{"id":288,"date":"2020-05-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-15T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/2020\/05\/using-project-management-office-pmo-process-to-effectively-scale-project-loads-1956d04c8189\/"},"modified":"2021-11-12T13:51:11","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T18:51:11","slug":"project-management-office-pmo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/project-management-office-pmo\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Project Management Office (PMO) Process to Effectively Scale Project\u00a0Loads"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"38ec\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">Some organizations, be it a government, an enterprise, or a business, create an internal department referred to as a Project Management Office, or <strong class=\"markup--strong markup--p-strong\">PMO<\/strong>. This department defines and maintains the project management office process within that organization.<\/p>\n<p id=\"8456\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">The idea behind a PMO is to serve as a resource to ensure that a common, proven methodology is applied to projects within the organization to ensure success and profitability. While PMOs have varying degrees of intervention, they all strive to create a <strong class=\"markup--strong markup--p-strong\">scalable<\/strong>, <strong class=\"markup--strong markup--p-strong\">repeatable<\/strong> <strong class=\"markup--strong markup--p-strong\">process<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"dc61\" class=\"graf graf--h3 graf-after--p\">Establishing a PMO\u00a0Process<\/h3>\n<p id=\"6de6\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h3\">If you\u2019re looking to establish a formal PMO for your business, start by defining the <strong class=\"markup--strong markup--p-strong\">powers<\/strong> of your office. For example, is your PMO:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"postList\">\n<li id=\"2493\" class=\"graf graf--li graf-after--p\">A governance body that controls the decisions during a project?<\/li>\n<li id=\"6d10\" class=\"graf graf--li graf-after--li\">A compliance protocol that enforces process via decision approvals?<\/li>\n<li id=\"7ddc\" class=\"graf graf--li graf-after--li\">A supporting role that offers advice and resources?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"5120\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--li\">Understanding how your PMO will interact on any given project (and maintaining consistency in this role) will lay the groundwork for a repeatable process. Remember, the goal here is to eliminate obstacles and variables, so be sure to start by making your PMO\u2019s influence in a project a constant. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This influence should be clear in a project management office job description. <\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"6440\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">Now that you understand the degree of involvement the office will have, clarify <strong class=\"markup--strong markup--p-strong\">in what ways your PMO can assist if not pilot<\/strong> projects outright. Some ways PMOs typically ensure project success are:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"postList\">\n<li id=\"da8e\" class=\"graf graf--li graf-after--p\">Supplying portfolio-level insights to understand how a decision in Project A may create or alleviate a dependency in Project B.<\/li>\n<li id=\"303e\" class=\"graf graf--li graf-after--li\">Offering <a href=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/4-project-portfolio-templates-for-portfolio-management\/\">project templates<\/a>, tools, and plans that have track records of proven success.<\/li>\n<li id=\"9d6f\" class=\"graf graf--li graf-after--li\">Understanding and emphasizing the key factors and opportunities for profitability in a project.<\/li>\n<li id=\"8059\" class=\"graf graf--li graf-after--li\">Assisting in communication amongst project stakeholders to alleviate some responsibilities while clarifying the goals and decisions within the project.<\/li>\n<li id=\"a456\" class=\"graf graf--li graf-after--li\">Guiding in post-project reflections to continuously measure and improve future workflows.<\/li>\n<li>Ensure that your team is aligned and operating on the same page.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"8b82\" class=\"graf graf--h3 graf-after--li\">The SMB\u00a0PMO<\/h3>\n<p id=\"6200\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is one of the most common project management office examples.<\/span> While your business may be small and not require a full-fledged department to dictate how projects should be managed, you can replicate the value of a PMO (Project Management Office) by creating a small but scalable <a href=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/choosing-the-best-project-management-methodology-types\/\">project management methodology<\/a> that has proven success within the context of your business. Yes, the entity of a PMO sounds complicated and faulting, but its ideology is simple applies to virtually every business that executes ongoing projects or relationships.<\/p>\n<p id=\"f24f\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p\">So, for example, if you are a general contractor, you\u2019ll need to know how to properly quote a project based on the manpower, tools, materials, and abilities required. With that you\u2019ll understand the opportunities where things could go wrong, causing project delays and ballooning costs. By assessing these risks and establishing how you will communicate project updates to all parties involved, you\u2019ve effectively created a template from which to work off of and improve upon in the future.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"3ef3\" class=\"graf graf--h3 graf-after--p\">PMO Tools<\/h3>\n<p id=\"d485\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h3\">Since so much of a PMO\u2019s value stems from information and standardization, utilizing a project management solution such as <a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\">Nifty<\/a> allows you to create project structures that can be templated and enacted in the future.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nifty-pm.nifty.pm\/signup\/email\/?utm_source=project_management_office\/blog\">Sign up to Nifty for Free HERE<\/a> to Kick off your PMO Process!<\/strong><\/p>\n<h4 id=\"d9d8\" class=\"graf graf--h4 graf-after--p\">Templating Project\u00a0Flows<\/h4>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload size-full wp-image-762 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Frame-a-projects-phases-as-Project-Milestones.png\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Frame-a-projects-phases-as-Project-Milestones.png\" alt=\"Frame a project\u2019s phases as Project Milestones\" width=\"788\" height=\"321\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27788%27%20height%3D%27321%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20788%20321%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27788%27%20height%3D%27321%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Frame-a-projects-phases-as-Project-Milestones-300x122.png 300w, https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Frame-a-projects-phases-as-Project-Milestones-768x313.png 768w, https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Frame-a-projects-phases-as-Project-Milestones.png 788w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 788px) 100vw, 788px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Frame a project\u2019s phases as\u00a0<a class=\"cd ku\" href=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/milestones\" rel=\"noopener\">Project Milestones<\/a>\u00a0and the steps within them as Tasks.<\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"ed4a\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\"><a href=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/3-agile-project-management-templates-to-maximize-team-workflows\/\">Agile project management templates<\/a> are the groundwork for establishing and tweaking a scalable, repeatable process or processes within your business or organization. By creating templates for the different types of projects, you can ensure consistency from the outset of any initiative. The lessons learned at the end of a project become more meaningful as you\u2019ve controlled more variables throughout the corse the process.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"769c\" class=\"graf graf--h4 graf-after--p\">Recognizing Portfolio Dependencies<\/h4>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload size-full wp-image-761 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Overview-of-Milestones.png\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Overview-of-Milestones.png\" alt=\"Overview of Milestones\" width=\"788\" height=\"460\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27788%27%20height%3D%27460%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20788%20460%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27788%27%20height%3D%27460%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Overview-of-Milestones-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Overview-of-Milestones-768x448.png 768w, https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Overview-of-Milestones.png 788w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 788px) 100vw, 788px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>View an Overview Milestones for all of the Projects within a portfolio.<\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"05ca\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">Recognizing how a single project fits into the timelines and dependencies of other projects in a portfolio lets you better understand current statuses and prioritize initiatives to meet every deadline.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"e895\" class=\"graf graf--h4 graf-after--p\">Resource Planning<\/h4>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload size-full wp-image-760 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/project-management.png\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/project-management.png\" alt=\"project management\" width=\"788\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27788%27%20height%3D%27375%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20788%20375%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27788%27%20height%3D%27375%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/project-management-300x143.png 300w, https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/project-management-768x365.png 768w, https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/project-management.png 788w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 788px) 100vw, 788px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Workloads helps manage resources across projects to proactively prevent manpower bottlenecks.<\/em><\/p>\n<p id=\"e879\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--figure\">In the way that portfolio insights can assist in the decisions within a single project, so too can resource planning. The ability to track each employee\u2019s workload assists in deciding which personnel should be used on a current or future project to ensure that timelines are not pressed due to an imbalance of assignments across your organization.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"2a13\" class=\"graf graf--h3 graf-after--p\">Adopting the PMO\u00a0Mindset<\/h3>\n<p id=\"ac03\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--h3\">While the undeniable goal of a PMO is to ensure a smooth, profitable project, at its core it seeks to create a reliable process that can be learned from and iterated upon. If first attempts at instituting some of the methodologies associated with a formal office (or informal PMO mindset) don\u2019t succeed, use these lessons to continuously fine tune the process moving forward!<\/p>\n<p id=\"0282\" class=\"graf graf--p graf-after--p graf--trailing\"><strong class=\"markup--strong markup--p-strong\">Ready to build your PMO in the cloud? <\/strong><a class=\"markup--anchor markup--p-anchor\" href=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/pricing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-href=\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/pricing\"><strong class=\"markup--strong markup--p-strong\">Get started with Nifty today<\/strong><\/a><strong class=\"markup--strong markup--p-strong\">! \ud83d\ude80<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some organizations, be it a government, an enterprise, or a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":763,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[93,94],"class_list":["post-288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-pmo","tag-project-management-office"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/288","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=288"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/288\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}