Lessons Learned from Global Project Management Offices

This IDC Perspective will provide lessons learned in designing a project management office (PMO) that meets customer needs. No matter whether a project management office is newly formed or mature, or whether it is well received or struggling with its value perception, it is a good idea to perform a review of PMO mission, goals, processes and procedures, and customer relations to respond to a changing world.The goal of the PMO must be to become a highly agile and customer-centric service organization where it achieves the following goals:Value: The PMO is perceived by its customers as a highly valued service organization.Alignment: The PMO thoroughly understands the desired outcomes driven by the business strategy and its customers' needs, enabling it to tailor its service portfolio accordingly.Maturity: High service maturity ensures success only if the PMO addresses the actual needs of its customers.Sustainability: The PMO is highly flexible and can respond to constant changes in both the internal and external dynamics of the business."As PMOs become more and more critical to optimizing an enterprise's digital project portfolio, they must go beyond the traditional less-flexible centralized PMO and become highly customer-centric service organizations that demonstrate a high degree of business agility," says Bob Multhaup, adjunct research advisor with IDC's IT Executive Programs (IEP).