A world-class PMO helps portfolio managers build the right things and project managers build things right. Managers at all levels must have relevant and timely information at their fingertips. With the help of role-based dashboards, they use this information to make the adjustments necessary to ensure project and portfolio success.
Portfolio Management: Building the Right Things
Portfolio managers must align initiatives and projects with the overall corporate strategy and business goals. To do this, they must:
- Screen project ideas to ensure portfolio alignment
- Strategically define the portfolio
- Prioritize all activities within the portfolio
- Track portfolio progress toward enterprise goals
Project Management: Building Things Right
Project managers are in charge of project execution and adoption. They must:
- Execute the project according to best practice standards and methodology
- Build and implement the project plan
- Define and manage a detailed project schedule
- Outline requirements and estimate resources
- Track and report on project metrics
- Mitigate and manage risks
- Support business or end-user adoption
- Assess project post-implementation
- Ensure customer satisfaction with the project’s end product
Dashboards: World-Class Necessities
Assuming that your portfolio and project managers are accomplishing their tasks, the rest of the PMO depends on data to make decisions. Team members, program managers, executives, and resource managers – as well as project and portfolio managers – all need information that is vital to their roles within the PMO. By developing intuitive role-centric dashboards, PMOs can get the insight they need to make smart decisions.
Team member-level dashboards list tasks and assigned work, identify late assignments, and provide an overview of what’s due and who owns it, looking across all the project’s work.
Project-level dashboards show compliance and measure performance when it comes to budget, schedule, and scope while identifying potential risks or bottlenecks.
Program-level dashboards present an overview of related projects and non-project activities, indicating health, budget, and timeliness for each as part of the larger program goals.
Portfolio-level dashboards show whether or not projects are aligning with business objectives and provide insight into performance, status, health, and overall portfolio-level benefits realization (i.e. are they on track to deliver anticipated benefits).
Executive-level dashboards present a snapshot of the portfolio at an enterprise-level and can be drilled down into specific programs or projects as needed.
Resource-level dashboards provide visibility into resource allocation across the portfolio, enabling management to deploy resources effectively.
Hammerhead for Microsoft Project Server and cloud-based Microsoft Project Online solves the role-based dashboard needs of exceptional PMOs. Hammerhead provides dashboard control, analysis, and reporting across the entire portfolio. Its pre-built dashboards speed use, adoption, and understanding of PPM and decrease customization and training costs. By utilizing Hammerhead and driving the input and analysis of good data, PMOs can find gaps and challenges early in project lifecycles.
World-class PMOs enable portfolio and project managers to make smart, data-driven decisions that lead to success. By ensuring the right things are built, and built the right way, they help organizations manage priorities and meet or exceed business goals and objectives.
Projility provides expert solutions for effective change. We offer enterprise portfolio and project management solutions based on Microsoft Project Server and Project Online, with tailored dashboard reporting, analytics, and decision-making tools via our Hammerhead technology. Projility also implements professional services automation systems established on Microsoft Dynamics CRM Project Service, and presents cloud-based strategies, migrations, and hosting solutions through Microsoft Azure. Contact us for more information.
