Project Management Office (PMO Service) saves companies considerable costs for project management office overhead for administrative tasks such as invoice and payroll processing, project accounting, project change order control, project cost reporting, and project auditing.

When a company staffs for activities directed toward project work rather than project management office administration, management, and record keeping, less time and money is spent learning and using project office software tracking project data. With more time working with people, project management office PMO services lets project managers maintain direct hands-on project management by reducing office administrative burden. The costs of most project management office overhead ranges between 10% and 25% of the overall project costs.

We reduce PMO service costs by over 50% by setting up project management office software and control steps to ensure data is properly managed and flows through carefully controlled channels of communication. The benefit to a company and to project managers is in both cost reduction as well as receiving project reports on request. Project management office data is maintained more accurately, in greater detail, and with greater consistency and frequency.

A1 Enterprise provides both the project management office software and project management office service (PMO service) to maintain project management office data. We will determine the most viable project office software structure for the customer by setting up project roles, task groups, custom cost reports, budget approval processes, and change order processes to streamline project management office efficiency.

We can also grant permission to certain people or companies to view or update project data including multiple joint venture customers, vendors, employees, or auditors. More about our project management office services (PMO service)

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Just when you thought that mankind is doomed because of the economic recession, there are actually some industries that will remain to be strong and thus crisis-proof. One of these is the nuclear industry.

The Reasons for Its Strength

If you are engaged in any nuclear project, then you’re lucky. It will continue to stay afloat even when most of the other industries are already in their losing end. In fact, it continues to be one of the most booming ones. There are plenty of reasons. For one, everyone is already searching for ways on how to minimize their consumption of utilities, including electricity. Thus, they are willing to spend for green technologies, because the rewards will be greater in the end.

Second, most of the nuclear projects are currently sponsored by the government. It will always be one of their main agendas, especially when it comes to earth preservation and crisis control. They are willing to spend millions to billions of dollars for nuclear infrastructures.

Getting the Most of the Nuclear Industry

However, for you to fully enjoy these benefits, you have to ensure first that your business is capable to implement standards and follow the right ways in operating one. With these, you may have to take advantage of project management consulting.

PMI, one of the premier management consulting services in Canada, offers some courses that you can apply right at your own project management office. They tackle on the art and science of project management. They are also based on the 9 principles or practices.

First is project initiation. This covers a lot of aspects, including assessment of the nuclear project. Does it fit in the company’s vision and mission? Will it be a priority or not? What are the possible benefits and risks of pursuing one? It is also at this time that a project manager will be appointed. He will be the one who will make sure that the plans that have been formulated will be strictly followed. If there will be some variances, it will not be too high that the entire project has been deterred from its original purpose.

After initiation is feasibility. It is at this point where the project is given ample time to be assessed. This way, all issues will be identified even before the commencement of the project. The different approaches needed to achieve the objectives will be enumerated. You will also learn to identify the different factors that will serve as criteria. You have to determine in the end if your nuclear project is successful or not.

Project management is also providing specific details into the task at hand. How many human resources does it need? What kind of support will it require? What are the reports that have to be accomplished, which will then indicate the progress of your project?

You also need to establish the kind of delivery or monitoring process for your project. Besides reports, you may have to go back to your assumptions and ensure that they still remain valid. If not, then necessary changes will have to be made.

The project management practices can help those who are involved in a Canadian nuclear project.

The success of a Project Management Office depends strongly on its ability to meet the needs of the business it is working for. The different categories of Project Management Offices vary in the amount of control and influence they have regarding a companies projects, and as such are categorized into the following three types:

1. Assisting Project Management Environment

This leadership style offers support to employees when help is needed. Management may offer this support in the areas of project advice, information access, and useful templates or job aids. This is an effective style for organizations which allow employees to work independently while accomplishing their projects. A supportive environment allows workers to have freedom in project design. It would be a good match for offices that have effective systems to communicate and access information.

2. Controlling PMO

Wherever there is a need to have more control over procedures, documentation or even project activities, this style is frequently used. The support being offered by the organization has to be effectively utilized as this is an opportunity of a kind and cannot be taken for granted. Certain templates or forms need to be used to achieve the specified target and sometimes specific methods have to be adopted. On the other hand other requirements include adaptability to authoritative structures or use of other rules adhered by the organization.

The organization may conduct regular inspections of project offices to see if there is a problem or anything that may harm the organization itself. There are two conditions to help the procedure to take effect. First, meeting the requirements regarding PMO offerings must bear good results such as carrying out of the projects for the improvements of the organization itself. Lastly, rules and regulations must be enforceable by Project Manager as mandated by the organization.

3. Directive Project Management Office

Under this, the project is supplied with the necessary resources as well as relevant management experience to execute the project successfully. So, implementation as well as control are taken care of. At the outset, the project is handed over to seasoned project managers who are used to a directive organizational format. The managers report directly to the organization and there is uniformity in the treatment of all the projects that the organization has going. Big companies using supportive networks in most areas benefit the most from this. There would be a problem, however, if the underlying culture of the organization clashes with this style.

The most beneficial one will be determined by the organization’s culture and structure, as well as company history of previous successes and failures in connection with each style. However, the overall objectives connected with a Project Management Office include:

1. Development of consistent methodologies

2. Use of standard terminologies throughout the organization

3. Implementation of effective and replicable project management methods

4. Use of common support tools

5. Aim to increase the success rate for all projects within the organization.

Understanding these objectives will assist both you and your business to a better achievement.

There are 3 basic types of Project Management Office (PMO) organizations, varying in the degree of control and influence they have on projects within the organization. You will need to determine which type you need to establish in order to have an effective project office.

The 3 types of PMOs include:

1. Supportive PMO

The Supportive PMO generally provides support in the form of on-demand expertise, templates, best practices, access the information and expertise on other projects, and the like. This can work in an organization where projects are done successfully in a loosely controlled manner and where additional control is deemed unnecessary. Also, if the objective is to have a sort of ‘clearinghouse’ of project management info across the enterprise to be used freely by PMs, then the Supportive PMO is the right type.

2. Controlling PMO

In organizations where there is a desire to “reign in” the activities – processes, procedures, documentation, and more – a controlling PMO can accomplish that. Not only does the organization provide support, but it also REQUIRES that the support be used. Requirements might include adoption of specific methodologies, templates, forms, conformance to governance, and application of other PMO controlled sets of rules. In addition, project offices might need to pass regular reviews by the Controlling PMO, and this may represent a risk factor on the project. This works if a. there is a clear case that compliance with PMO offerings will bring imporvements in the organization and how it exectes on projects, and b. the PMO has sufficient executive support to stand behind the controls the PMO puts in place.

3. Directive PMO

This type goes beyond control and actually “takes over” the projects by providing the project management experience AND resources to manage the project. As organizations undertake projects, professional project managers from the PMO are assigned to the projects. This injects a great deal of professionalism into the projects, and, since each of the project managers originates and reports back to the Directive PMO, it guarantees a high level of consistency of practice across all projects. This is effective in larger organizations that often matrix out support in various areas, and where this setup would fit the culture.

The best type is very specific to the organization, culture, and history of what works and what does not. But the objectives are – more or less – to:

1. Implement a common methodology

2. Standardize terminology

3. Introduce effective repeatable project management processes

4. Provide common supporting tools

5. Ultimately, the objective is to improve levels of project success within the organization.

Being aware of these types can help you and your organization more easily accomplish this.

For more informative articles around the project management field, see the PMcrunch web site. PMcrunch provides fresh perspectives on the world of project management in the areas of Certification, Online Project Management, Project Management Process, Project Management Templates, and Soft Skills.

Let’s get straight to the point, project management by form filling is not an effective way of managing projects. These days many organisations and individual’s whole project management strategy revolves around becoming slaves to a methodology. Don’t get me wrong, there are many very good methodologies out there and they all have their part to play but it’s not the be-all and end-all of project management.

If you give a complete novice a set of project management templates and ask him to complete them does he suddenly become a fully-fledged project manager? Of course not, he would lack the people and interpersonal skills required to succeed for a start. So why is it that so many organisations think introducing a methodology will solve all their problems? In my experience there is no silver bullet solution, just solutions that help the project manager to do his job better.

My worst experiences have been with organisations that stick blindly to the methodology regardless of whether it adds value. “It says you fill in this form at this stage and we’re jolly well going to fill it in.” Then the form invariably gets filed away and never looked at again.

This leads to many methodologies being perceived as needlessly bureaucratic, which, when used appropriately they’re not. I’m a great advocate of starting projects well, spending time on the planning phase, defining the scope, assessing the risks and getting stakeholder buy-in. Here the typical project brief adds a great deal of value in terms of establishing clarity in the stakeholders minds as to what the project will and won’t deliver. There lies the important issue; can you demonstrate a clear benefit of having a particular document or process?

For organisations to move away from this needlessly bureaucratic project management obstacle course, they must first trust their project managers and make them fully accountable for the project outcome. The project manager must use his discretion, deciding on a project by project basis, what is and isn’t appropriate from any methodology they use. If any element of the methodology has no value then don’t do it but be prepared to backup your decision with a well thought out reason why.

Methodologies are a framework in which to work not a solution to project management. Spend time to find out what works for you and your organisation, discard what doesn’t and modify what’s left to better fulfil your needs. That way you will avoid adding unnecessary overhead to projects and having your preferred methodology dismissed as needlessly bureaucratic.

Here are some of the signs that may indicate your current methodology isn’t working:

• Customers complain about form filling
• Project managers do not follow the process
• Project management cost is disproportionate compared with the total cost of the project
• Completing all the documents and steps in the methodology is a key measure of success
• Following process is valued more highly than project success

This brings me to Project Management Offices. Setting up a Project Management Office seems to be very fashionable at the moment. Many organisations are struggling to define exactly what it is this office will do. In the worst cases I’ve seen, the Project Management Office is an autocratic policeman, whose only role seems to be to lie in wait for unsuspecting Project Managers and jump on them when they deviate from straight and narrow. In the best cases they assist Project Managers and teams by organising project data, providing statistical information and reducing the admin overhead.

Use your Project Management Office as a policeman and resentment will soon build up. Use it to proactively assist Project Managers and their teams and it will become a valuable and essential asset.

Here are some of the activities that should be undertaken by the Project Management Office:

• Compiling and publishing statistical information
• Providing decision support information for senior management
• Communicating policies and procedures
• Updating and maintaining templates
• Initial project set-up
• Project filing
• Maintaining best practice
• Training
• Quality assurance
• Recruiting staff
• Maintaining a skills inventory
• Timesheet administration

To return to the title of this report “avoiding the project management obstacle course,” organisations should ensure that project managers aren’t overburdened with process that doesn’t add value, just for the sake of adhering to a certain methodology. If your project managers are required to fill in forms, get them signed in triplicate and wait a month for approval to start a project, them you’re putting them through the project management obstacle course and preventing your organisation from becoming an effective project focussed enterprise.