The Project and Portfolio Management (PPM) arena is going to see many developments in 2018. Many trends are coming straight from advances in Information Technology (IT), generating exciting opportunities to gain insight within the Project Management Office (PMO). Other movements will be more subtle, requiring adjustments that are “softer” and look to cohesively unite the PMO. Together, these trends will be reshaping PPM as we know it into a system that enables change in the era of digital transformation.

 

2018 PPM Trends to Watch

At Projility, we work with clients every day to solve issues, implement best practices, and streamline processes. We believe that PPM trends will fall into four main categories in 2018: Administration, Collaboration, Implementation, and Transformation.

While these groups may seem simplistic, they are actually quite dynamic. Today’s PMOs need to get back to the basics in order to change from the inside out. Instead of being the “controllers” within their organizations, PMOs need evolve into developers, coordinators, and promotors of digital transformation.

PPM practices need to focus on:

  • Administration – It may feel like old news, but Resource Management is a persistent problem within the PMO. There are always too many projects and not enough people. In 2018, look for Business Intelligence (BI) to resolve issues that have been nagging the PMO for years. New analytics tools will help you manage both pipelines and people.
  • Collaboration – Agile development and DevOps are two concepts that will continue to gain steam in 2018. The ideas are somewhat interchangeable; they both strive to enhance communication and collaboration through the more adaptive agile development framework. While many projects, in reality, may utilize a more hybrid, Wagile, approach, it is all about connecting PMO systems to IT services for comprehensive back-office management.
  • Implementation – The demographics within the PMO are changing rapidly; millennials will be taking over many management roles in 2018. Because of this, new, “softer” management styles will be incorporated into the PMO – an office that made its name for being structured and methodical. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) will become crucial to PMO success, encouraging the adoption of PPM practices throughout the entire organization.
  • Transformation – In today’s age of innovation, the PMO needs to become a facilitator of change. Equipped with tools that harness the power of the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML), the PMO can drive digital transformation processes by automating workflows and tasks, and interpreting data in new, revolutionary ways.

Turning Trends into Actions

It is easy to get lost in daily tasks and lose sight of the bigger picture. Every year, you should reevaluate your PPM processes and ensure that the PMO is still aligned with organizational goals. Take a moment to create a strategic plan for the year, taking trends and common challenges into consideration. The plan will not only help you stay on track, but it will help your PMO stay agile and proactive in the new year.

It’s time to redefine your PMO. Is your organization ready?

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.