Every day, well-run organizations focus all of their energy on taking care of tasks and initiatives to help achieve business goals.
By keeping every employee aligned and moving toward the same targets, it’s much easier to achieve what you set out to accomplish. Of course, this is often easier said than done. It’s not always easy to make sure everyone is on the same page, particularly in the world of project management.
The goal of great project managers is to do projects the right way. Project portfolio management (PPM) takes this concept further by making it a goal to do the right projects the right way.
To become a master of PPM, organizations must first become experts in resource management.
With a strong approach to resource management, project managers can make sure that the best people and the best assets are in the right place at the right time—ensuring that the most important projects go off without a hitch.
Effective resource management can mean the difference between success and failure. Keep in mind that resource management is more than just resource allocation. It involves building the right teams, preventing scope creep, dealing with unforeseen asks, and bringing transparency to timelines, among other things.
The good news is that a strong PPM solution makes it a whole lot easier to manage resources effectively. But not all PPM solutions are the same. With that in mind, let’s go over some of the features you need to look for in a PPM resource management tool.
4 Features Your PPM Resource Management Solution Needs to Have
To succeed in today’s fast-paced world, PMOs need to be able to choose projects based on resource availability without first needing to put together detailed timelines.
With the right PPM solution in place, project managers are given a 360-degree view of all of their organization’s resources, which enables them to ensure capacity planning meets the demand for project work.
They are also able to anticipate the most important projects thanks to a forms-based intake and scoring model, which automatically prioritizes projects that deliver the most value. Leading PPMs also let project managers visualize budgets, measures, and targets via interactive tools.
Altogether, this enables the project manager to plan strategically, balance supply and demand, and unlock deeper insights that help them make better decisions.
As you begin searching for the PPM tool that works best for your situation, you’ll quickly find out there are plenty of options at your disposal. To make your decision easier, here are four features to consider as you narrow down your choices.
1. Flexibility and configurability
No two PMOs are the same. Although a PPM solution might work wonders for one company, it might not be that helpful for another. That being the case, look for a configurable PPM tool that gives you the flexibility needed to grow with your business—without requiring any extensive coding. That way, you can tailor the platform to your specific workflows.
2. Adaptable workspaces
Different projects are often best tackled with different methodologies. One project might call for an agile approach, whereas another might be best off spearheaded by a lean team. Leading PPM tools give project managers access to adaptable workspaces that can handle and report on multiple types of projects. At the same time, all of these workspaces are accessible from one single portfolio.
3. Systems of record
Many organizations are held back by the fact that they have data everywhere in various iterations. If one team is relying on one set of data while another team is relying on a more current set of that same data, things can quickly spiral out of control.
With the right PPM solution, you’ll be able to connect all of your system of record data—whether it lives in platforms such as Jira, SAP, Workday, or ServiceNow—into a single source of truth.
As a result, teams can move forward with confidence, knowing they always have access to up-to-date information.
4. Embedded business intelligence
Leading PMOs enjoy complete transparency into all of their portfolios—in large part because they use PPM solutions that feature built-in business intelligence.
For example, Changepoint PPM (Daptiv) leverages IBM Cognos BI to help organizations make the best decisions. The solution enables PMOs to consume data in aesthetically appealing graphical reports and find the precise answers they’re looking for through robust reporting capabilities.
How Changepoint PPM Can Help Your Organization Thrive
Overseeing several projects at once and making sure they’re done in order of priority, on time, and on budget is no easy feat.
Still, there’s no sense in making it any harder than it needs to be.
The good news is that by investing in a modern PPM tool, your enterprise PMO can operate more efficiently while ensuring projects turn out the way you want them to.
Thanks to PPM resource management, project managers are able to ensure the right resources are allocated to the right projects at the right times—which is the recipe for a successful PMO and, in turn, a strong organization.
