We originally wrote <a href="https://excopartners.com/2019/01/22/before-a-ppm">this</a> article back in 2019. Given some recent conversations, we thought it may be interesting to do an update. It became even more interesting to see how little things have changed…



Before you think about upgrading or implementing a Project, Portfolio Management solution (PPM) here are six key questions that will help you plan for success.



The introduction of a new or upgraded solution into an organisation can be a great experience or it can be a stressful experience. It can succeed in delivering the intended benefits or it can fail dismally. Often failures are a result of focusing too much on tool selection and functionality, not enough on the impact a new toolset will have on the people who will be expected to use it. Before embarking on a PPM journey have a go at answering the questions below to see if your organisation is ready.



Is the Value Proposition clearly understood, regardless of which PPM is selected?&nbsp;The implementation of a PPM solution is typically triggered by a need to fix a problem or exploit an opportunity. Either way, there will be a range of people performing a range of roles that will need to engage with the solution. For some, there will be significant benefits while for others there may be a negative impact. By understanding the value proposition the solution offers each group, the value proposition can be more clearly articulated as stakeholders are engaged. Clearly articulated value propositions will often pave the way for future success and uptake.



Has the future Operating Model been defined and is it understood?&nbsp;The future operating model should define in some detail, how the organisation wants to work to deliver change. This may be referred to as the future ways of working. The future operating model may be described in service models and process flows or may be defined in a “playbook”. &nbsp;As a minimum it should consider if:



<ul><li>change will be delivered using projects as the identified delivery unit or if more of a lean portfolio approach will be used.</li><li>change will be delivered using one or more delivery modes (sequential / known outcome (waterfall), iterative / exploratory (Agile)</li><li>projects will typically be led by a Project Manager or be delivered in more of a team, tribe structure (Scaled Agile)</li><li>the lifecycle of all projects are similar or if there are different project types with different lifecycles</li><li>the intent is to manage initiatives or work or both</li><li>projects are internally funded (using a business case construct), alternatively are initiatives funded using a capacity based Lean / Agile model, or is the work primarily contracted work with associated purchase orders and invoicing</li></ul>



The PPM solution should be selected for its ability to “enable” the proposed way of working.



Have you considered the support of a champion?&nbsp; A champion who is well respected across the organisation and is prepared to be visible in their support for the implementation can help provide significant momentum for the implementation of a PPM solution and the associated embedding of the ways of working. &nbsp;This is especially true if the person is a change agent who is able to listen to and address the concerns of others.



Way of Working and Toolset in Parallel or separate? The PPM solution is only ever an enabler of the way of working. To be effective there must be a clear way of working and the solution must be implemented in a way that supports it. An implementation plan may introduce both the way of working and the solution at the same time, or it may be sequenced one before the other. Different approaches work in different situations. It is important to think through what approach is right for your situation.&nbsp;



Managing Change and Embedding New Usage Patterns …. can be difficult.&nbsp;It is not just a matter of providing training and a few communications. Change starts early and starts with listening. It requires a respectful plan to win the hearts and minds of a range of people, some of whose jobs may be made more difficult by the implementation of the solution.&nbsp; Does your organisation have a strong history of managing change? Is there a clear approach and a plan for introducing the change successfully and making it stick?



What happens the day after go-live?&nbsp;They say the day of the solution going live should be the worst day of its life. From that point, the owner of the solution will need to manage ongoing change and improvement to continue to adjust the solution to meet the changing needs of the organisation. The owner will need to continue to work closely with various groups to ensure the going in value proposition is delivered and there is a plan for improvements into the future. People will come and go and need to be added and trained, new ideas and projects will need to be added to the system and finished projects closed. Has someone been identified as the ongoing operational owner for the solution, and do they have a plan for doing so?&nbsp;



Exploring the above six questions and knowing the answers to them before starting the PPM journey will ensure the implementation has a higher chance of success and will provide the background to support an appropriate solution selection process.



Exco Partners is a trusted PPM Partner and implementer for a number of different solutions. We are also a Microsoft Gold Partner for Project, Portfolio Management.



If you have any questions about implementing a PPM Solution, please give us a call.

wooden-kanban

Before a PPM

Background



There is little point arguing the rapid rate of change of project management practices in recent years. Delivery approaches have evolved at light speed, bespoke delivery models, new systems and software are emerging at pace.



Over recent years we have seen all sorts of changes in the project management space, from small changes around the edges to wholesale change in an organisations delivery approach. Some organisations have moved to &#8220;new ways of working&#8221; that use less “projecty” structures to deliver work while others have new delivery models with different ceremonies to collaborate and inform stakeholders. Some have introduced new systems and software, while others still have introduced digital dashboards.



Despite these modernisations and changes, one particular stalwart of the old world seems to be unshakable, status reporting.  This is typically a one-page report style summary of project progress and KPIs, communicating a snapshot of the state of the project.



In many cases it is produced manually by the project manager, consuming several valuable hours a week to pull data from multiple source systems. Often they are pulled together because they have to be, and often they are either not read or fail to share, or communicate, the information that is really important for delivering project success.



We believe the real value in this process is not the report itself but the discipline in taking the time to review, reflect and consider the state of the project and determine what action needs to be taken.  As Churchill once said “Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential. “



Overtime Status reports have tended to be designed to support communication and governance in a time when command and control structures were strong and there was a need to push information up and down “the line”.  Our observation is that status reports have become a “thing that is done”, often left unread, rarely used to aid decision making and in many cases an untrusted perspective presented by a Project Manager in a hurry to meet a reporting deadline. In many cases the separation of the manually produced report from the “data” has allowed and potentially encouraged an industry of “spin” and wordsmithing. Project Managers are often “encouraged” by their stakeholders or by their own volition engage in “editorialising” the situation. We have all see the “watermelon” project that looks green on the outside but is not green below the surface.



For information to be valuable it must be trustworthy and it must offer a clear position on the progress, performance and challenges for the intended investment. Will this investment deliver? Are we on track? Do we need to make an intervention to improve progress or remove blockages? What is happening to the risk profile of this investment? What is happening in the cost-benefit equation and is the return still there? Simply reporting project progress against, milestones and forecast cost at completion is no longer good enough. So what is the alternative?



Information



Contemporary Project Management and Work Management Systems such as Project Online, Azure Dev Ops, Jira and others are specifically designed to help the project team do their job more effectively and as a bi-product contain all the project information required to understand the progress and status of the project. These systems hold a plan or target and can show progress towards that target, whether it is code completed, documented approved, risk profile reduction or other measures.   Dashboard and reports that source and present data from the system without interference is arguably the most trustworthy approach to informing performance and status.



Interactions



While understanding status and concerns via a dashboard or automated report is great, as humans we still need the chance to interact with others, see for ourselves and ask questions. Historically, a lot of interaction has happened around the “status report” or the latest PowerPoint pack produced for “stakeholders”. Why do we do this rather than focus our energy in demonstrating progress? We should seek to see it, not hear about it. We should use showcases to demonstrate progress, show the development of a document, share design mock-ups, show prototypes, working software, marketing material and so on.



One of the benefits of the virtual word we are working in today is that showcases are available to everyone online via your preferred videoconferencing platform.



People



We are all time poor, trying to do more with less and focus on valuable use of time. So let&#8217;s leverage what we have, let&#8217;s use real data from systems people are already using. Let&#8217;s showcase real things to demonstrate progress and use our time to focus on addressing issues, challenges and things that need to change in order to optimise success. Rather than manually producing relatively meaningless reports, let&#8217;s use that time to reflect, review and course-correct using disciple and thought.

PMO

Before a PPM

Can we please stop manual project reporting