As research firm Gartner is espousing and enterprises are learning, project management success increasingly hinges on making "the approach fit the work and the tools fit the worker." As this set of articles illustrates, rather than forcing an operation to squeeze into the parameters of a predefined set of project and portfolio management (PPM) practices, leading organizations have come to understand the value of simple goals, "light touch" governance, input from resource managers on the front line, and careful selection of the software used to streamline reporting and communication.
 For almost a year, Pcubed's Mark Sorrell has been working as a project manager with a small team of experts in the art world in an endeavor unlike any other he's ever been involved with. What he has learned in the process has called into question many of the hardened project management practices he's worked to perfect in other industries. Mark refers to this new approach as "light touch, light governance PM." It requires no special tools beyond the ones you probably already have on your computer. And it works with people who don't want to become project management experts. Read article ›
 When Pcubed's Nick Miller joined a project team in the IT division of a global investment bank, he was shocked to discover just how immature the project management practices were of the broader organization being served. In this article he shares lessons learned in how to implement PPM in an environment where people are ill-prepared to change their processes or tools and are skeptical that the effort will even succeed or have any value. Read article ›
 Most companies don't systematically ask the resource managers - line or functional managers - about the availability of resources and skills to support projects in the portfolio. These resource managers are the individuals who have broad responsibilities in areas such as HR, technical competency, and balancing project and non-project demand. As Peter Heinrich with Pcubed partner PDWare explains, without this missing ingredient, portfolio planning ultimately has little credibility. He also offers a solution. Read article ›
 At one time IT decisions were based on what IT demanded or felt would add value to the organization. Now IT has become the backbone that can make or break a company. Consequently, the demand by strategic leaders and stakeholders from the business side to gain a clear view of the “state of the union” has catapulted the rise of the PPM market. In this article Pcubed's Shan Rajegopal examines why so many organizations in a multitude of industries are prime candidates for tapping into the power of PPM. Read article ›
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