Every company runs projects. Sometimes known by different names, they are ultimately specific measurable deliverables that emerge from corporate strategy. Projects are the step-by-step of achieving goals that form part of a larger objective.
It is an undisputed fact that projects, especially in the IT environment, are only delivered on time and within budget if project management best practices are followed.
Some companies address this with a Project Office, a purpose built business unit that manages their projects. Some employ project managers to interact with line managers in delivering projects. Others contract project managers when needed.
According to Gartner, there is a direct correlation between the maturity of a project management environment and the delivery of projects on time and within budget. This is why companies that have a Project Office rank as the most successful in project delivery.
But the cost of a Project Office is often prohibitive, and in difficult financial times it becomes one of the areas that companies cut back on first. Unfortunately, the effect on projects is devastating: ranging from completion that is way over budget or late, to outright failure.
How can companies looking to cut or more acutely manage their cost centres benefit from a Project Office without incurring the fixed cost of one? The answer is an outsourced Project Office.
With 16 years' experience in the project management industry, and a mix of blue chip and medium size clients, McManus Consulting is well positioned to assist companies with an outsourced Project Office. This involves assessing the needs of the organisation, and tailoring a solution that meets their specific needs.
This is delivered with a suite of software that is accessed by the project team, and paid for on a monthly basis per user. This state-of-the-art software allows validated members to access project information and reporting anywhere in the world at any time. This keeps management abreast of their projects, and assists to maintain the flow of information, which ultimately makes governance of projects a walk in the park.
The Hosted Project Office will work for any medium to large company aware of the need for project management: for a monthly fee it hits the ground running with an experienced programme manager, a crack team of project managers and administrators, as well as the back-up of class-leading software to keep all lines of management up to date.
Visit www.mcmanus.co.za for more information, or mail tony@mcmanus.co.za for a personal presentation of ways McManus Consulting can help you.
Would you like to learn more about Project Management Maturity or the Role of the Project Office? E-mail alex@mcmanus.co.za or request a white paper on either topic.
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