APRIL FIBER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT MANAGEMENT COCKPIT

Abstract

The project outlines the the development and implementation of a digital project monitoring system for the Fiber Research and Development (R&D) Business Unit of Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL). The existing monitoring system based on Excel was ineffective and irrelevant because it did not provide real-time data, delay the decision making, and compromise the result of the research. Qualitative stakeholder interviews and business analyses using McKinsey 7S and SWOT frameworks helped diagnose critical system inefficiencies. The solution proposed was the creation of a centralized automated dashboard called the R&D Project Management Cockpit, which integrated with STIGMA, APRIL’s internal R&D database, and Qlik Sense, a business intelligence software. The system provides real-time tracking, issue identification, and performance evaluation of 17 research programs and over 145 research projects. It also improves data accuracy, system integration, strategic alignment, operational efficiency, and intraorganizational transparency for APRIL’s Fiber R&D division. This project showcases the impact of digital transformation and stakeholder-centric design on research project management in industrial settings.