By Jason Ames, PMP, and Kimberly McDonald Baker
Too often, organizations invest in an Enterprise Project Portfolio Management (EPPM) system, but they fail to recognize the full benefits. One of the reasons is that people fail to see an enterprise PPM solution as more than just a scheduling tool.
When used correctly, however, an EPPM system can be a critical factor in driving business value, ensuring a project stays on schedule and that the right projects are selected and resources are used efficiently. As a result, decision-makers have the information they need to drive corporate strategy.
Key Drivers of EPPM Success
1. Top-down commitment, bottom-up participation
2. All business systems talk to each other
3. Measuring what’s important
4. Determining which projects to start and when to shut them down
5. Finding the bottlenecks
6. Constant learning
This series of blog articles will address each of the above success factors.
Top-Down Commitment, Bottom-Up Participation
We all know the story: a week, month, or even longer is spent putting together the perfect program schedule. Then, finally, the entire management chain has signed off, the customer has accepted the plan, and everyone is happy… until the actual work starts, and everything is thrown out the window.
What happens next is extremely important for the course of the program. Too often, functional organizations create their own “pocket schedules” that have little in common with the official program schedule. You’ve probably been in meetings where a manager says, “that’s not my schedule,” and pulls out a spreadsheet with their new operating plan.
The purpose of a program schedule is to ensure the entire program team is on the same page and that each group gets what they need when needed. Everyone needs to work in concert to ensure project success, but if individual functions start working to their schedule, who knows what will happen? Imagine a wedding where the bride, groom, and minister expect the ceremony to take place on separate days.
How can this be resolved?
1. The Project Management Office (PMO)or program office needs to own the schedule; no other single function should have the authority to enforce schedule control. Other groups should raise concerns, but the PMO should be the ultimate authority for all program-related decisions, including the schedule. With the PMO in control of the schedule, all functions are accountable to working to the plan until the PMO or program office determines the needed changes.
2. Once the PMO takes ownership of the schedule, they need to share it with everyone on the project. If the PMO expects everyone to work on the same schedule, they must allow every team member, even the most junior members, access. For small projects, weekly emails communicating schedules will probably work fine, but enabling team members to access a live, online version of the schedule is far better for large complex projects. Many EPPM tools provide this functionality natively, but too often, it is underutilized.
3. Once team members have access to the schedule, they should be responsible for updating the status of their activities. Too often, the project manager or scheduler is forced to chase down activity status information, reducing their ability to assist program management in finding ways to optimize the project and reduce risk. Team members should be able to update the status of their activities as well as charge time to each activity. Without active participation in the updating cycle, team members become detached from the project plan and operate in the proverbial silo.
4. Lastly, suppliers must be involved. Many projects include external team members. This is especially prevalent in government contracting. How do you incorporate your suppliers’ schedules? How do you communicate the status back to your suppliers? As projects grow in size and complexity, so do the number of suppliers and partners. It is easy to forget that these partners are as critical to your project’s success as your internal team. When possible, suppliers should be treated just as you would treat your team members: with role-based access. Provide suppliers access to the overall program schedule and their detailed schedule and make them responsible for updating their status.
