Project Management

Low Project Management Maturity Level

With the increased number of strategic and operational projects, several key challenges were identified, this included visibility of total capacity versus demand of key resources, consistency in project execution processes, alignment of projects to strategic priorities, effective project planning, control and reporting, and levels of project management knowledge / skills within the business. Saros Consulting was engaged to assist address these challenges and embed project management as a practice through developing a project delivery capability that aligns projects with corporate strategy through an effective execution lifecycle.

Implementing Sound Project Management Practice

With the discipline of Project Management being relatively new to the organisation, we focused on implementing the basic elements of a sound project management practice, some of which included: Determining the maturity of existing project management practices within the business and the unique characteristics of the organisation in relation to managing change. Creating a project management framework based on the organisation’s project management maturity, to act as a guide to project decisions and enable a consistent approach to project prioritisation, planning and execution. Introducing a fit-for-purpose project governance structure to provide direction, make decisions and ensure projects are visible and routinely reviewed. Establishing a Project Office to manage the PM processes, tools and templates, and provide support to the project governance structures. Working collaboratively with the leadership team in reviewing, aligning and prioritising projects to strategic objectives to ensure teams work on projects that move the organisation forward. Continuously engaging the leadership team to ensure active and visible sponsorship of the project management practices.

Project Success

Saros approach led to project success with the following results: Enhanced visibility of capacity and demand, enabling improved prioritisation of projects. Successful implementation of a fit-for-purpose project management framework and project management tool. Establishment of a Project Management Office. Successful delivery of several post-merger integration projects. Increased Project Management knowledge and skills across the business. Improved planning, execution and control of projects. Significant increase in the utilisation of the project management framework and project management tool among management teams.