Dustin Hoang BUS286 MPDM SJSU AtekPC PMO Notes There are several key pressures and challenges

that AtekPC as a whole faced Technological changes that favored mobile technology over the personal computer o Due to the fact that mobile technology such as PDAs were able to access e-mail. If e-mail can be accessed anywhere with a PDA or smartphones, why bother with upgrading or buying a new PC? This causes AtekPC to face tremendous challenges In addition to technological changes, the PC market started to mature. o From a growth market to a maturing market, this presents additional challenges with handling projects suitable to the current market environment as AtekPC is transitioning to catering to a different kind of market. 1. One critical aspect of a maturing market is the cost challenges in meeting cost pressures from other PC makers. Informal management o Informal management was fine when projects were less complex, but due to the pressures that AtekPC faced, projects became more complex. 1. This creates a potential need for the change in management. John Strider presents the solution of a more formal management process by implementing a PMO which is a challenge in itself. Strong company culture o A strong company culture causes resistance to the PMO idea.

The solution to the aforementioned problems (through a different management process): Implementing PMO at AtekPC o John Strider, the CIO strongly believed a PMO was the key to support project managers in the some of the following ways: 1. Coaching/mentoring along with training 2. Coordination of communication with projects 3. Better management of the distribution of resources to AtekPC projects 4. Better management overall through proper management practices 5. Development and management of project procedures and policies o Strider knew that a PMO would cause a conflict of interest in the company culture by employing the PMP-light model to staff a minimal amount of experts and to reduce expenditure of resources.

It can be seen that PMO can improve the project performance if properly implemented by taking into consideration the company culture and getting the right people to implement PMO at AtekPC.