A wide variety of programs and tools are developed to organize a company's processes in a smart and efficient manner. Since the beginning of 2024, Alpha IC has been using the project management software Blue Ant to optimize the management of its projects.
We now have sufficient practical experience to draw some preliminary conclusions about working with this program. But what exactly is Blue Ant? What opportunities and challenges does the program offer? Is the new program better than the previously used software “U-Strich”?
To this end, we spoke with Britta Ruder and Sebastian Hein, who were primarily responsible for introducing Blue Ant at Alpha IC, and asked the software company Hypergene itself about its collaboration with us as users. The perspective of one of our power users, Markus Henning, is also included in the conclusion in order to provide a multi-perspective view of working with this program.
But what exactly is Blue Ant?
In short, it is a comprehensive project management software that has been specially developed to integrate and simplify the most important project management tasks of a company. Blue Ant offers solutions for the entire project, portfolio, and resource management and helps companies such as Alpha IC to manage and optimize their projects and resources. The tool supports project management through a consolidated view and enables the right resources to be assigned to the right projects at the right time in order to handle processes as efficiently as possible. Furthermore, the program provides tools and insights that are necessary for a Project Management Office (PMO).
"The introduction of Blue Ant was an important step toward making our project work more efficient, transparent, and customer-oriented. Our customers benefit from better planning, clearer processes, and greater reliability.
After careful selection, we introduced Blue Ant from September 2023 to February 2024, with pilot phases for power users, training, and a staggered rollout. We were able to overcome challenges such as data migration, process alignment, and user acceptance through intensive support and readjustment. Today, Blue Ant is a central component of our project work—both internally and externally."
Markus Henning, Senior Consultant at Alpha IC, on working with Blue Ant.
How has the new software been received in general at Alpha IC and in our project work? What obstacles have there been since the program was introduced in early 2024? To find out, we sat down with Britta Ruder and Sebastian Hein, the main people responsible for PMO at Alpha IC, and asked them some interesting questions that provide a comprehensive overview of the new Blue Ant software at Alpha IC.
Britta Ruder supports the Lead PMO in designing and organizing training courses to ensure structured and effective knowledge transfer regarding the newly introduced Blue Ant software. Working closely with experts, she is also responsible for introducing templates that serve as the basis for standardized processes. In addition, she is responsible for implementing and carefully checking data to ensure its quality and consistency throughout the project.
Sebastian Hein took over project management for the selection and implementation of the Blue Ant project management tool at Alpha IC. Together with the project team, he developed the requirements, created comprehensive specifications, and coordinated implementation in Blue Ant with the core and extended project team. In addition to conducting the initial training, he now supports the further development and support of the tool—in close cooperation with Britta. As the interface to other project managers, he is also responsible for evaluations and cross-system coordination. The special requirements of Alpha IC sometimes require individual solutions, which Sebastian implements in consultation with the provider Hypergene.
Why was a new project management system introduced at Alpha IC at the end of 2023 / beginning of 2024? What added value does the new system offer customers?
Sebastian:
The main reason was the need to make our resource planning more transparent and efficient. In an interdisciplinary team like ours, it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a clear overview of our colleagues' workloads. Although we had an Excel-based planning system, it was decentralized, often prone to errors, and did not allow for realistic evaluations.
We needed a centralized system that would map both the commercial and capacity aspects—especially with a team size of around 80 employees.
For our customers, this means less friction, especially in the event of absences. Projects run more smoothly, plans are clearer, and services can be provided more reliably. A standardized system helps us to ensure a consistent workflow, even in the event of changes or substitutions.
Britta:
I joined the project a little later, but I immediately understood why the introduction was so important. From a project coordination perspective, it is crucial that we work efficiently and do not burden our colleagues with manual Excel lists. Blue Ant takes care of many administrative tasks—something our customers also notice in project management.
Why was Blue Ant chosen? And how does it differ from the U-Strich tool that was used previously?
Sebastian:
We deliberately wanted standard software with professional structures – not a custom solution. Blue Ant had a clear advantage here: it covers the entire range of Alpha IC's services, is easy to customize, and offers strong training and support options. Resource planning over longer periods of time was particularly important to us – Blue Ant performs significantly better in this area than our previous tool, U-Strich.
We were also impressed by our implementation partner, Hypergene. The discussions were very transparent and open. They not only provided us with technical advice, but also helped us get started methodically. We immediately felt confident – we had the feeling that we were working with a true partner.
Britta:
I myself did not use U-Strich, as I only joined in October 2023. However, it quickly became clear from the stories that U-Strich was only a small component. Blue Ant, on the other hand, is much more comprehensive – a holistic solution for our project management.
How long did the introduction take and how did it proceed in concrete terms?
Sebastian:
The introduction was very structured. Even before the actual decision in favor of Blue Ant was made, we involved our employees, for example by asking them about their needs, such as during the Future Dialogue in Switzerland. This early involvement was an important component of change management.
My colleague Johannes Papas and I supported the project from the very beginning. We explained a lot, convinced people, and provided support.
Britta:
We introduced the tool gradually starting in September 2023. First, we set up a key user group that was intensively involved during the first three months. This group provided valuable feedback and helped shape the tool. We then went live at the beginning of 2024, accompanied by several days of training: one day was devoted to a general introduction to the program interface, and two more went into greater depth—for example, on resource planning.
What I found particularly positive was that there was a test system where employees could try out the tool without any risk. This allowed us to proceed step by step without disrupting the actual project work too much.
What challenges have arisen as a result of using the new system?
Sebastian:
Blue Ant is now our central control system. For many, this meant rethinking their approach—moving away from purely commercial planning toward people-oriented resource management. The biggest challenge to date has been the fluctuating workload of our employees. The tool makes these fluctuations visible, which is fundamentally a good thing, but it also requires greater awareness.
Britta:
Of course, there was also skepticism. Some colleagues are immediately enthusiastic and contribute ideas, while others need more guidance. That's perfectly normal. I see my role in the PMO as precisely that: regularly checking in with these people and supporting them.
What helps us enormously is our internal structure: we have our own PMO position – that's a real advantage. Colleagues know who to turn to when questions arise. We are continuously working on further development – through feedback rounds, regular training, and targeted support.
Are there any features missing in Blue Ant compared to U-Strich?
Sebastian:
One feature that is actually missing is the email archiving function that was available in U-Strich. This was useful for some colleagues, but is not currently available in Blue Ant. However, it must be said that U-Strich was a very small tool compared to what Blue Ant can do today. The gains in transparency, structure, and control are significantly greater.
Britta:
Since I haven't used U-Strich, I can't say much about it – but from my point of view, Blue Ant is a very good solution for our requirements. Above all, because it enables us to relieve our colleagues of some of their workload while at the same time improving the quality of project planning.
What experiences have been gained so far, and where do changes need to be made in the future with regard to working with Blue Ant?
Sebastian & Britta:
From the very beginning, the introduction of Blue Ant at Alpha IC was characterized by close cooperation and partnership. Even during the planning phase, we placed great emphasis on joint workshops in order to optimally map our requirements for project management and billing issues. The continuous exchange with the Blue Ant team was particularly helpful in this regard, as it enabled us to identify challenges early on and develop solutions together. Today, we use Blue Ant as a central tool for our project management and transparency. The integration with HRWorks—even if it is currently still triggered manually—enables us to reliably map absences and resource availability. Blue Ant has established itself as a valuable support tool for our teams, whether for progress tracking, time recording, or project communication. Of course, there is still potential for further development—for example, through targeted training or the automation of interfaces. But overall, we are very satisfied with what we have achieved together and look forward to integrating Blue Ant even more closely into our processes in the future.
What are the top five advantages for us at Alpha IC and our customers from using Blue Ant?
Sebastian & Britta:
- Blue Ant brings us a lot – both internally and externally
- We finally have a clear overview of projects, resources, and capacity utilization.
- Our project processes are more transparent, which builds trust with our customers
- Teamwork is easier because everyone is working with the same data.
- We can standardize our processes better and thus manage larger project volumes well
Finally, we asked Blue Ant's software company, Hypergene GmbH, for a brief statement on its collaboration with Alpha IC and the introduction of the new program within the company, and received a thoroughly positive response.
"Throughout the entire implementation phase, there was regular, open communication, which made the project progress clearly structured and efficient. Particularly noteworthy is the solution-oriented and trusting cooperation with the Alpha IC project team—especially with Mr. Hein, with whom we were able to solve all challenges in a very constructive manner.
We would like to express our sincere thanks for the excellent cooperation and mutual trust in the successful launch of Blue Ant."
(Simone Wesche, Head of Marketing, Hypergene GmbH, June 4, 2025)
The introduction of Blue Ant as new project management software at Alpha IC was an exciting experience and an important step in the area of project management and process organization within the company. Despite some challenges during the introduction and active use of the tool, the overall conclusion from working with Blue Ant has been positive so far, and the program can be seen as an opportunity for successful project coordination and execution.
We look forward to another exciting year with Blue Ant and new potential discoveries for Alpha IC!
Would you like to gain further insight into working with Blue Ant? Please visit the Blue Ant website and learn more about Hypergene's collaboration with Sebastian Hein in another engaging interview.
