A common problem in many companies that conduct any type of project management is that many projects end up running over time, over budget, and under quality standards. Most of these failures are a result of improper implementation of accepted project management methodologies. These methodologies have been designed to make project management tasks run much more efficiently, and to give projects a consistent level of quality, specifically in IT departments.
A growing trend is for companies to open up their own project management offices, or PMO’s. These PMO’s oversee project management and make sure that standard practices are followed and that quality is consistent. As economies of repetition take effect, project management becomes more efficient. Many companies report that the longer a PMO exists, the more successful they typically get. The result is that more projects are completed on-time, within budget, and above quality standards.
Unfortunately, for many companies it is just not feasible to set up their own PMO; they are either too small or don’t want to deal with the logistics of running one themselves.
The solution? Hiring a third-party professional PMO Service to consult with the client company and work with it to insure efficiency in project management applications.
There are many benefits to hiring a PMO service. Because it takes time and energy for a PMO to gain efficiency, if a company has to form their own PMO they'll have to suffer through an inevitable ramp-up process and learning phase. By contrast, an established PMO service has experience and efficiency from the beginning, giving them a substantial head start. The other benefit is that project managers are able to focus on their projects rather than the administrative and record-keeping aspects that come with a PMO. The PMO service does that for you, making your business more efficient.
There are many established PMO Services out there. Be sure to look for one that uses industry standards, has a wide variety of project experience, and a proven track record of success.
