The 10 must do steps to ensure successful and rapid adoption of your new PPM solution

Transcription

1 The 10 must do steps to ensure successful and rapid adoption of your new PPM solution

2 In the world of PPM, cutting edge software can have a profound impact on how your projects, resources and portfolios are managed. For project managers, a new solution can not only help you visualize and understand projects in a much more efficient, productive and innovative way, but also provide an improved User Experience and intuitive design which can help aid adoption, and ultimately improve business processes. Nevertheless, those with experience in PMOs will know that a great new interface alone won t be enough to convince everyone on their team. Far from it. Certain individuals will prefer the comfort of the existing solution, while others will struggle to adapt to new ways of working. Such differences can undermine the potential of the new tool and result in a wasted investment.

3 Forward focus While there will be those who prefer to stick with what we ve got, the argument for taking a new approach to project management has already been won. For instance, the Project Management Institute s (PMI) 2016 Pulse of the Profession 1 survey shows that too many organizations continue to implement outdated PPM approaches which are ineffective. The research revealed that organizations wasted US$122 million for every US$1 Billion invested due to poor project performance. It s clear that something needs to change, and a new generation of PPM solutions is emerging that aim to overcome this waste. For instance, Forrester s 2015 Total Economic Impact of Microsoft Office PPM carried out in-depth interviews with experienced PM professionals in North America and Europe. They discovered a wide range of benefits in terms of improved resource management, increased project performance and reduced infrastructure costs, with an impressive ROI of 301% in just 6.7 months. Given the opportunities of moving to a new PPM solution, organizations are keen to better understand how to implement their new solutions successfully. This ebook will guide you through the ten key steps to ensuring successful and rapid adoption of a new PPM solution. 1 PMI Pules of the Profession. Available online: 2 Forrester The Total Economic Impact of Microsoft Office 365 PPM. Available online: 1

4 Step 1. Take stock; understand the current state Before setting of on a journey to implement a PPM solution it is important to understand the current state of affairs. Without understanding where you are before you begin your PPM implementation, it will be impossible to measure success. Take time to understand: Work structure What work do you have and how is it broken down? Portfolio, product, program, project / release, stage / iteration, work package / sprint? BAU? Absence? Organizational structure Who is doing what across and within projects? Governance How are decisions made (strategy, resource, performance) across and within projects? Process and roles Is the recipe correct, clear and understood? Capability Do we have enough of the right kind of people? How is our bandwidth? Support For the process / governance capability model we have; is the support regime Technology How do we get information to decision makers quickly and easily? Is the technology ecosystem we have suitable, and does it integrates with the business effectively? Look to collate any metrics you can which you can then measure improvement against once the PPM solution is live. 2

5 Create a vision Step 2. All too often we can become swept up in the excitement of deploying a new tool and get distracted from the real purpose of choosing one in the first place. Without a vision for where we want the organization to be, it is very easy to get caught in the moment and become derailed. For the new implementation to be a success, it is crucial to have a vision of where you want to be, and then use the new tool as a support. Define a set of outcomes such as: 90% -20% -10% +20% 90% of projects are completed on time and to budget Allow regular users to feel comfortable with the PPM tool; support calls are less than X per week Cut PPM running costs by 10% Increase cloud based or mobile project management in order to improve speed of customer response by 20% Improve resource allocation so that all resources are on average 90% allocated Then create a vision as to what the future state will look like. This should encompass: People Content Process Timelines Future Vision Organisation Information Support Technology Governance 3

6 Step 3. Create a roadmap A roadmap is the means to get from the current state to the ultimate vision. You should: Prioritize what you want to achieve be that standardized planning, timesheet completion, portfolio prioritization or resource forecasting. Minimize change, maximize benefit. Understand that change can be uncomfortable for colleagues; make the shift to the new tool as painless as possible by choosing a solution that is familiar to them and win them over by focusing on the benefits it will bring. Focus on immediate problems. Say you struggle to prepare for resource allocation across projects, this should be one of your key goals to improve. Don t obsess about reaching perfection right away getting good enough first is key. Future Vision 4

7 Step 4. Select a strong supplier It can be tempting to just focus on how a new technology will impact on your business, yet you should spend just as long focusing on the supplier. Can they support your implementation holistically i.e. can they deliver the PPM expertise, the change management advice as well as the technical know-how?? Have they been in business long enough to understand the solution and your needs intricately?? Questions to ask of your supplier include:? Are they able to scale to your needs in terms of providing specialist staff??? Do they have appropriate references and case studies? Are they qualified and trusted? 5

8 Build your business case Step 5. A well prepared business case will help you and other organizational stakeholders really evaluate whether one solution is right for you. Try not to be swayed by personal preference; focus on the facts each time. Include, elements such as the following factors: Costs Financial e.g. Hardware/Software Resource Time Include costs for change Include cover for ongoing charges Benefits Cost reductions Time savings Increases in timeliness and quality of information to support business decision making Increased predictability of outcomes Improved project performance (time/quality/cost) Customer satisfaction Quicker decision making to stop failing projects Step 6. Get sponsorship Executive sponsorship is the (not so) secret ingredient to success in any kind of project research 3 from PMI shows that 81% of high performing organizations have active support from the top, whereas only 45% of low-performing companies have actively supportive execs. The same principle goes for sponsorship in PPM software deployment. When senior executives and leading PPM colleagues demonstrate their support for the new implementation, the rest of your PMO will follow. Invite colleagues to meetings, involve them from the outset and get them engaged in defining what the vision should be, how the new PPM tool will be used and explore ideas for achieving that. 3 PMI Taking a Pulse Infographic. Available online: 6

9 PPMO Step 7. Have a PPMO Deploying and running a new PPM tool, requires the right organization set-up to succeed. Without a PPMO (Project Portfolio Management Office) the chances of success are slim. Within the business there needs to be a function that owns the solution; not just the tool but also the process. The function not only needs to run and support the tool but should also provide wider support for: Governance Training Change Management PPMO Wider support Mentoring Support 7

10 Initiate as a project Step 8. Whether you implement your new PPM solution as a single project or as a much wider program, it s key to follow the same steps as you would expect to implement in any other project. Plan Create a plan. Deploying a new PPM solution requires preparation and change management; plan for an efficient deployment. Resource accordingly. At the very least, you will need a Sponsor, Project Manager and key stakeholders. Resource Assign Assign a project manager. This individual will provide a high-level overview and ensure the deployment is successful and widely adopted. Follow your vision of governance and process. This will ensure that the project stays on the right tracks. Vision Solution Use your new PPM solution. This is a perfect opportunity to cut your teeth with the new solution. 8

11 Out-of-the-box is best Step 9. While no project is the same, the vast majority share many of the same features, steps and processes. As a result, the majority also will benefit from an out-of-the-box solution which supports all their needs without the limits of a custom built deployment. What you get with out-of-the-box Familiarity Reduced need to train Minimized development requirements Simple integration with other company software Individual Customized solution drawbacks Upgrade difficulties Uncertainty about roadmaps for product updates Time and cost of hiring developers and consultants 9

12 Step 10. Keep going Once a PPM solution has been deployed, it can be tempting to see this as project complete. However, this is far from the case. You will in fact need to keep enhancing the capability and functionality of your organization and the solution. Look to: Gather improvement requests Have a change group to triage requests and prioritize changes Maintain capabilities when staff leave and new employees join Remember to retrain and refresh existing staff not just new ones Understand the product roadmap and what additional benefits can be realized Best practice leads to success By following the 10 steps outlined in this ebook, organizations can significantly improve their rates of success and adoption for new PPM implementations. All too often, companies can get distracted by the enthusiasm around a new technology, while forgetting that the tech is in fact just part of the solution. The real goal of any new PPM implementation is to empower colleagues to work smarter, more productively and in a more joined-up manner and to deliver benefit to the organization. Even the most powerful tool will be ineffective if users don t fully understand how to use it, or if they do not perceive its relevance in their day-to-day work. 10

13 Plan. Manage. Deliver. In today s mobile world, PMOs should not be constrained to static offices or tied to the physical location of team members. With colleagues in different locations around the world, meeting clients on the road and production processes carried out across borders, PPM software needs to support the dynamism of modern business practices. Microsoft s Project Online offers just this. Based in the cloud as part of Office 365, it gives today s mobile workers instant access to their project portfolios wherever they are, on any device. This facilitates collaboration and communication and allows teams to align and focus on getting the job done, regardless of physical location. Learn more about how Project Online helps businesses succeed at the Plan. Manage. Deliver website and via their further resources. planmanagedelivermicrosoftproject.com 11

14 About the author Ivan Lloyd, CEO. Ivan Lloyd is one of the world s leading experts in Project and Portfolio Management solutions. With a wealth of experience accrued over 25 years of implementing innovative and pragmatic solutions to business problems, Ivan has developed a reputation for excellence in PPM on a global scale. This reputation has seen him become a much sought after speaker at numerous major PPM conferences in the UK, Europe and North America including PMI, Project, APM, IMPA and Project Challenge. He has worked with hundreds of blue-chip customers across all industries from IT to telecoms, engineering to pharmaceutical, and aerospace to government, using a wide range of tools from Artemis to Microsoft Project. In addition, he has led some of the largest global implementations of PPM solutions with literally thousands of users. And, when he s not delivering PPM solutions, he remains an influential figure whether as a judge for the Association of Project Management awards, a Microsoft appointed advisor on PPM or authoring articles for Project Management magazines, blogs and journals. CPS are the authors of the award-winning PS+; the bestselling solution for Project Online. PS+ takes the power of the Project Online platform and transforms it into a powerful enterprise ready PPM solution that works for you from day one. To find out more about PS+ or to set-up a free trial, visit (0) hello@cps.co.uk

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