Besides the small introduction, subscribers and consulting clients within this management domain have access to:
Choose the right PPM strategy for your organization and get executive buy-in before you start to set PPM process goals.
Use the advice and tools in this phase to align the PPM processes that make up the infrastructure around projects with your new PPM strategy.
Refine your PPM strategic plan with inputs from the previous phases by adding a cost-benefit analysis and PPM tool recommendation.
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Choose the right PPM strategy for your organization and ensure executive buy-in.
Set process goals to address PPM strategic expectations and steer the PPM strategic plan.
A right-sized PPM strategy complete with executive buy-in for it.
A prioritized list of PPM process goals.
1.1 Assess leadership mandate.
1.2 Determine potential resource capacity.
1.3 Create a project inventory.
1.4 Prepare to communicate your PPM strategy to key stakeholders.
1.5 Translate each strategic goal into process goals.
1.6 Set metrics and preliminary targets for PPM process goals.
Choice of PPM strategy and the leadership mandate
Analysis of current project capacity
Analysis of current project demand
PPM Strategic Plan – Executive Brief
PPM strategy-aligned process goals
Metrics and long-term targets for PPM process goals
Examine your current-state PPM processes and create a high-level description of the target-state process for each of the five PPM processes within Info-Tech’s PPM framework.
Build a sound business case for implementing the new PPM strategy by documenting roles and responsibilities for key PPM activities as well as the time costs associated with them.
Near-term and long-term goals as well as an organizationally specific wireframe for your PPM processes.
Time cost assumptions for your proposed processes to ensure sustainability.
2.1 Develop and refine the project intake, prioritization, and approval process.
2.2 Develop and refine the resource management process.
2.3 Develop and refine the portfolio reporting process.
2.4 Develop and refine the project closure process
2.5 Develop and refine the benefits realization process.
Process capability level
Current-state PPM process description
Retrospective examination of the current-state PPM process
Action items to achieve the target states
Time cost of the process at current and target states
Perform a PPM tool analysis in order to determine the right tool to support your processes.
Estimate the total cost-in-use of managing the project portfolio, as well as the estimated benefits of an optimized PPM strategy.
A right-sized tool selection to help support your PPM strategy.
A PPM strategy cost-benefit analysis.
3.1 Right-size the PPM tools for your processes.
3.2 Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of implementing the new PPM strategy.
3.3 Define roles and responsibilities for the new processes.
3.4 Refine and consolidate the near-term action items into a cohesive plan.
Recommendation for a PPM tool
Cost-benefit analysis
Roles and responsibilities matrix for each PPM process
An implementation timeline for your PPM strategy
"Organizations typically come to project portfolio management (PPM) with at least one of two misconceptions: (1) that PPM is synonymous with project management and (2) that a collection of PPM processes constitutes a PPM strategy.
Both foundations are faulty: project management and PPM are separate disciplines with distinct goals and processes, and a set of processes do not comprise a strategy – they should flow from a strategy, not precede one. When built upon these foundations, the benefits of PPM go unrealized, as the means (i.e. project and portfolio processes) commonly eclipse the ends of a PPM strategy – e.g. a portfolio better aligned with business goals, improved project throughput, increased stakeholder satisfaction, and so on.
Start with the end in mind: articulate a PPM strategy that is truly project portfolio in nature, i.e. focused on the whole portfolio and not just the individual parts. Then, let your PPM strategy guide your process goals and help to drive successful outcomes, project after project." (Barry Cousins, Senior Director of Research, PMO Practice, Info-Tech Research Group)
Reported Importance: Initially, when CIOs were asked to rank the importance of IT services, respondents ranked “projects” low on the list – 10 out of a possible 12.
Actual Importance: Despite this low “reported importance,” of those organizations that were “satisfied” to “fully satisfied” with IT, the service that had the strongest correlation to high business satisfaction was “projects,” i.e. IT’s ability to help plan, support, and execute projects and initiatives that help the business achieve its strategic goals.
Info-Tech’s CIO Business Vision Survey data highlights the importance of IT projects in supporting the business achieve its strategic goals. However, Info-Tech’s CEO-CIO Alignment Survey (N=124) data indicates that CEOs perceive IT to be poorly aligned to business’ strategic goals:
The most recent data from the Project Management Institute (PMI) shows that more projects are meeting their original goals and business intent and less projects are being deemed failures. However, at the same time, more projects are experiencing scope creep. Scope creeps result in schedule and cost overrun, which result in dissatisfied project sponsors, stakeholders, and project workers.
Meanwhile, the primary causes of project failures remain largely unchanged. Interestingly, most of these primary causes can be traced to sources outside of a project manager’s control, either entirely or in part. As a result, project management tactics and processes are limited in adequately addressing them.
Relative rank | ||||
Primary cause of project failure |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
Trend |
Change in organization's priorities | 1st | 1st | 1st | Stable |
Inaccurate requirements gathering | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | Stable |
Change in project objectives | 3rd | 2nd | 3rd | Stable |
Inadequate vision/goal for project | 6th | 5th | 4th | Rising |
Inadequate/poor communication | 5th | 7th | 5th | Stable |
Poor change management | 11th | 9th | 6th | Rising |
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. (PMI, Standard for Portfolio Management, 3rd ed.)
Selecting and prioritizing projects with the strongest alignment to business strategy goals and ensuring that resources are properly allocated to deliver them, enable IT to:
"In today’s competitive business environment, a portfolio management process improves the linkage between corporate strategy and the selection of the ‘right’ projects for investment. It also provides focus, helping to ensure the most efficient and effective use of available resources." (Lou Pack, PMP, Senior VP, ICF International (PMI, 2015))
55% ... of IT organizations believe that their PPM processes are neither effective nor important.
21% ... of IT organizations reported having no one responsible or accountable for PPM.
62% ... of projects in organizations effective in PPM met/exceeded the expected ROI (PMI, 2015).
In addition to PPM’s benefits, improving PPM processes presents an opportunity for getting ahead of the curve in the industry.
Our methodology is designed to tackle your hardest challenge first to deliver the highest-value part of the deliverable. For developing a PPM strategy, the biggest challenge is to get the buy-in of the executive layer.
"Without senior management participation, PPM doesn’t work, and the organization is likely to end up with, or return to, a squeaky-wheel-gets-the-grease mindset for all those involved." (Mark Price Perry, Business Driven Project Portfolio Management)
A PPM strategic plan is the end deliverable of this blueprint. In the first step, download the pre-filled template with content that represents the most common case. Then, throughout the blueprint, customize with your data.
Buy-in from the owners of project portfolio (Steering Committee, C-suite management, etc.) is a critical prerequisite for any PPM strategy. This blueprint will give you the tools and templates to help you make your case and win the buy-in of portfolio owners.
This blueprint offers a methodology to translate the broad aim of PPM to practical, tactical goals of the five core PPM processes, as well as how to measure the results. Our methodology is supported with industry-leading frameworks, best practices, and our insider research.
This blueprint takes you through a series of steps to translate the process goals into a high-level process description, as well as a business case and a roadmap for implementing the new PPM processes.
Our methodology is also equally as applicable for making your existing PPM processes better, and help you draft a roadmap for improvement with well-defined goals, roles, and responsibilities.
These processes create an infrastructure around projects, which aims to enable:
PPM has many moving pieces. To ensure that all of these processes work in harmony, you need a PPM strategy.
Info-Tech’s PPM thought model enables you to manage your project portfolio independent of your PM methodology or capability. Projects interact with PPM via:
Learn about project management approach for small projects in Info-Tech’s Tailor PM Processes to Fit Your Projects blueprint.
Info-Tech uses PMI and ISACA frameworks for areas of this research.
PMI’s Standard for Portfolio Management, 3rd ed. is the leading industry framework, proving project portfolio management best practices and process guidelines. | COBIT 5 is the leading framework for the governance and management of enterprise IT. |
In addition to industry-leading frameworks, our best-practice approach is enhanced by the insights and guidance from our analysts, industry experts, and our clients.
33,000+ Our peer network of over 33,000 happy clients proves the effectiveness of our research.
1000+ Our team conducts 1,000+ hours of primary and secondary research to ensure that our approach is enhanced by best practices.
At first, there were no less than 14 teams of developers, each with their own methodologies and processes. Changes to projects were not managed. Only 35% of the projects were completed on time.
Anyone had the right to ask for something; however, converting ideas to a formal project demand required senior leadership within a business division getting on board with the idea.
The CIO and senior leadership decided that projects, previously assigned to IT, were to be owned and driven by the business, as the projects are undertaken to serve its needs and rarely IT’s own. The rest of the organization understood that the business, not IT, was accountable for prioritizing project work: IT was re-positioned as a facilitator of business projects. While it was a long process, the result speaks for itself: 75% of projects were now being completed on time.
What about maintaining and feeding the IT infrastructure? The CIO reserved 40% of IT project capacity for “keeping the lights on,” and 20% for reactive, unplanned activities, with an aim to lower this percentage. With the rest of the time, IT facilitated business projects
"Projects are dumped on IT, and the business abdicates responsibility. Flip that over, and say ‘that's your project’ and ‘how can we help you?’"
Use these icons to help guide you through each step of the blueprint and direct you to content related to the recommended activities.
This icon denotes a slide where a supporting Info-Tech tool or template will help you perform the activity or step associated with the slide. Refer to the supporting tool or template to get the best results and proceed to the next step of the project.
This icon denotes a slide with an associated activity. The activity can be performed either as part of your project or with the support of Info-Tech team members, who will come onsite to facilitate a workshop for your organization.
DIY Toolkit |
Guided Implementation |
Workshop |
Consulting |
"Our team has already made this critical project a priority, and we have the time and capability, but some guidance along the way would be helpful." | "Our team knows that we need to fix a process, but we need assistance to determine where to focus. Some check-ins along the way would help keep us on track." | "We need to hit the ground running and get this project kicked off immediately. Our team has the ability to take this over once we get a framework and strategy in place." | "Our team does not have the time or the knowledge to take this project on. We need assistance through the entirety of this project." |
1. Get executive buy-in for your PPM strategy |
2. Align PPM processes to your strategic goals |
3. Complete your PPM strategic plan |
|
Best-Practice Toolkit |
1.1 Choose the right PPM strategy for your organization 1.2 Translate PPM strategy expectations to specific process goals |
2.1 Develop and refine project intake, prioritization, and resource management processes 2.2 Develop and refine portfolio reporting, project closure, and benefits realization processes |
3.1 Select a right-sized PPM solution for supporting your new processes 3.2 Finalize customizing your PPM Strategic Plan Template |
Guided Implementations |
|
|
|
Onsite Workshop |
Module 1:
Set strategic expectations and realistic goals for the PPM strategy |
Module 2:
Develop and refine strategy-aligned PPM processes |
Module 3:
Compose your PPM strategic plan |
Phase 1 Outcome:
|
Phase 2 Outcome:
|
Phase 3 Outcome:
|
Workshop Day 1 |
Workshop Day 2 |
Workshop Day 3 |
Workshop Day 4 |
Workshop Day 5 |
|
Get leadership buy-in for PPM strategy | Set PPM process goals and metrics with strategic expectations | Develop and Refine PPM processes | Develop and Refine PPM processes | Complete the PPM strategic plan | |
Activities |
|
|
|
|
|
Deliverables |
|
|
|
|
Complete these steps on your own, or call us to complete a guided implementation. A guided implementation is a series of 2-3 advisory calls that help you execute each phase of a project. They are included in most advisory memberships.
Step 1.1: Choose the right PPM strategy | Step 1.2: Translate strategic expectations to process goals |
Start with an analyst kick-off call:
|
Work with an analyst to:
|
Then complete these activities…
|
Then complete these activities…
|
With these tools & templates:
|
With these tools & templates:
|
Phase 1 Results & Insights
|
Where traditional models of consulting can take considerable amounts of time before delivering value to clients, Info-Tech’s methodology for developing a PPM strategy gets you to value fast.
In the first step of this blueprint, you will define your PPM strategy and prepare an executive presentation to get buy-in for the strategy. The presentation can be prepared in just a few hours.
Once you have received buy-in for your PPM strategy, the remainder of this blueprint will help you customize section 2 of the Template.
Download Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template.
PHASE 1 |
PHASE 2 |
PHASE 3 |
|||
1.1 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
Choose the right PPM strategy | Translate strategy into process goals | Define intake & resource mgmt. processes | Define reporting, closure, & benefits mgmt. processes | Select a right-sized PPM solution | Finalize your PPM strategic plan |
In today’s organizations, the desires of business units for new products and enhancements, and the appetites of senior leadership to approve more and more projects for those products and services, far outstrips IT’s ability to realistically deliver on everything.
The vast majority of IT departments lack the resourcing to meet project demand – especially given the fact that day-to-day operational demands frequently trump project work.
As a result, project throughput suffers – and with it, IT's reputation within the organization.
A PPM strategy should enable executive decision makers to make sense of the excess of demand and give IT the ability to prioritize those projects that are of the most strategic value to the business.
With the right PPM strategy, IT can improve project outcomes across its portfolio and drive business value – all while improving the workloads of IT project staff.
Option A: |
Option B: |
Goals of this approach:
|
Goals of this approach:
|
Who this approach is for:
|
Who this approach is for:
|
Each of these strategy options is driven by a set of specific strategic expectations to help communicate your PPM goals. See the following slides for an articulation of each strategy option.
Serve the executive with insight before you impede the projects with governance. This strategy option is where Info-Tech sees the most PPM success. A strategy focused at improving decision making at the executive layer will both improve project outcomes and help alleviate project workloads.
Right-size governance to maximize success. Project management and governance success don’t necessarily equal project success. Project management processes should be a means to an end (i.e. successful project outcomes), and not an end in themselves. Ensure the ends justify the means.
The most common IT project problems – schedule and budget overruns, scope creep, and poor quality – can ultimately, in the vast majority of cases, be traced back to bad decisions made at the portfolio level:
No amount of project management rigor can help alleviate these common root causes of project failure.
With a top-down PPM strategy, however, you can make sure that leadership is informed and engaged in making the right project decisions and that project managers and teams are situated for success.
"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all." (Peter Drucker (quoted in Lessing))
Get Strategic About Project Success.
The difference between project management and project portfolio management comes down to doing things right vs. doing the right things. Both are important, no doubt; but doing the wrong things well doesn’t provide much value to the business in the long run.
Get insight into the big picture with a top-down strategy before imposing more administrative overhead on project managers and leads.
INPUT: Leadership expectations for portfolio and project management.
OUTPUT: Leadership mandate bar chart
Materials: Tab 6 of Info-Tech’s PPM High-Level Supply-Demand Calculator
Participants: Portfolio manager (or equivalent), PPM strategy sponsor(s), CIO and other members of senior management
Use the “Leadership Mandate Survey” (located on tab 6 of Info-Tech’s PPM High-Level Supply-Demand Calculator) to assess the degree to which your leadership expects the PPM strategy to provide outcomes across the following capabilities: portfolio reporting, project governance, and project management.
Refer to the next slide for assistance analyzing the outputs in tab 6 and using them to inform your choice of strategy.
Customize Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template. Insert screenshots of the survey and the bar graph from tab 6 of the PPM High-Level Supply-Demand Calculator onto slides 7 and 8, “PPM Strategy Leadership Mandate,” of the PPM Strategic Plan Template.
Based upon the results of the “Leadership Mandate Survey,” and your assessment of each strategy option as described in the previous slides, choose the strategy option that is right for your IT department/PMO at this time.
"Without a strategic methodology, project portfolio planning is frustrating and has little chance of achieving exceptional business success." (G Wahl (quoted in Merkhofer))
Those proceeding with Option A should continue with remainder of this blueprint. Update your strategy statement on slide 3 of your PPM Strategic Plan Template to reflect your choice
Those proceeding with Option B should exit this blueprint and refer to Info-Tech’s Tailor Project Management Processes to Fit Your Projects blueprint to help define a project management standard operating procedure.
Customize Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template. If you’re proceeding with Option A, update slide 4, “Project Portfolio Management Strategy,” of your PPM Strategic Plan Template to reflect your choice of PPM strategy. If you’re proceeding with Option B, you may want to include your strategy statement in your Project Management SOP Template.
Info-Tech’s research shows that the ability to provide a centralized view of IT’s capacity for projects is one of the top PPM capabilities that contributes to overall project success.
Accurate and reliable forecasts into IT’s capacity, coupled with an engaged executive layer making project approval and prioritization decisions based upon that capacity data, is the hallmark of an effective top-down PPM strategy.
Download Info-Tech’s PPM High-Level Supply/Demand Calculator.
Where does the time go? The portfolio manager (or equivalent) should function as the accounting department for time, showing what’s available in IT’s human resources budget for projects and providing ongoing visibility into how that budget of time is being spent.
INPUT: Staff resource types, Average work week, Estimated allocations
OUTPUT: Breakdown of annual portfolio HR spend, Capacity pie chart
Materials: PPM High-Level Supply/Demand Calculator, tab 3
Participants: Portfolio manager (or equivalent), Resource and/or project managers
Based upon the inputs from columns B to J, the rest of tab 3 analyzes how IT available time is spent across the time categories, highlighting how much of IT’s capacity is actually available for projects after admin work, support and maintenance work, and absences have been taken into account.
Customize Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template. Update slide 10, “Current Project Capacity,” of your PPM Strategic Plan Template to include the outputs from tab 3 of the Calculator.
INPUT: Number of active and backlog projects across different sizes
OUTPUT: Total project demand in estimated hours of work effort
Materials: PPM High-Level Supply/Demand Calculator, tab 4
Participants: Portfolio manager (or equivalent), Project managers
Once tabs 3 and 4 are complete, use tab 5 to analyze the supply/demand data to help build your case for a top-down PPM strategy and get buy-in for it.
Customize Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template. Update slides 11 and 12, “Current Project Demand,” of your PPM Strategic Plan Template to include the outputs from tabs 4 and 5 of the Calculator.
Info-Tech’s PPM Current State Scorecard diagnostic provides a comprehensive view of your portfolio management strengths and weaknesses, including project portfolio management, project management, customer management, and resource utilization.
Customize Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template. Update slides 14 and 15, “Current State Resource Utilization” of your PPM Strategic Plan Template to include the resource utilization outputs from your PPM Current State Scorecard.
INPUT: The previous activities from this step
OUTPUT: An presentation communication your PPM strategy
Materials: PPM Strategic Plan Template, section 1
Participants: Portfolio manager (or equivalent)
The purpose of this section of the Template is to capture the outputs of this step and use them to communicate the value of a top-down PPM strategy and to get buy-in for this strategy from senior management before you move forward to develop your PPM processes in the subsequent phases of this blueprint.
It is essential that you get preliminary buy-in for this strategy from the executive layer before you move forward to develop your PPM processes in the subsequent phases of this blueprint. Lack of executive engagement is one of the top barriers to PPM strategy success.
"Gaining executive sponsorship early is key…It is important for the executives in your organization to understand that the PPM initiatives and the PMO organization are there to support (but never hinder) executive decision making." (KeyedIn Projects)
Engage(d) sponsorship. According to Prosci, the top factor in contributing to the success of a change initiative is active and visible executive sponsorship. Use this meeting to communicate to your sponsor(s) the importance of their involvement in championing the PPM strategy.
The PMO operated in a way that is, in their self-assessment, reactive; project requests and capacity were not effectively managed. Perhaps due to this, the leadership team was not always visible, or regularly available, to PM leaders. This, in turn, complicated efforts to effectively manage their projects.
Establishing a simple prioritization methodology enabled the senior leadership to engage and effectively steer the project portfolio by strategic importance. The criteria and tool also gave the business units a clear understanding to promote the strategic value of each of their project requests.
PM leaders now have the support and confidence of the senior leadership team to both proactively manage and deliver on strategic projects. This new prioritization model brought the PM Leader and senior leadership team in direct access with each other.
"By implementing this new project intake and prioritization framework, we drastically improved our ability to predict, meet, and manage project requests and unit workload. We adopted a client-focused and client-centric approach that enabled all project participants to see their role and value in successful project delivery. We created methodologies that were easy to follow from the client participation perspective, but also as PM leaders, provided us with the metrics, planning, and proactive tools to meet and anticipate client project demand. The response from our clients was extremely positive, encouraging, and appreciative."
PHASE 1 | PHASE 2 | PHASE 3 | |||
1.1 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
Choose the right PPM strategy | Translate strategy into process goals | Define intake & resource mgmt. processes | Define reporting, closure, & benefits mgmt. processes | Select a right-sized PPM solution | Finalize your PPM strategic plan |
INPUT: PPM strategy & expectations, Organizational strategy and culture
OUTPUT: Prioritized list of strategy-aligned PPM process goals
Materials: PPM Strategy-Process Translation Matrix
Participants: CIO, Steering Committee, Business Unit Leaders, PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager
This activity is designed for key departmental stakeholders to articulate how PPM processes should be developed or refined to meet the PPM strategic expectations.
Participation of the key departmental stakeholders in this exercise is critical, e.g. CIO, Steering Committee, business unit leaders.
Strategic Expectations | x | Processes | = | Process goals aligned to strategy |
Throughput | Project Intake, Approval, & Prioritization | |||
Visibility | Resource Management | |||
Responsiveness | Status & Progress Reporting | |||
Resource Utilization | Project Closure | |||
Benefits | Benefits Realization |
Download Info-Tech’s PPM Strategy-Process Goals Translation Matrix Template.
Example 1:
To answer the question “who can request a project, and how?” in a way that we can maximize the throughput of the best projects, it will be important to standardize the project request process.
Example 2:
To answer the question “how will they decide what to fund?” in a way that we can maximize the throughput of the best projects, it will be important to reach a consensus on project prioritization criteria.
Example 3:
To answer the question “how will we track the projected benefits?” in a way that we can maximize the throughput of the best projects, it will be important to double-check the validity of benefits before projects are approved.
1.2.2 – 1-2 hours
INPUT: Prioritized list of strategy-aligned PPM process goals, Organizational strategy and culture
OUTPUT: Metrics and targets for high-priority PPM process goals
Materials: PPM Strategy-Process Translation Matrix
Participants: CIO, Steering Committee, Business Unit Leaders, PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager
Your highest-priority process goals and their corresponding strategy expectations are displayed in tab 3 of the PPM Strategy-Process Translation Matrix template (example below).
Through a group discussion, document what will be measured to decide the achievement of each process goal, as well as your current estimate and the long-term target. If necessary, adjust the approximate target duration.
"We had no effective means of tracking project intake requests vs. capacity. We struggled using ad hoc processes and methods which worked to meet immediate needs, but we quickly realized that they were ineffective in tracking critical project metrics, key performance indicators (KPIs), or performance measures...In short, we were being reactive, instead of proactive."
The result was a disorganized portfolio that led to low client satisfaction and team morale.
With the guiding principle of “through the eyes of the client,” PPM processes and tools were developed to formalize project intake, prioritization, and capacity planning. All touchpoints between client and PPM processes were identified, and practices for managing client expectations were put in place. A client satisfaction survey was formulated as part of the post-project assessment and review.
People, processes, and tools are now aligned to support client demand, manage client expectations, measure project KPIs, and perform post-project analysis. A standard for client satisfaction metrics was put in place. The overwhelmingly positive feedback has increased team confidence in their ability to deliver quality efforts.
|
Determine your actual resource capacity for projects
Work with Info-Tech analysts to define your project vs. non-project ratio to help define how much of your overall resource capacity is actual available for projects. |
|
Set realistic PPM process goals
Leverage Info-Tech facilitators to help walk you through our PPM framework and define achievable process goals that are rooted in your current PPM maturity levels and organizational culture. |
Call 1-888-670-8889 or email GuidedImplementations@InfoTech.com for more information.
Complete these steps on your own, or call us to complete a guided implementation. A guided implementation is a series of 2-3 advisory calls that help you execute each phase of a project. They are included in most advisory memberships.
Step 2.1: Develop intake & resource mgmt. processes | Step 2.2: Define reporting, closure, & benefits processes |
Work with an analyst to:
|
Work with an analyst to:
|
Then complete these activities…
|
Then complete these activities…
|
With these tools & templates:
|
With these tools & templates:
|
Phase 2 Results & Insights
|
In the previous step of the blueprint, key department stakeholders established the PPM process goals, metrics, and targets in a way that aligns with the overall PPM strategy. In this phase, we draft a high-level description of the five PPM processes that reflect those goals using the following methodology:
INPUT |
–› | PROCESS |
–› | OUTPUT |
|
|
|
Time spent on managing the project portfolio is an investment. Like any other business endeavors, the benefits must outweigh the costs to be worth doing.
As you draft a high-level description of the PPM processes in this phase of the blueprint, use Info-Tech’s PPM Strategy Development Tool to track the estimate the cost-in-use of the process. In the next phase, this information will be inform a cost-benefit analysis, which will be used to support your plan to implement the PPM strategy.
Download Info-Tech’s PPM Strategy Development Tool.
PHASE 1 | PHASE 2 | PHASE 3 | |||
1.1 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
Choose the right PPM strategy | Translate strategy into process goals | Define intake & resource mgmt. processes | Define reporting, closure, & benefits mgmt. processes | Select a right-sized PPM solution | Finalize your PPM strategic plan |
This process aims to control the project demand. A balance between rigor and flexibility is critical in order to avoid the “analysis paralysis” as much as the “gut feel” approach.
Info-Tech recommends following a four-step process for managing project intake.
An excess number of intake channels is the tell-tale sign of a project portfolio in distress. The PMO needs to exercise and enforce discipline on stakeholders. PMO should demand proper documentation and diligence from stakeholders before proceeding with requests.
Info-Tech recommends following a five-step process for managing project intake, prioritization, and approval.
“Approval” can be a dangerous word in project and portfolio management. Use it carefully. Clarify precisely what is being “approved” at each step in the process, what is required to pass each gate, and how long the process will take.
INPUT: Organizational strategy and culture
OUTPUT: Project intake, prioritization, and approval capability level
Materials: PPM Strategy Development Tool
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Resource Managers, Business Analysts
Kick-off the discussion about the project intake, prioritization, and approval process by reading the capability level descriptions below and discussing which level currently applies to you the most.
Capability Level Descriptions |
|
Capability Level 5: Optimized | We have effective intake processes with right-sized administrative overhead. Work is continuously prioritized to keep up with emerging challenges and opportunities. |
Capability Level 4: Aligned | We have very strong intake processes. Project approvals are based on business cases and aligned with future resource capacity. |
Capability Level 3: Engaged | Processes are in place to track project requests and follow up on them. Priorities are periodically re-evaluated, based largely on the best judgment of one or several executives. |
Capability Level 2: Defined | Some processes are in place, but there is no capacity to say no to new projects. There is a backlog, but little or no method for grooming it. |
Capability Level 1: Unmanaged | Our organization has no formal intake processes in place. Most work is done reactively, with little ability to prioritize project work proactively. |
2.1.1b – 1-2 hours
INPUT: Documentation describing the current process (e.g. standard operating procedures), Process goals from activity 1.2.1
OUTPUT: Retrospective review of current process
Materials: 4x6” recipe cards, Whiteboard
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Resource Managers, Business Analysts
Conduct a table-top planning exercise to map out the process currently in place.
Start | Stop | Continue |
|
|
|
2.1.1c – 30 minutes - 1 hour
INPUT: Outcome of the retrospective review, Process goals and metrics from activity 1.2.1
OUTPUT: Action items for evolving the process to a target state
Materials: Whiteboard
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Resource Managers, Business Analysts
Analyze each item in the start-stop-continue retrospective to compile a set of near-term and long-term action items.
The near-term plan should include steps that are within the authority of the PMO and do not require approval or investment outside of that authority. | The long-term plan should include steps that may require a longer approval process, buy-in of external stakeholders, and the investment of time and money. | |
Near-Term Action Items | Long-Term Action Items | |
For example:
|
For example:
|
Review and customize slide 23, “Project intake, prioritization, and approval: action items,” in Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template.
2.1.1d – 1-2 hours
INPUT: Action items for evolving the process to a target state
OUTPUT: High-level description of the process at the target state
Materials: Whiteboard, PPM Strategy Development Tool
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Resource Managers, Business Analysts
An example of high-level breakdown: project intake, prioritization, and approval | ||||||||
Collect project requests | –› | Screen requests | –› | Develop business case | –› | Prioritize project | –› | Approve project |
Question |
Description |
Input | What information do you need to perform the work? |
Output | What artifacts/deliverables are produced as a result? |
Frequency/Timing | How often, and when, will the work be performed? |
Responsibility | Who will perform the work? |
Accountability | Who will approve the work and assume the ownership of any decisions? |
Record the time cost of each high-level process task from Activity 2.1.1d.
INPUT: High-level description of the process at the target state
OUTPUT: Updated PPM strategic plan
Materials: Whiteboard, PPM Strategic Plan Template
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager
Update your PPM strategic plan with the new high-level description for the new project intake, prioritization, and approval process. Depending on your current process capability level, you may wish to include additional information on your strategic document, for example:
Info-Tech has a dedicated blueprint to help you develop the high-level process description into a fully operationalized process. Upon completion of this PPM strategy blueprint, speak to an Info-Tech account manager or analyst to get started.
Read Info-Tech’s Optimize Project Intake, Prioritization, and Approval blueprint.
Review and customize slide 24, “Project intake, prioritization, and approval: target state,” in Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template.
"Our challenge from the start was to better understand the strategic perspective and priorities of our client departments.
In addition, much of the work requested was not aligned to corporate goals and efforts, and seemed to be contradictory, redundant, and lacking strategic focus."
Complicating this challenge was the fact that work requests were being received via all means of communication, which made the monitoring and controlling of requests more difficult.
Client departments were consulted to improve the understanding of their strategic goals and priorities. Based on the consultation:
"By creating and implementing a tool for departments to prioritize strategic efforts, we helped them consider the important overall project criteria and measure them uniformly, across all anticipated projects. This set a standard of assessment, prioritization, and ranking, which helped departments clearly see which efforts were supportive and matched their strategic goals."
This process aims to control the resource supply to meet the demand – project and non-project alike. Coordinate this process with the intake, approval, and prioritization process.
2.1.2a – 10 minutes
INPUT: Organizational strategy and culture
OUTPUT: Resource management capability level
Materials: PPM Strategy Development Tool
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Resource Managers, Business Analysts
Kick-off the discussion about the resource management process by reading the capability level descriptions below and discussing which level currently applies to you the most.
Capability Level Descriptions | |
Capability Level 5: Optimized | Our organization has an accurate picture of project versus non-project work loads and allocates resources accordingly. We periodically reclaim lost capacity through organizational and behavioral change. |
Capability Level 4: Aligned | We have an accurate picture of how much time is spent on project versus non-project work. We allocate resources to these projects accordingly. We are checking in on project progress bi-weekly. |
Capability Level 3: Pixelated | We are allocating resources to projects and tracking progress monthly. We have a rough estimate of how much time is spent on project versus non-project work. |
Capability Level 2: Opaque | We match resources teams to projects and check in annually, but we do not forecast future resource needs or track project versus non-project work. |
Capability Level 1: Unmanaged | Our organization expects projects to be finished, but there is no process in place for allocating resources or tracking project progress. |
2.1.2b – 1-2 hours
INPUT: Documentation describing the current process (e.g. standard operating procedures), Process goals from activity 1.2.1
OUTPUT: Retrospective review of current process
Materials: 4x6” recipe cards, Whiteboard
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Resource Managers, Business Analysts
Conduct a table-top planning exercise to map out the process currently in place.
Start | Stop | Continue |
|
|
|
2.1.2c – 30 minutes - 1 hour
INPUT: Outcome of the retrospective review, Process goals and metrics from activity 1.2.1
OUTPUT: Action items for evolving the process to a target state
Materials: Whiteboard
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Resource Managers, Business Analysts
Analyze each item in the start-stop-continue retrospective to compile a set of near-term and long-term action items.
The near-term plan should include steps that are within the authority of the PMO and do not require approval or investment outside of that authority. | The long-term plan should include steps that may require a longer approval process, buy-in of external stakeholders, and the investment of time and money. | |
Near-Term Action Items | Long-Term Action Items | |
For example:
|
For example:
|
Review and customize slide 26, “Resource management: action items,” in Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template.
2.1.2d – 1-2 hours
INPUT: Action items for evolving the process to a target state
OUTPUT: High-level description of the process at the target state
Materials: Whiteboard, PPM Strategy Development Tool
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Resource Managers, Business Analysts
An example of high-level breakdown: resource management | ||||||||
Collect resource availability | –› | Collect resource demand | –› | Identify need for reconciliation | –› | Resolve conflicts and over-allocation | –› | Update resource forecast |
Question |
Description |
Input | What information do you need to perform the work? |
Output | What artifacts/deliverables are produced as a result? |
Frequency/Timing | How often, and when, will the work be performed? |
Responsibility | Who will perform the work? |
Accountability | Who will approve the work and assume the ownership of any decisions? |
2.1.2e – 30 minutes - 1 hour
INPUT: High-level description of the process at the target state
OUTPUT: Updated PPM strategic plan
Materials: PPM Strategic Plan Template
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager
Update your PPM strategic plan with the new high-level description for the new resource management process. Depending on your current process capability level, you may wish to include additional information on your strategic plan, for example:
Info-Tech has a dedicated blueprint to help you develop the high-level process description into a fully operationalized process. Upon completion of this PPM strategy blueprint, speak to an Info-Tech account manager or analyst to get started.
Read Info-Tech’s Develop a Resource Management for the New Reality blueprint.
Review and customize slide 27, “Resource management: target state,” in Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template.
PHASE 1 | PHASE 2 | PHASE 3 | |||
1.1 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
Choose the right PPM strategy | Translate strategy into process goals | Define intake & resource mgmt. processes | Define reporting, closure, & benefits mgmt. processes | Select a right-sized PPM solution | Finalize your PPM strategic plan |
If you can only do one thing, establish frequently current reporting on project status. Reporting doesn’t have to be detailed or precise, as long as it’s accurate.
Start by establishing a regular reporting cadence with lightweight project status KPIs:
Red | Issue or risk that requires intervention | For projects that are red or yellow, high-level status reports should be elaborated on with additional comments on budget, estimated hours/days until completion, etc. |
Yellow | Issue or risk that stakeholders should be aware of | |
Green | No significant risks or issues |
2.2.1a – 10 minutes
INPUT: Organizational strategy and culture
OUTPUT: Portfolio reporting capability level
Materials: PPM Strategy Development Tool
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers
Kick-off the discussion about the portfolio reporting process by reading the capability level descriptions below and discussing which level currently applies to you the most.
Capability Level Descriptions | |
Capability Level 5: Optimized | With the right tools, we can ensure that all projects are planned and maintained at a detailed task level with high-quality estimates, and that actual task progress is updated at least weekly. |
Capability Level 4: Aligned | We have the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to prepare a detailed cost-benefit analysis for all proposed projects. We track the progress throughout project execution. |
Capability Level 3: Intervention | With the right tools, we can ensure that project issues and risks are identified and addressed on a regular basis (e.g. at least monthly) for all projects. |
Capability Level 2: Oversight | With the right tools, we can ensure that project status updates are revised on a regular basis (e.g. at least monthly) for all ongoing projects. |
Capability Level 1: Reactive | Project managers escalate issues directly with their direct supervisor or project sponsor because there is no formal PPM practice. |
INPUT: Documentation describing the current process (e.g. standard operating procedures), Process goals from activity 1.2.1
OUTPUT: Retrospective review of current process
Materials: 4x6” recipe cards, Whiteboard
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers
Conduct a table-top planning exercise to map out the process currently in place.
Start | Stop | Continue |
|
|
|
2.2.1c – 30 minutes - 1 hour
INPUT: Outcome of the retrospective review, Process goals and metrics from activity 1.2.1
OUTPUT: Action items for evolving the process to a target state
Materials: Whiteboard
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers
Analyze each item in the start-stop-continue retrospective to compile a set of near-term and long-term action items.
The near-term plan should include steps that are within the authority of the PMO and do not require approval or investment outside of that authority. | The long-term plan should include steps that may require a longer approval process, buy-in of external stakeholders, and the investment of time and money. | |
Near-Term Action Items | Long-Term Action Items | |
For example:
|
For example:
|
Review and customize slide 29, “Portfolio reporting: action items,” in Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template.
2.2.1d – 1-2 hours
INPUT: Action items for evolving the process to a target state
OUTPUT: High-level description of the process at the target state
Materials: Whiteboard, PPM Strategy Development Tool
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers
An example of high-level breakdown: portfolio reporting | ||||||
Create project status reports | –› | Create a project portfolio status report | –› | Report on project portfolio status | –› | Act on portfolio steering decisions |
Question | Description |
Input | What information do you need to perform the work? |
Output | What artifacts/deliverables are produced as a result? |
Frequency/Timing | How often, and when, will the work be performed? |
Responsibility | Who will perform the work? |
Accountability | Who will approve the work and assume the ownership of any decisions? |
2.2.1e – 30 minutes - 1 hour
INPUT: High-level description of the process at the target state
OUTPUT: Updated PPM strategic plan
Materials: PPM Strategic Plan Template
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager
Update your PPM strategic plan with the new high-level description for the new portfolio reporting process. Depending on your current process capability level, you may wish to include additional information on your strategic plan, for example:
Info-Tech has a dedicated blueprint to help you develop the high-level process description into a fully operationalized process. Upon completion of this PPM strategy blueprint, speak to an Info-Tech account manager or analyst to get started.
Read Info-Tech’s Enhance PPM Dashboards and Reports blueprint.
Review and customize slide 30, “Portfolio reporting: target state,” in Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template.
The client had no effective real-time reporting in place to summarize their work efforts. In addition, the client struggled with managing existing resources against the ability to deliver on the requested project workload.
Existing project reporting processes were manually intensive and lacked mature reporting capabilities.
Through a short and effective engagement, IAG conducted surveys and facilitated interviews to identify the information needed by each stakeholder. From this analysis and industry best practices, IAG developed scorecards, dashboards, and project summary reports tailored to the needs of each stakeholder group. This integrated reporting tool was then made available on a central portal for PPM stakeholders.
Stakeholders can access project scorecard and dashboard reports that are available at any given time.
Resource reporting enabled the PMO to better balance client demand with available project capacity and forecast any upcoming deficiencies in resourcing that affect project delivery.
Although “change in organizational priority” is the most frequently cited cause of project failure (PMI Pulse of Profession, 2017), closing projects that don’t align with organizational priority ought to be a key PPM goal. Therefore, don’t think of it as project failure; instead, think of it as PPM success.
Post-implementation review checks which benefits (including those set out in the business case) have been achieved and identifies opportunities for further improvement. Without it, it can be difficult to demonstrate that investment in a project was worthwhile.
2.2.2a – 10 minutes
INPUT: Organizational strategy and culture
OUTPUT: Project closure capability level
Materials: PPM Strategy Development Tool
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Business Analysts
Kick-off the discussion about the project closure process by reading the capability level descriptions below and discussing which level currently applies to you the most.
Capability Level Descriptions | |
Capability Level 5: Optimized | Project closure is centrally managed and supports post-project benefits tracking. |
Capability Level 4: Aligned | Project closure is centrally managed at the portfolio level to ensure completion/acceptance criteria are satisfied. |
Capability Level 3: Engaged | Project closure is confirmed at the portfolio level, but with minimal enforcement of satisfaction of completion/acceptance criteria. |
Capability Level 2: Encouraged | Project managers often follow handoff and closure procedures, but project closure is not confirmed or governed at the portfolio level. |
Capability Level 1: Unmanaged | Project closure is not governed at either the project or portfolio level. |
2.2.2b – 1-2 hours
INPUT: Documentation describing the current process (e.g. standard operating procedures), Process goals from activity 1.2.1
OUTPUT: Retrospective review of current process
Materials: 4x6” recipe cards, Whiteboard
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Business Analysts
Conduct a table-top planning exercise to map out the process currently in place.
Start | Stop | Continue |
|
|
|
2.2.2c – 30 minutes - 1 hour
INPUT: Outcome of the retrospective review, Process goals and metrics from activity 1.2.1
OUTPUT: Action items for evolving the process to a target state
Materials: Whiteboard
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Resource Managers, Business Analysts
Analyze each item in the start-stop-continue retrospective to compile a set of near-term and long-term action items.
The near-term plan should include steps that are within the authority of the PMO and do not require approval or investment outside of that authority. | The long-term plan should include steps that may require a longer approval process, buy-in of external stakeholders, and the investment of time and money. | |
Near-Term Action Items | Long-Term Action Items | |
For example:
|
For example:
|
Review and customize slide 32, “Project closure: action items,” in Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template.
2.2.2d – 1-2 hours
INPUT: Action items for evolving the process to a target state
OUTPUT: High-level description of the process at the target state
Materials: Whiteboard, PPM Strategy Development Tool
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Resource Managers, Business Analysts
An example of high-level breakdown: project closure | ||||||
Complete or terminate projects | –› | Validate project closure | –› | Conduct post-project work | –› | Conduct post-implementation review |
Question |
Description |
Input | What information do you need to perform the work? |
Output | What artifacts/deliverables are produced as a result? |
Frequency/Timing | How often, and when, will the work be performed? |
Responsibility | Who will perform the work? |
Accountability | Who will approve the work and assume the ownership of any decisions? |
2.2.2e – 30 minutes - 1 hour
INPUT: High-level description of the process at the target state
OUTPUT: Updated PPM strategic plan
Materials: PPM Strategic Plan Template
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager
Update your PPM strategic plan with the new high-level description for the new project closure process. Depending on your current process capability level, you may wish to include additional information on your strategic plan, for example:
Info-Tech has several research notes that elaborate on aspects of project closure. Upon completion of this PPM strategy blueprint, speak to an Info-Tech account manager or analyst to get started.
Read Info-Tech’s research notes on project closure:
Review and customize slide 33, “Project closure: target state,” in Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template.
Too many projects fail to achieve the originally proposed benefits, and too few organizations are able to identify and address the root causes of those shortfalls.
In reality, benefits realization process extends across the entire project life cycle: during intake, during the execution of the project, and after project completion. Be mindful of this extended scope when you discuss benefits realization in the following activity.
At the heart of benefits realization is accountability: who is held accountable for projects that don’t realize the benefits and how? Without the buy-in from the entire executive layer team, addressing this issue is very difficult.
2.2.3a – 10 minutes
INPUT: Organizational strategy and culture
OUTPUT: benefits realization capability level
Materials: PPM Strategy Development Tool
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Resource Managers, Business Analysts
Kick-off the discussion about the benefits realization process by reading the capability level descriptions below and discussing which level currently applies to you the most.
Capability Level Descriptions | |
Capability Level 5: Optimized | Project sponsors and key stakeholders are accountable for stated project benefits before, during and after the project. There is a process to maximize the realization of project benefits. |
Capability Level 4: Aligned | Project benefits are forecasted and taken into account for approval, updated when changes are made to the project, and monitored/reported after projects are completed. |
Capability Level 3: Engaged | Project benefits are forecasted and taken into account for approval, and there is a loosely defined process to report on benefits realization. |
Capability Level 2: Defined | Project benefits are forecasted and taken into account for approval, but there is no process to monitor whether the said benefits are realized. |
Capability Level 1: Unmanaged | Projects are approved and initiated without discussing benefits. |
2.2.3b – 1-2 hours
INPUT: Documentation describing the current process (e.g. standard operating procedures), Process goals from activity 1.2.1
OUTPUT: Retrospective review of current process
Materials: 4x6” recipe cards, Whiteboard
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Resource Managers, Business Analysts
Conduct a table-top planning exercise to map out the process currently in place.
Start | Stop | Continue |
|
|
2.2.3c – 30 minutes - 1 hour
INPUT: Outcome of the retrospective review, Process goals and metrics from activity 1.2.1
OUTPUT: Action items for evolving the process to a target state
Materials: Whiteboard
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Resource Managers, Business Analysts
Analyze each item in the start-stop-continue retrospective to compile a set of near-term and long-term action items.
The near-term plan should include steps that are within the authority of the PMO and do not require approval or investment outside of that authority. | The long-term plan should include steps that may require a longer approval process, buy-in of external stakeholders, and the investment of time and money. | |
Near-Term Action Items | Long-Term Action Items | |
For example:
|
For example:
|
Review and customize slide 35, “Benefits realization: action items,” in Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template.
2.2.3d – 1-2 hours
INPUT: Action items for evolving the process to a target state
OUTPUT: High-level description of the process at the target state
Materials: Whiteboard, PPM Strategy Development Tool
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Resource Managers, Business Analysts
An example of high-level breakdown: benefits realization | ||||||
Validate benefits in business case | –› | Update project benefits during execution | –› | Hand-off benefits ownership | –› | Monitor and report on benefits |
Question | Description |
Input | What information do you need to perform the work? |
Output | What artifacts/deliverables are produced as a result? |
Frequency/Timing | How often, and when, will the work be performed? |
Responsibility | Who will perform the work? |
Accountability | Who will approve the work and assume the ownership of any decisions? |
2.2.3e – 30 minutes - 1 hour
INPUT: High-level description of the process at the target state
OUTPUT: Updated PPM strategic plan
Materials: PPM Strategic Plan Template
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager
Update your PPM strategic plan with the new high-level description for the new benefits realization process. Depending on your current process capability level, you may wish to include additional information on your strategic plan, for example:
Info-Tech has a dedicated blueprint to help you develop the high-level process description into a fully operationalized process. Upon completion of this PPM strategy blueprint, speak to an Info-Tech account manager or analyst to get started.
Read Info-Tech’s Establish the Benefits Realization Process blueprint.
Review and customize slide 36, “Benefits realization: target state,” in Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template.
|
Align your project intake, prioritization, and approval process to the PPM strategy
Examine the process at the current state and develop an action plan to improve it, with a high-level description of the process at a target state and its overhead costs. The outcome of this activity feeds into the overall PPM strategic plan. |
|
Align your resource management process to the PPM strategy
Examine the process at the current state and develop an action plan to improve it, with a high-level description of the process at a target state and its overhead costs. The outcome of this activity feeds into the overall PPM strategic plan. |
Align your portfolio reporting process to the PPM strategy Examine the process at the current state and develop an action plan to improve it, with a high-level description of the process at a target state and its overhead costs. The outcome of this activity feeds into the overall PPM strategic plan. | |
Align your project closure process to the PPM strategy Examine the process at the current state and develop an action plan to improve it, with a high-level description of the process at a target state and its overhead costs. The outcome of this activity feeds into the overall PPM strategic plan. | |
Align your benefits realization process to the PPM strategy Examine the process at the current state and develop an action plan to improve it, with a high-level description of the process at a target state and its overhead costs. The outcome of this activity feeds into the overall PPM strategic plan. |
Call 1-888-670-8889 or email GuidedImplementations@InfoTech.com for more information.
Complete these steps on your own, or call us to complete a guided implementation. A guided implementation is a series of 2-3 advisory calls that help you execute each phase of a project. They are included in most advisory memberships.
Step 3.1: Select a right-sized PPM solution | Step 3.2: Finalize your PPM Strategic Plan Template |
Work with an analyst to:
| Review findings with analyst:
|
Then complete these activities…
| Then complete these activities…
|
With these tools & templates:
| With these tools & templates:
|
Phase 3 Insight:
|
PHASE 1 | PHASE 2 | PHASE 3 | |||
1.1 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
Choose the right PPM strategy | Translate strategy into process goals | Define intake & resource mgmt. processes | Define reporting, closure, & benefits mgmt. processes | Select a right-sized PPM solution | Finalize your PPM strategic plan |
PPM tools act as both a receptacle for portfolio data generated by your processes and a source of portfolio data to drive your processes forward. Therefore, choosing a suitable PPM tool is critical to the success of your PPM strategy:
User adoption is an often cited cause of failed PPM tool implementation:
"The biggest problem is getting the team to work with the tool. We need to make sure that we’re not wasting time delving too far down into the tool, yet putting enough information to get useful information back." (IT Director, Financial Services)
This final step of the blueprint will discuss the choice of PPM tools to ensure the success of PPM strategy by avoiding the process-tool disconnect.
An optimized PPM solution is the vehicle that provides decision makers with four key pieces of information they require when making decisions for your project portfolio:
Without the proper information, decision makers are driving blind and are forced to make gut feel decisions as opposed to data-informed decisions. Implement a PPM solution to allocate projects properly and ensure time and money don’t vanish without being accounted for.
|
|
|
|
|
"Price tags [for PPM tools] vary considerably. Expensive products don't always provide more capability. Inexpensive products are generally low cost for good reason." (Merkhofer)
Despite the rapid growth in the commercial PPM tool market today, homegrown approaches like spreadsheets and intranet sites continue to be used as PPM tools.
Category |
Characteristics |
PPM maturity |
Enterprise tool |
|
High |
Mid-market tool |
|
High |
Entry-level tool |
|
Intermediate |
Spreadsheet based |
|
Intermediate Low |
3.1.1 – 20 minutes
INPUT: PPM strategic plan
OUTPUT: Modified PPM strategic plan with a proposed choice of PPM tool
Materials: PPM Strategy Development Tool
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, IT Managers
3.1.2 – 20 minutes
INPUT: PPM strategic plan
OUTPUT: Modified PPM strategic plan with a proposed choice of PPM tool
Materials: PPM Strategy Development Tool
Participants: CIO, PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, IT Managers
3.1.3 – 20 minutes
If you are in one of the non-covered areas, consider revisiting your functional requirements and PPM strategy. You may need to lessen your expectations to be able to stay within your budget, or find a way to get more money.
Keep in mind that the long-term goal can be to work towards a commercial tool, while the short-term goal would be to be able to maintain your portfolio in a simple spreadsheet first.
If you choose a commercial solution, you will need to gain executive buy-in in order to implement the tool; proceed to near-term and long-term plans to get the ball rolling on this decision.
Review and customize slide 37, “Tools for PPM: proposed near- and long-term solutions,” in Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template.
Info-Tech’s Grow Your Own PPM Solution blueprint will help you implement a highly evolved spreadsheet-based PPM solution. It features the Portfolio Manager 2017, a Microsoft Excel-based workbook that leverages its business intelligence features to provide a basis for implementing a scalable, highly customizable PPM tool with useful and easy-to-manipulate analytics.
Read Info-Tech’s Grow Your Own PPM Solution blueprint.
Info-Tech’s Select and Implement a PPM Solution blueprint is part of our Vendor Landscape research. Make sense of the diversity of PPM solutions available in today’s market, and choose the most appropriate solutions for your organization’s size and level of PPM maturity.
Read Info-Tech’s Select and Implement a PPM Solution blueprint.
“The approach makes it easy to run the portfolio without taking time away from the project themselves.” (IT Manager, Energy Resources Firm)
PHASE 1 | PHASE 2 | PHASE 3 | |||
1.1 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
Choose the right PPM strategy | Translate strategy into process goals | Define intake & resource mgmt. processes | Define reporting, closure, & benefits mgmt. processes | Select a right-sized PPM solution | Finalize your PPM strategic plan |
The time cost of PPM processes (tab 3) and PPM tool costs (tab 4) are summarized in this tab. Enter additional data to estimate the total PPM cost-in-use: the setup information and the current cost of PPM software tools.
The benefits of PPM processes are estimated by projecting the sources of waste on your resource capacity.
This tab summarizes the costs and benefits of your PPM strategic plan.
Capture this summary in your PPM strategic plan.
Customize slides 40 and 41, “Return on PPM investment,” in Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template.
You will need to determine responsibilities and accountabilities for portfolio management functions within your team.
If you do not have a clearly identifiable portfolio manager at this time, you will need to clarify who will wear which hats in terms of facilitating intake and prioritization, high-level capacity awareness, and portfolio reporting.
Download Info-Tech’s Project Portfolio Analyst Job Description Template.
3.2.4 – 30 minutes
INPUT: Near-term action items
OUTPUT: Near-term action plan
Materials: PPM Strategy Development Tool
Participants: PMO Director/ Portfolio Manager, Project Managers, Resource Managers, Business Analysts
Collect the near-term action items for each of the five PPM processes and arrange them into a table that outlines the near-term action plan. Once it is compiled, adjust the timeline and responsibility so that the plan is coherent and realistic as a whole.
Example:
Outcome |
Action required |
Timeline |
Responsibility |
Determine the percentage distribution of project vs. non-project work | Run a time audit survey with all project resources | 2 weeks | Resource managers |
Test a simple dashboard for project status | Pilot Info-Tech’s Portfolio Manager 2017 workbook | 2 weeks | PMO Director |
"There is a huge risk of taking on too much too soon, especially with the introduction of specific tools and tool sets. There is also an element of risk involved that can lead to failure and disappointment with PPM if these tools are not properly introduced and supported." (Jim Carse, Director of the Portfolio Office, Queen’s University)
Review and customize slide 43, “Summary of near-term action plan,” in Info-Tech’s PPM Strategic Plan Template.
Table of Contents |
Read over the document to ensure its completeness and consistency.At this point, you have a PPM strategic plan that is actionable and realistic, which addresses the goals set by the senior leadership. The executive brief establishes the need for PPM strategy, the goals and metrics are set by members of the senior leadership that gave the initial buy-in, and the target states of PPM processes that meet those goals are described. Finally, the costs and benefits of the improved PPM practice are laid out in a way that can be validated. The next step for your PPM strategy is to use this document as a foundation for implementing and operationalizing the target-state PPM processes.Review and publish the document for your executive layer and key project stakeholders. Solicit their feedback. Info-Tech has a library of blueprints that will guide you through each of the five processes. Contact your Info-Tech account manager or Info-Tech analyst to get started. |
|
|
Scope the right-sized PPM solution for your PPM strategy
Use the PPM Strategy Development Tool to quickly determine our near- and long-term recommendation for your PPM solution. |
|
Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of your PPM strategic plan
Using the time cost estimates of each process and the requirement for a PPM tool, Info-Tech helps you quantify the overhead costs of PPM and estimate the monetary benefits of reclaimed project capacity for your project portfolio. |
Kiron D. Bondale PMP, PMI-RMP, CDAP, CDAI Senior Project Portfolio Management Professional Kiron has worked in the project management domain for more than fifteen years managing multiple projects, leading Project Management Offices (PMO) and providing project portfolio management consulting services to over a hundred clients across multiple industries. He has been an active member of the Project Management Institute (PMI) since 1999 and served as a volunteer director on the Board of the PMI Lakeshore Chapter for six years. Kiron has published articles on project and project portfolio management in multiple journals and has delivered over a hundred webinar presentations on a variety of PPM and PM topics and has presented at multiple industry conferences. Since 2009, Kiron has been blogging on a weekly basis on project management topics and responds to questions daily in the LinkedIn PMI Project, Program and Portfolio Management discussion group. |
|
Shaun Cahill, Project Manager & Jim Carse, Director of the Project Portfolio Office Queen’s University |
Amy Fowler Stadler, Managing Partner Lewis Fowler Amy has more than 20 years of experience in business and technology, most recently owning her own management consulting firm since 2002, focused on business transformation, technology enablement, and operational improvement. Prior to that, she was at CenturyLink (formerly Qwest) as an IT Director, Perot Systems in various roles, and Information Handling Services, Inc. as a Software Development Product Manager. Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with a minor in Business Communications and is also a 2015 Hall of Fame inductee to Illinois State University College of Applied Science and Technology. |
|
Rick Morris, President R2 Consulting LLC Rick A. Morris, PMP, is a certified Scrum Agile Master, Human Behavior Consultant, best-selling author, mentor, and evangelist for project management. Rick is an accomplished project manager and public speaker. His appetite for knowledge and passion for the profession makes him an internationally sought after speaker delivering keynote presentations for large conferences and PMI events around the world. He holds the PMP (Project Management Professional), MPM (Masters of Project Management), Scrum Agile Master, OPM3, Six Sigma Green Belt, MCITP, MCTS, MCSE, TQM, ATM-S, ITIL, and ISO certifications, and is a John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Mentor, and Coach. Rick is the Owner of R2 Consulting, LLC and has worked for organizations such as GE, Xerox, and CA, and has consulted with numerous clients in a wide variety of industries including financial services, entertainment, construction, non-profit, hospitality, pharmaceutical, retail, and manufacturing. |
Terry Lee Ricci PgMP, PfMP, PMP, PPM Practice Lead IAG Consulting Terry is passionate and highly skilled at PMO transformation, developing high-performing teams that sustain long-term business results. Terry has a reputation built upon integrity, resourcefulness, and respect. She has the vision to implement long and short-term strategies, meeting both current and evolving business needs. Change Management/Business transformation: Terry has extensive background in PMO strategy development aligned to corporate goals. Many years in the PMO organization integration/transformation building or overhauling programs and processes. Governance: Terry loves to monitor and measure performance and outcomes and uses her collaborative style to successfully bring simplicity to complexity (technology – people – process). Performance optimization results are easy to use and clearly define who is doing what across functions. End results consistently align to business strategy while mitigating risks effectively. Comprehensive: A “through the ranks” executive with a comprehensive understanding of PMO operations, high-performance teams, and the respective business units they support. |
|
Alana Ruckstuhl MSc, IT Project Officer Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario |
Jay Wardle, Director of the PMO Red Wing Shoes Co. |
|
Bob White, Vice President/Chief Information Officer ALM Holding Company As vice president and chief information officer for ALM Holding Company, Bob White directs all technology activity and support for three main verticals: road construction, energy management, and delivery and transportation. He has been with ALM Holding Company for one and a half years, focusing on PPM process improvement, cybersecurity initiatives, and IT service management. Prior to joining ALM, Bob was executive vice president/chief information officer at Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. where he led the strategic direction, implementation, and management of information technology throughout the company’s global operations. Bob has also held VP/CIO positions at the Stride Rite Corporation and Timex Corporation. Bob holds a Master’s degree in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Southern Illinois University. |
Bersin, Josh. “Time to Scrap Performance Appraisals?” Forbes Magazine, 5 June 2013. Web. 30 Oct 2013.
Cheese, Peter et al. “Creating an Agile Organization.” Accenture, Oct. 2009. Web. Nov. 2013.
Croxon, Bruce et al. “Dinner Series: Performance Management with Bruce Croxon from CBC's 'Dragon's Den'” HRPA Toronto Chapter. Sheraton Hotel, Toronto, ON. 12 Nov. 2013. Panel discussion.
Culbert, Samuel. “10 Reasons to Get Rid of Performance Reviews.” Huffington Post Business, 18 Dec. 2012. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
Denning, Steve. “The Case Against Agile: Ten Perennial Management Objections.” Forbes Magazine, 17 Apr. 2012. Web. Nov. 2013.
Estis, Ryan. “Blowing up the Performance Review: Interview with Adobe’s Donna Morris.” Ryan Estis & Associates, 17 June 2013. Web. Oct. 2013.
Gallup, Inc. “Gallup Study: Engaged Employees Inspire Company Innovation.” Gallup Management Journal, 12 Oct. 2006. Web. 12 Jan 2012.
Gartside, David et al. “Trends Reshaping the Future of HR.” Accenture, 2013. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.
KeyedIn Solutions. “Why PPM and PMOs Fail.” KeyedIn Projects, 2013. Ebook.
Lessing, Lawrence. Free Culture. Lulu Press Inc.: 30 July 2016.
Merkhofer, Lee. “Keys to Implementing Project Portfolio Management.” Lee Merkhofer Consulting, 2017.
Perry, Mark Price. Business Driven Project Portfolio Management. J Ross Pub: 17 May 2011.
Project Management Institute. “Pulse of the Profession 2015: Capturing the Value of Project Management.” PMI, Feb. 2015. Web.
Project Management Institute. “Pulse of the Profession 2016: The High Cost of Low Performance.” PMI, 2016. Web.
Project Management Institute. “Pulse of the Profession 2017: Success Rates Rise.” PMI, 2017. Web.
Project Management Institute. The Standard for Portfolio Management – Third Edition. PMI: 1 Dec. 2012.
WGroup. “Common Pitfalls in Project Portfolio Management – Part 2.” WGroup, 24 Jan. 2017. Web.