PPM Implementation Questions/Guidelines

Before implementing a Project Portfolio Management (PPM) solution, expectations,

support and staffing must be addressed. Here are guidelines based on six key questions
that can help ensure your rollout is not only successful but improves alignment and results
across the organization.
1.

Does the executive team strongly support this initiative?

For the solution to serve as the single source of truth for managing and maintaining project
information, it is critical that executives understand the investment rationale and benefits it
will deliver to the organization.
Build organizational support for the rollout and transition to the new normal by engaging
key stakeholders and making sure they promote the value of the implementation, as well as
the objectives and requirements for a successful rollout.

2. How much change will the PPM solution create?

Many PPM implementations fail because organizations cannot cope with the amount of
change required by the transition to a new system.
A Top-Down implementation approach can minimize change and disruption while still
delivering significant value. Focus initially on just capturing KPIs that are critical metrics for
reporting and planning such as milestone or phase-level task information. This allows teams
to spend more time executing project work instead of updating the tool.
3.

What are our desired outputs?

It can be tempting to define fields in a new solution based on how projects have been
handled in the past. But think about the end result first: What reporting outputs are most
important to stakeholders?
Define a concise list of desired outputs to help you work backward and understand the
most relevant information you need to capture. This also minimizes the amount of care and
feeding required by end users, making adoption easier.

4. What updating process will we use?

For updating information in your PPM solution, there are two main approaches to consider:
Centralized or Federated.
Centralized rollouts are better for larger organizations with hundreds of resources. The
PMO team is responsible for meeting with business leaders to collect project and staffing
information, then updating the solution for analysis, reporting and planning. Federated
rollouts rely on end users (often non-PMO project owners) to keep information updated.
This can work well for small- to mid-sized organizations. The PMO must still remind project
owners to update their information in the solution.

5. Will we attempt a big bang rollout or add capabilities incrementally?

It can be tempting to launch all the solutions features on Day One. However a big bang
often turns out to be a big bust.
Start small and master the basics of the solution to ensure inputs and outputs are running
smoothly and as expected, and that end users are comfortable with how the solution
integrates into their everyday workflow. Then, incrementally add capabilities as the
organization matures and usage becomes ingrained in your process.
6. Do we have personnel with adequate time allocated to the implementation/rollout?

Organizations often do not assign the right staff to own the implementation, or staff is not
able to dedicate the necessary amount of time to the rollout.
Depending on the organizations size, PMO maturity level and tool complexity, personnel
and time requirements will vary. Assign a Business Analyst to own the implementation,
dedicating at least 25% of their time to the effort. A key stakeholder (such as a PMO
Director) should also allocate about 10% of their time to overseeing and advising on the
implementation.
Adapted from 6 PPM Questions Before You Start by Matthew Sandberg