FAQ
All frequently asked questions about Fortes Change Cloud. Has your question not been answered after reading this page? Then leave a question via the button below and we will try to answer it as soon as possible.
General
What is Fortes Change Cloud?
Fortes Change Cloud is a software platform for strategic project and portfolio management. It helps organizations accelerate strategic change and maintain control over progress, capacity, costs, and risks. It bridges the gap between strategy and execution and supports both a waterfall approach and (scaled) Agile, or a combination of the two.
What is the difference between Fortes Change Cloud and other project management software?
Project management software typically focuses on individual projects. Fortes Change Cloud goes a step further: it links strategic goals (KPIs, Balanced Scorecard) to portfolios, programs, and projects, and combines waterfall and agile/SAFe methodologies in a single platform. This makes Fortes Change Cloud a comprehensive Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) platform.
What types of organizations is Fortes Change Cloud suitable for?
Fortes Change Cloud is suitable for medium-sized and large organizations with multiple projects that they want to align with strategic goals. It is widely used within (semi-)governmental organizations such as ministries, municipalities, autonomous public agencies, and water boards. In addition, many healthcare institutions, educational institutions, and enterprise organizations use Fortes Change Cloud.
Is Fortes Change Cloud a SaaS solution or an on-premises solution?
Fortes Change Cloud is a private cloud SaaS solution. The software is hosted and managed by Fortes, ensuring that customers always have the latest version without having to install or maintain it themselves. An on-premises deployment is also available. This makes Fortes Change Cloud particularly well-suited for organizations with high security requirements.
Features
How do I link strategic goals to projects and portfolios?
With the Strategy app in Fortes Change Cloud, you define goals (Objectives). You then translate these into results (Key Results) or key performance indicators (KPIs). The Strategy app includes tools for the OKR method, as well as for Strategy Mapping (Kaplan & Norton) and the Balanced Scorecard. You can link portfolio items and projects to these strategic goals. You can express this contribution in various ways. This provides real-time visibility into the contribution of each initiative through the Insights dashboards. You optimize the portfolio to achieve the greatest possible impact on the strategic goals, then monitor progress and make adjustments as needed.
How does resource and capacity planning work in Fortes Change Cloud?
Fortes Change Cloud fully supports strategic resource management. You manage capacity demand and availability at three levels:
- Strategic: Capacity planning. You look at the long term and compare, in broad terms, the required capacity with the availability and sources of capacity. This ensures that you have sufficient capacity in the long term to achieve your strategic goals.
- Tactical: Resource planning. You look in more detail at the medium term and the resources required for each project. This allows you to achieve the best possible results with the available capacity.
- Operational: Resource scheduling. This is how you manage the short term.
Capacity is one of the aspects you manage in Fortes Change Cloud, both for individual portfolio components and for the portfolio as a whole. Using the scenario functionality, you can explore different scenarios and their impact on capacity in the short, medium, and long term. Compare scenarios, manage the supply chain, and promote selected scenarios to portfolio decisions and planning.
How does Fortes Change Cloud support Scaled Agile / SAFe?
Fortes Change Cloud offers specific Scaled Agile functionality for SAFe and LeSS. You work with Agile Release Trains (ARTs) and combine them with traditional waterfall projects in a single portfolio: hybrid work. Standard functionality is available for Agile Teams, Scrum sprints, and Kanban boards. Jira and Azure DevOps can be linked bidirectionally for real-time synchronization of epics, features, user stories, and tasks.
Can I use Fortes Change Cloud to manage both waterfall and agile projects?
Yes. Fortes Change Cloud supports hybrid work: waterfall projects using PRINCE2, Stage-Gate, and AgilePM, as well as agile projects using Scrum/Kanban at the team level and SAFe at the program and portfolio levels. Both approaches coexist within the same portfolio. This allows you to manage business units with different methodologies centrally and strategically, focusing on areas such as value realization, capacity, budget and costs, risks, time, and resources.
What reports and dashboards does Fortes Change Cloud offer?
Fortes Change Cloud offers Excel reports, reports, and dashboards. You can use the default options or create your own report or dashboard. Power BI is included as standard in Fortes Change Cloud Premium and allows you to present information from Fortes Change Cloud in any format you choose. This makes it easy to create different dashboards for different types of stakeholders. As a result, the time required for a portfolio review is reduced by an average of 80%.
Integrations & Technology
What integrations does Fortes Change Cloud offer (e.g., Microsoft 365, Jira, ERP)?
Fortes Change Cloud offers plug-and-play integrations with:
- Microsoft/Azure: Single Sign-On via Active Directory, Automatic User Provisioning via SCIM, and a bidirectional connection with Azure Boards.
- Atlassian Jira: bidirectional integration via API tokens.
In addition, you can use our REST API to build integrations with any system you choose. Many of the integrations developed involve ERP and HRM systems such as SAP, Exact, and AFAS. The built-in import and export functionality is also widely used for data exchange.
How does Fortes Change Cloud integrate with Microsoft software?
Several integrations have been developed to ensure that Fortes Change Cloud integrates seamlessly with the Microsoft ecosystem. With Single Sign-On (SSO) based on Microsoft Active Directory, users log in with their Microsoft account. Automatic User Provisioning (SCIM) automatically manages accounts from Azure AD. Azure Boards can be connected bidirectionally for real-time synchronization.
Is there an API available for custom integrations?
Yes, Fortes Change Cloud offers a REST API for custom integrations with external systems. In addition to the REST API, there is a built-in file importer/exporter for one-time or periodic data exchange.
Industries & Target Audiences
Is Fortes Change Cloud suitable for the government?
Yes. Fortes Change Cloud has been used extensively for over 25 years by municipalities—including 7 of the 10 largest municipalities—as well as various ministries (Infrastructure and Water Management, Defense, Foreign Affairs, and the Interior), the Tax and Customs Administration, the Police, the House of Representatives, the Land Registry, and the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV). Administrators use it to make strategic decisions in which they balance tasks, budgeting, and capacity, and document those decisions transparently. Fortes Change Cloud meets essential criteria for compliance and quality, such as BIO/CbW, GDPR, and Woo. Fortes Change Cloud is ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 27001 certified.
How does the healthcare sector use Fortes Change Cloud?
Fortes Change Cloud has been used in the healthcare sector for over 25 years. Executives at hospitals, healthcare institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and health insurers use it to monitor various aspects of their change portfolios: available capacity, financial performance, and the achievement of objectives—both for routine healthcare tasks and for innovation and change. Real-time insights help achieve the best possible results with limited resources. Clients include Martini Hospital, St. Antonius, Maasstad Hospital, Mediq, ‘s Heeren Loo, and Haaglanden MC.
What makes Fortes Change Cloud a good fit for water districts?
With Fortes Change Cloud, water authorities manage all initiatives in a single portfolio. Water management and operations each have their own project approach. In Fortes Change Cloud, you can effortlessly combine different project types and methods, short- and long-term projects, and various objectives into a single portfolio. Stay on top of things with templates for forms, processes, and dashboards tailored to the needs of different stakeholders. Easily compare different portfolio scenarios, save time with automated reports, and collaborate effectively with external parties. Fortes Change Cloud combines a robust system with the flexibility that a water authority needs.
Which major Dutch organizations use Fortes Change Cloud?
Fortes Change Cloud is used by, among others, Vopak, VDL, FrieslandCampina, Shimano, Konica Minolta, the City of Rotterdam, the City of The Hague, the Tax and Customs Administration, the Police, the Land Registry, Rijnstate Hospital, the Vallei en Veluwe Water Board, the Province of South Holland, and the House of Representatives.
Alternatives
What are the alternatives to Fortes Change Cloud?
Fortes Change Cloud is the mature alternative to, among others, Planview (Enterprise One, Portfolios), Sciforma, Jira Align (SAFe-focused), Microsoft Project / Project Online, Smartsheet, Clarizen, and Asana (for simpler projects). It is a product of the Fortes Group, an independent European company. Fortes Change Cloud stands out for its capabilities in Strategic Portfolio Management. In addition to project management, it allows you to optimize your entire portfolio across various dimensions, such as capacity, costs, and the delivery of value toward strategic goals. With over 100,000 users, Fortes Change Cloud is the market leader in portfolio management.
How does Fortes Change Cloud compare to Planview, Sciforma, or Jira Align?
Fortes Change Cloud is a product of the Fortes Group, an independent European company. It offers an integrated solution—from strategy through implementation—on a single platform, supporting both agile and waterfall methodologies, as well as a combination of the two. Alternative providers often do not support both methodologies, or offer only project management or only portfolio management. As a result, there is no structurally integrated view.
When should you choose Fortes Change Cloud over Microsoft Project or Smartsheet?
Choose Fortes Change Cloud if you want a solution based on best practices. The Fortes Group focuses on project and portfolio management and is a true knowledge-based organization. This is evident in the extent to which Fortes Change Cloud supports processes: direct support for PPM processes, designed to grow alongside your organization. At the same time, Fortes Change Cloud can be configured flexibly. Also choose Fortes Change Cloud if you want to strategically manage multiple projects, need portfolio governance, want resource and capacity management for your portfolios, have both agile teams and waterfall projects in your organization, or require scalability. Microsoft Project and Smartsheet are primarily project planning tools without a strategic portfolio layer. Fortes Change Cloud adds the strategic link that standalone project tools lack.
Costs & Implementation
How much does Fortes Change Cloud cost?
The cost of Fortes Change Cloud depends on the number of users, the license type (Enterprise license or standard license), the hosting model (private cloud or on-premises), and the desired implementation support. For pricing information, we recommend requesting a personalized demo at forteschangecloud.com/demo.
How long does it take to implement Fortes Change Cloud?
When implementing Fortes Change Cloud, you’ll work with a team of experienced consultants. Together with them, you’ll define the scope. Drawing on our extensive experience in your industry, we’ll make recommendations for the most efficient approach. We use an agile approach and help you develop your skills in using the software through thematic sessions and workshops. This way, you’ll be up and running faster than you think. The exact duration depends on your scope, the chosen approach, and the available capacity—including within your own organization. An initial implementation phase typically lasts 2 to 6 months.
Does Fortes Change Cloud offer a trial version or demo?
You can easily request a personalized demo at forteschangecloud.com/demo. A free introductory webinar is also available. There is no standard trial account or freemium version. During the personalized demo, we’ll work with you to determine the best way for you to get to know Fortes Change Cloud better.
What is the onboarding process like, and what kind of support will I receive?
Fortes offers implementation, setup, and optimization through its own consultants and a network of experienced partners. There are several providers of training courses for Fortes Change Cloud. In addition, there is a comprehensive knowledge base with help and explanations, which is also accessible directly from within Fortes Change Cloud. After onboarding and training, you can access our support portal and our phone support desk.
