjarchive/Sept08/pacific.pdf).
 

About Online Business Systems

For more than 20 years, Online has been increasing productivity and innovation for our clients through planning, transforming, and managing their IT environments. We achieve this through our people who not only have their finger on the pulse of technology, but also have an astute understanding of how business works. It is the combination of our people, our methodologies, and our culture that enables us to deliver results – without compromise – to clients across the Public and Private sectors. As a result we are trusted advisors, guiding clients in the Agribusiness, Health, Financial Services, Energy, and Justice & Public Safety industries. www.obsglobal.com.

For more information:

Greg Loewen
Managing Director
Online Business Systems
gloewen@obsglobal.com
204.982.0200

Laurie Reimer
Communications Manager
Online Business Systems
lreimer@obsglobal.com
204.982.0200