The core duty of a Project Management Office (PMO) is to maintain the highest standard of project management. Whether a PMO can accelerate the implementation process mostly depends on how the initiation phase was completed. If the initiation phase was completed according to the project plan then PMO can accelerate the implementation process.
Key Takeaways
- The main goal of a PMO is to achieve the best possible result from a project by maintaining the highest working standard
- A PMO works based on an industry-standard methodology that includes Agile, Waterfall, Scrum, and Six Sigma
- The initiation phase is the most important part of a project and mainly it decides whether a PMO can accelerate the implementation process
- There are three types of PMO available: supportive, controlling, directive
What is PMO?
PMO is the short form for Project Management Office. A project management office is a department within an organization that maintains the project management standards of that organization. The main goal of a PMO is to achieve the best possible result from a project by maintaining the highest working standard. Over the years, the popularity of PMO has increased and now at least 7 out of 10 organizations have PMO. The common responsibility of a PMO is to provide guidance to maintain the standard, make documentation, accelerate the progress of the work, etc. A PMO works based on an industry-standard methodology that includes –
- Agile: PMO implements this method for projects that require acceleration. Projects that have to maintain continuous product delivery in short delivery cycles mostly use this method.
- Waterfall: This type of method increases the controlling power for a specific project.
- Scrum: This method is a part of the Agile framework. In this type of project, the delivery is usually due every 30 days.
- Six Sigma: This type of method is used to identify the defects and then get rid of them to improve the productivity of the project.
Is it possible for a PMO to Accelerate the Implementation Process?
Well, it is possible for a PMO to accelerate the implementation process but there are few factors that control the actual outcome. The initiation phase is the most important part of a project because it decides whether a PMO can accelerate the implementation process. Here, the project manager applies a different methodology (mentioned above) depending on the current state of the project and tries to accelerate the whole process. Then the PMO tries to solve various problems regarding the implementations and efficiently complete the implementation phase. If the project is dependent on other departments then the project manager contacts those departments and ensures the project is running smoothly. So, a PMO works as a bridge between the departments that are handling the project. In fact, the PMO ensures the above-mentioned process is followed, so that the implementation process is accelerated automatically!
Types of PMO
Usually, a PMO can be divided into three types. The below table will give you a clear idea –
| PMO Type | Description |
| Supportive | This type of PMO takes care of all the projects of an organization with a low degree of control |
| Controlling | This type of PMO takes more control than the supportive type and checks if everything is happening according to the project plan |
| Directive | This type of PMO maintains a high degree of control on all the projects of an organization |
Functions of a Project Management Office
If you are wondering what are the functions of a project management office then check the below information –
- A PMO identifies the project criteria, picks the right project for the organization, and offers a cost-effective solution
- Identify the project management methodology that will be used for the project
- A PMO ensures all the departments that are working on the project are consolidating best practices and processes to maintain the highest standard for the project
- Another important function of PMO is to set common project culture using various methodologies and best practices
- It’s an important duty of a PMO to manage and allocate resources depending on the importance of the project
- The PMO has to provide administrative support for the projects and buy various tools, software, templates, etc. to manage the projects properly
How PMO Can Accelerate the Implementation Process?
There are many ways PMOs can accelerate the implementation process. Below are some common and proven ways a PMO can accelerate the implementation process of a business –
- A PMO can increase the accuracy of the projects to accelerate the implementation
- A project manager allocates the budget accordingly to ensure the project doesn’t run out of money
- The PMO standardizes the project processes by collecting data and creating various reports and accelerating the implementation process
- PMO analyzes the project and gives a full overview of the project so all the departments can understand different practices of the project and quickly complete the project
- PMO offers credibility to the departments that are working on the project so that they can easily take quick decision
- A PMO controls all the projects of an organization and helps the organization achieve the goals and objectives
- Usually, the PMO assigns the right person for the right project and accelerates the implementation
- PMO offers continuous support to the high-level management so that they can make the right decision regarding the project
- A project manager determines the long-term success of the projects and helps the organization find out whether these projects will be profitable or not
- A PMO analyzes all the projects and then prioritizes the projects and decides which project requires immediate action
FAQs about Can a PMO Accelerate the Implementation Process of a Business
What are the three important tasks of PMO?
The three important tasks of a PMO are –
- Resources planning
- Work planning
- Effort estimation
Why do organizations create PMOs?
There are many reasons an organization can create PMO. Some important reasons are –
- Increase the coordination between the departments
- Improve the utilization of resources
- Increase operational efficacy
- Gain better control of the projects
- Quickly analyze the information and create reports
What is the best PMO software?
Some of the best PMO software are –
- MeisterTask
- Basecamp
- Nifty
- Teamwork Projects
- ProofHub
- Zoho Projects
- Trello
- JIRA
Who should PMO report to?
Usually, PMO report to the division manager. In some case, the PMO report directly to the executive board!
References:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10429247.2018.1458208
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/pmj.21442
https://www.wrike.com/project-management-guide/faq/what-is-pmo-in-project-management/
https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/strategic-project-management-office-growth-6610
Last Updated on November 10, 2022 by Magalie D.
