Nancal Technology Improves Project Management Efficiency with Mendix

For nearly 20 years, Nancal Technology Co., Ltd. has been a trusted partner in helping enterprises achieve smart, digital operations. Leveraging a vast network of industrial internet ecosystems and advanced digital twin capabilities, Nancal consistently delivers high-quality products and services to its customers.

At the heart of Nancal’s operations is the Process and Quality Assurance Center, a crucial department overseeing project tracking, management, and analysis. The team aggregates data from various projects, product lines, and organizational structures on a daily basis. However, the manual process of extracting valuable insights from numerous spreadsheets created significant pressure and inefficiencies.

“We compile Excel project reports from various project managers, perform statistical analyses, and record the results weekly,” said Zhu Xiao, a senior project management consultant at Nancal Technology. “It became burdensome for our team. We urgently needed a system to reduce communication, troubleshooting, and compilation time, so we could focus on more valuable analysis work.”

Nancal adopted the Mendix development platform to create a flexible, customizable project management system, digitizing several business workflows. In just five months, they successfully delivered an end-to-end project lifecycle application that manages processes from initiation to closure.

Creating a Business-Led Software Development Approach

Previously, project management at Nancal involved project managers submitting weekly progress reports and monthly resource usage reports. The Process and Quality Assurance Center manually compiled these reports to generate progress statistics and resource calendars. This process was complex, time-consuming, and prone to errors.

Their traditional suite-based project management software also lacked adaptability for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) or companies with simpler workflows. It offered limited flexibility and was not cost-effective. As a result, a lightweight, flexible system was needed to accommodate diverse business processes.

To enhance efficiency, ensure data accuracy, and reduce manual effort, Nancal turned to low-code development. After evaluating various options, Mendix was selected due to its flexibility, ease of use, and ability to rapidly develop customized solutions.

The new system needed to support end-to-end project lifecycle management, covering the following phases:

• Initiation
• Team formation
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) decomposition
• Planning
• Execution
• Monitoring
• Closure

Hu Qi, A project manager with minimal development experience was selected as the lead designer, developer, and manager for the system, with support from Nancal’s professional Mendix technical team.

After five months of development, Project-Lite was launched, followed by a year of iterative updates.

Creating a Customizable Project Management System

The Nancal team identified several key priorities for its Mendix application:

1. Seamless integration with WeCom (WeChat for Work)
2. Creation of three key modules: team building, project execution, and project monitoring

The “Project-Lite” system now covers all project workflows at Nancal, ensuring tailored compatibility with the organization’s business processes while improving project management efficiency.

The first module, Team Building, integrates with WeCom to facilitate rapid personnel selection based on the organizational structure. This streamlines the process for project managers, making it easier to identify team members and define management scopes.

Project Execution strictly regulates timesheet entries, requiring team members to accurately log time spent on projects. These daily data entries are consolidated, analyzed, and presented in real-time reports for improved oversight.

The Project Monitoring module tracks time, manages approval processes, and archives project milestones to ensure data accuracy and project deliverable completeness. It compares estimated data from the project initiation phase with actual implementation data. Real-time monitoring helps ensure high-quality project delivery and provides clear reports for both management and clients.

Overall, “Project-Lite” has exceeded expectations, evolving into a productized solution applicable across diverse industries and workflows. To date, the tool has saved Nancal approximately 40% in development costs and improved project management efficiency by over 30%.

“Nancal Workshop”: Leveraging Advanced Systems

As one of the earliest Mendix service providers in China, Nancal has set a benchmark in the field. With two years of experience, Nancal has developed rapid-response capabilities to meet evolving market demands, blending innovation with standards-based approaches to deliver industrial applications. The “Nancal Workshop” features:

• MRO Service System: A customizable after-sales maintenance solution for mechanical manufacturing, integrated with PLM systems (e.g., Teamcenter).
• Project Management System: Enhances enterprise project management efficiency, providing robust oversight platforms for leadership.

In addition, Nancal is exploring new industry scenarios, including:

• Lightweight PLM System for Apparel Manufacturing: Integrated with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, this solution manages Engineer to Order (ETO) orders and streamlines digital workflows in apparel manufacturing.
• Mobile Insurance Approval Application: Facilitates seamless claim approvals, integrated with WeChat services for more efficient operations.

Manufacturing Future Success

Today, Nancal continues to expand its low-code portfolio with innovative applications across Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Teamcenter and SAP integrations, and R&D management. By harnessing the power of Mendix, Nancal is not only accelerating digital transformation for enterprises but also driving industry-wide innovation.

The success of Project-Lite has laid a solid foundation for future growth, turning the “Nancal Workshop” into a hub of real-world solutions that are helping clients optimize their operations, enhance efficiency, and achieve their digital transformation goals. With a proven track record and a forward-thinking approach, Nancal is well-positioned to lead the charge in the next era of industrial innovation.