Method123

Project Management Offices (PMO) are defined by their ability to deliver value to their organizations or clients. As PMO organizations mature it becomes harder for them to demonstrate their business value to the organization. Below, we have identified 5 things that PMOs should be focused on to get themselves to the 'next level' of maturity and business value. 1. Make sure you can deliver clear, measurable objectives beyond ROI We have observed that many project proposals are submitted to the PMO organization -- complete with management approval and funding -- but without any clear measurable business objectives. By insisting that such measurable objectives be a required part of the business proposal, the PMO not only adds value to the organization, but can also save the PMO trouble down the road, when the lack of specificity in results becomes a sore point. 2. Speak the Language of the Business Make sure that the justification for a project is consistent with the business strat...

A project lifecycle at your business can take several paths. This is just like the name calls it; a cyclic pattern that a project can circulate until a deliverable is created that meets the projects objectives. The project lifecycle is the chosen path for many manufacturers when there is some doubt or the deliverable is in a new area of business. Unlike the waterfall methodology that runs in a start line downhill not allowing for further development of the item being produced, the project life cycle does. While every deliverable that goes thru a project lifecycle does not always need to be further developed, the possibility does exist. This path is a way of recovering a product instead of just having to start from scratch again. A project lifecycle has 4 main areas, the initiation, planning, execution and them conclusion. Each of these phases plays an important role in the development and process of delivering an item to a customer. The initiation phase of a project lifecycle is the...

Project Management Methodology Implementation is closely linked with the Controlling Services, as follows: - Implement Governance. Methodology and governance are closely linked. Project Management Methodology creates a framework for what specific decisions and processes are needed. Governance defines who should make each decision and be accountable for each process. Governance, therefore, extends the project management methodology to all people in all roles in the company, and beyond using specific project management software. Implementation of governance is a way to extend the methodology so that it includes all project stakeholders, not just project teams. This improves communication, leading to higher quality and more efficiency. - Perform Assessments. Most assessments will be used to determine the overall state of use of the project management methodology across the organization. An assessment is a general checkup telling the PMO how well the methodology is being used. - Perform Re...

With a project management template to use, a business manager has a pre-formatted document to start any project with. This is a vital tool to utilize that will help streamline the process. The advantages of this are evident as the project progresses, but one advantage that is generally overlooked is the assistance the template provides to the project manager. All successful project managers are picked because they find a way to get their job done right the first time and in budget. The project management templates that most use are not only a place to fill in the information that is needed, but also a reminder of what needs to be done. Being a project manager is a multi-tasking position that has many responsibilities. By utilizing a project management template , they have a guide to follow each step of the way through a project. This is why choosing the right program that has the templates they need is so important. Once a program is decided on, an SOP can be written on its proper us...

If you want to enhance the quality of your deliverables, then use professionally laid out Project Templates . These templates have been professionally formatted to save you time laying them out. They also include all of the sections, titles, charts, tables and practical examples needed to create high quality project documents now. Most projects go through the same steps towards completion. They start up, then they plan ahead, they execute and they close. That’s the nature of Project Management. So it stands to reason then, that most projects create similar documentation deliverables. These standard deliverables has been replicated as Project Templates , within our project methodology suite.

For several years now the phrase 'Zombie PMO' has been used to describe a PMO organization that is barely alive -- more focused on mundane self-serving practices than delivering business value.  Be sure that well before the 'Zombie' reference was born, this has been a crisis in the PM community.  For years we've seen PMOs come and go in and out of fashion, not because the concept of a PMO lacked business value, but because those executing the PMO have failed to focus on the business value they should be delivering. We staunchly support the idea of embracing best-practices, standards, governance, and employing sound methodology.  But, without an understanding of how these characteristics should be leveraged to deliver for the business, you run the risk of becoming antiquated, unnecessary, and overhead that the business will either ignore or disband. One of the critical actions that I would encourage for any PMO leader is to engage in a healthy dialog with the busines...

For several years now the phrase 'Zombie PMO' has been used to describe a PMO organization that is barely alive -- more focused on mundane self-serving practices than delivering business value.  Be sure that well before the 'Zombie' reference was born, this has been a crisis in the PM community.  For years we've seen PMOs come and go in and out of fashion, not because the concept of a PMO lacked business value, but because those executing the PMO have failed to focus on the business value they should be delivering. We staunchly support the idea of embracing best-practices, standards, governance, and employing sound methodology.  But, without an understanding of how these characteristics should be leveraged to deliver for the business you run the risk of becoming antiquated, unnecessary, and overhead that the business will either ignore or disband. One of the critical actions that I would encourage for any PMO leader is to engage in a healthy dialog with the business...

If you are a project manager dealing with what you perceive to be an unrealistic budget, the first thing you will want to do is discuss this with your sponsor to see if there are any factors that are driving the project budget. For instance, there may be budgetary restrictions. If you are a vendor, it is possible your sales people committed to a fixed price for the project. In some cases your manager or sponsor might set an arbitrary budget without much justification. It does not necessarily make your challenge any easier, but you may find that by better understanding the reason for the fixed budget, you may have an easier time getting yourself and your team members motivated to achieve it. When you have a full project management methodology you will have tools and techniques to respond to these concerns.  There are a number of responses to a project with unrealistic budgets. Reduce scope . Talk to your sponsor about reducing the project scope. See if there are features and function...

By using a project charter template you will have a jump start on completing the task you have undertaken. The template is designed to assist you in the creation of this document so the final product will be formatted as expected. The use of the project charter template will also make it possible for the project manager to complete this task with greater accuracy but in less time than if it was done by scratch. This is made possible by the template itself. By having the formatting and order already in place inside the template, the project manager only has to concentrate on the content of the project. This streamlines the entire process of completing the task at hand. For most the inclusion of a project charter template is just the first of many templates that are available for the proper documentation of a project. With this processes being in a digital format, this template along with the others can be reused multiple times. This will bring consistency to your project charters and...

By using a project charter template you will have a jump start on completing the task you have undertaken. The template is designed to assist you in the creation of this document so the final product will be formatted as expected. The use of the project charter template will also make it possible for the project manager to complete this task with greater accuracy but in less time than if it was done by scratch. This is made possible by the template itself. By having the formatting and order already in place inside the template, the project manager only has to concentrate on the content of the project. This streamlines the entire process of completing the task at hand. For most the inclusion of a project charter template is just the first of many templates that are available for the proper documentation of a project. With this processes being in a digital format, this template along with the others can be reused multiple times. This will bring consistency to your project charters and...

It has been shown that using project management templates to develop and document a project plan saves time and money. This is attributed to their ease of use and thoroughness of how they were prepared. When deciding on which set of project management templates is best for your company, there are several factors you need to consider. The first one is your computer system. If you have many stand alone units, then the project management program would need to be loaded on each and every one where a user might be working. This is becoming a rarer scene, but still exists in smaller companies. For the corporations that have a centralized server, the users will have easier access to the project management templates . With access, the project managers will be able to use all of the templates to their fullest potential if they are aware of them and know how to use them. This is where training is beneficial. In businesses across America, there is safety training every month. This is so every e...

When the reference to an enterprise project is made, it usually means a very large and complex project is the focus. Because of the extreme complexity of this size of project, a new type of program was needed. For most practical purposes, an enterprise project will occur in large companies or corporations. The main reason is that they have the necessary resources to pull together everything that is needed for a project of this size. Examples can be nuclear reactors when they were being produced, or large hydroelectric dams. As companies grew greater in size, the need for an even larger, compactly enterprise project programs were needed. No longer were these programs designed to handle just one large project. With the capability of handling multiple enterprise projects at once, the size and complexity of the programming itself grew. Developing the new enterprise project programs takes considerable time due to the vast number of additional programs needed for it to work as designed. A...

We've worked with many organizations that have put in place some fairly mature project management processes and implemented what they call 'Governance'. While we 100% support the practice of providing a defined process around project, program and portfolio management we have detected a trend in organizations experiencing some unintended consequences of governance. Specifically, adopting a 'one size fits all' model to governance can be detrimental to the organization and to the PMO. By forcing all projects to conform to a rigid standard of controls (governance) we risk slowing down the execution of projects and overburdening them with too much process. One of the significant benefits of  MPMM  is that its highly customizable and adaptable to fit your projects needs. The PMO 'Process Police', as they are sometimes called, need to make sure that they are focused more on  business outcomes  than on governance process. Their processes should enable greater produc...

We've worked with many organizations that have put in place some fairly mature project management processes and implemented what they call 'Governance'. While we 100% support the practice of providing a defined process around project, program and portfolio management we have detected a trend in organizations experiencing some unintended consequences of governance. Specifically, adopting a 'one size fits all' model to governance can be detrimental to the organization and to the PMO. By forcing all projects to conform to a rigid standard of controls (governance) we risk slowing down the execution of projects and overburdening them with too much process. One of the significant benefits of  MPMM  is that its highly customizable and adaptable to fit your projects needs. The PMO 'Process Police', as they are sometimes called, need to make sure that they are focused more on  business outcomes  than on governance process. Their processes should enable greater produc...

Project Management Life Cycle ...Avoiding confusion with Project Life Cycle   Project Management Life Cycle vs Project Life Cycle Unfortunately, I've seen many cases where these two are used interchangeably without acknowledging that they are truly two different and distinct things. The Project Management Life Cycle is defined by the methodology used to manage projects in your organization. MPMM©, like the PMBOK©, utilizes Initiation, Planning, Executing, and Closure phases in the PMLC. The Project Life Cycle (PLC) lives mostly within the Executing phase of the PMLC. If the project is a software development project that PLC will often be referred to as the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Its just a unique case of a Project Life Cycle. Furthermore, the SDLC may differ depending on your approach to software development --- think Agile vs Waterfall. Individual projects, being unique in nature, may have different Project Life Cycles. Think about the difference between an Agil...

Project Management Life Cycle ...Avoiding confusion with Project Life Cycle   Project Management Life Cycle vs Project Life Cycle Unfortunately, I've seen many cases where these two are used interchangeably without acknowledging that they are truly two different and distinct things. The Project Management Life Cycle is defined by the methodology used to manage projects in your organization. MPMM©, like the PMBOK©, utilizes Initiation, Planning, Executing, and Closure phases in the PMLC. The Project Life Cycle (PLC) lives mostly within the Executing phase of the PMLC. If the project is a software development project that PLC will often be referred to as the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). Its just a unique case of a Project Life Cycle. Furthermore, the SDLC may differ depending on your approach to software development --- think Agile vs Waterfall. Individual projects, being unique in nature, may have different Project Life Cycles. Think about the difference between an Agil...

Method123 has just released a   Portfolio Management Module for MPMM   for $195 . Order Now! What is Project Portfolio Management? The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines project portfolio management -- or simply portfolio management -- as the “centralized management of one or more portfolios that enable executive management to meet organizational goals and objectives through efficient decision making on portfolios, projects, programs and operations.” Note that this is an interrelated organizational processes by which an organization evaluates, selects, prioritizes, and allocates its limited internal resources to best accomplish organizational strategies consistent with its vision, mission, and values. This ideally means that PPM should drive the execution of strategy . It is the means by which the organization aligns its investments with its business strategy.  The concept is similar to that of managing a stock portfolio.  And as anyone who has ever played the markets can tell...

Method123 has just released a   Portfolio Management Module for MPMM   for $195 . Order Now! What is Project Portfolio Management? The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines project portfolio management -- or simply portfolio management -- as the “centralized management of one or more portfolios that enable executive management to meet organizational goals and objectives through efficient decision making on portfolios, projects, programs and operations.” Note that this is an interrelated organizational processes by which an organization evaluates, selects, prioritizes, and allocates its limited internal resources to best accomplish organizational strategies consistent with its vision, mission, and values. This ideally means that PPM should drive the execution of strategy . It is the means by which the organization aligns its investments with its business strategy.  The concept is similar to that of managing a stock portfolio.  And as anyone who has ever played the markets can tell...

Basics of Procurement Procurement refers to obtaining goods and services from outside companies. This specifically refers to vendors and suppliers. It does not refer to other internal organizations within your own company. (For the purposes of this discussion, "purchasing" and "procurement" are equivalent terms.) This is an area that project managers definitely need to understand at some level, and it is an area into which the project manager will give input. However, in many, and perhaps most companies, procurement is an area that the project manager does not own. The project manager normally does not have the authority to enter into contracts on behalf of the company, and he normally is not asked to administer the contracts once they are in place. (In some organizations the project managers have this authority, but my perception is that in most organizations they don't.)  If you are purchasing goods or services on your project, you should determine whether yo...

One of the most frequently debated questions we have seen in today's PMO environment is that of "How much is enough process, governance and oversight"? Business managers want to be nimble and responsive and sometimes have little appetite for what they perceive as the bureaucracy of the PMO office. Project team members and SMEs may likewise feel like they are being slowed down by complying with the methodology of the PMO. To all sides of this argument we say "Yes! You can make reasonable compromises to reduce project overhead." It all comes down to  Risk  management and how much tolerance you have for it. We had devised a Risk Analysis Spreadsheet that takes into account only 24 questions and score cards them into 3 distinct project buckets - Small / Medium / Large. This shirt-sizing approach then let us manage each bucket according to a tailored methodology and governance plan. The small projects used a light-weight methodology and proceeded through a limited nu...