solution

One of the largest privately-held staffing companies in the United States, the client’s team includes more than 8,000 internal employees and 90,000 contract employees working with customers around the world.

While the client’s core business growth is phenomenal, they are also diversifying into new industries, such as health care. This growth puts tremendous strain on IT resources supporting the growing list of projects, from business-critical IT infrastructure to meet the ever-increasing demands of business growth. System enhancements are underway to standardize business practices across newly acquired business units. The CIO’s vision for the future of IT includes improved performance in delivering projects, while maintaining costs and holding staffing levels to the absolute minimum. Implementing a PMO seemed a logical approach to achieving this vision.

After an unsuccessful first attempt at implementing a PMO, the Company then turned to Project Champions’ expertise in PMO implementation for very diverse clients over a wide range of industries. Project Champions utilized a PMO Implementation Model developed over many years of experience. After conducting an assessment of existing levels of project management maturity and competency, the Project Champions team converted their findings into actionable tasks grouped by actions to be taken in the short term for immediate gains, along with mid-term and long-term tasks. They customized a project management methodology for the client’s business climate that comprised traditional project management, agile project management and the touch points between project management and SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) methodologies. Culture change was sparked through the establishment of PM Workgroups and other professional training, performing project reviews and project health checks, addressing the need for a project governance structure, and implementing systems for improving project portfolio management and resource management/planning. Finally, metrics were introduced so that resulting gains in project performance and productivity due to the PMO implementation could be tracked.

Within six months, Project Champions delivered a PMO with industry standard functions, including a project management process methodology, resource management, and programs for project management training, coaching and mentoring. In addition, Project Champions assisted the Company with the software selection process for a project portfolio management tool to address portfolio and resource management. The resulting visibility into projects allowed the client to identify those projects in need of corrective action and immediately implement project recovery strategies. All projects flagged as “red” by the new project status reporting system, valued at more than $13 million, were recovered. These successes significantly improved project manager morale as well as project performance and customer satisfaction.

Because of these results, the Company also added a Project Champions Program Manager to one of the more troubled IT projects. The project was experiencing severe scope creep, was not adhering to the project schedule, and was in danger of going over budget. Within four weeks, the Project Champions Program Manager, working closely with the client’s project managers, was able to turn the project around, meeting project deliverable dates while keeping the project within budget. Project Champions continues to partner with the Company to support the successful execution of this multi-year project.

The main challenge faced the company was :

a. Implementing PMO

b. Standardize business practices

c. Improve project performance for business growth

d. Lack of IT support