If you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing, don\u2019t expect to transform your company.<\/p>\n
In some cases, the PMO contributes to projects in a trivial way but can\u2019t quite get off the ground and never reaches your lofty goals. Worst case, it\u2019s a time, energy, and money suck for your company.<\/p>\n
But you don\u2019t need to go blindly into unexplored territory.<\/p>\n
In this article, we\u2019ll share 6 PMO best practices, case study insights, and our very own best tips to help you set up and manage your PMO effectively.<\/p>\n
Get started with monday.com<\/a><\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a closer look at 6 best practices that will take your PMO to the next level. But first:<\/p>\n The key to establishing a successful PMO for your business is to have a thorough understanding of your needs and priorities before you start hiring.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It\u2019s crucial because the roles of your PMO should match the shortcomings elsewhere in your company.<\/p>\n For example, if employee engagement and collaboration is a widespread issue, fixing it should be your priority. The right PMO services will have a much larger impact than overseeing a single project.<\/p>\n The Project Management Institute (PMI) recommends using the \u201cPMO value ring\u201d as a guideline \u2014 don\u2019t worry, it\u2019s diamond-free. It highlights an 8-step process starting with defining your PMO services and objectives. It also emphasizes adapting and adjusting after you\u2019ve established your PMO.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need to apply this PMO framework but you should learn from its principles.<\/p>\n Now let\u2019s get into the best practices:<\/p>\n According to research by Axelos, 3 of the 5<\/a> top issues with project portfolio management (PPM) <\/a>are directly related to poor scope setting and change management.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n Your PMO should develop processes to make the estimating scope, timelines, and budgets more realistic. You could even set up a dedicated team or council to review everything.<\/p>\n Anticipating and accounting for risks in your planning is a big part of this. With predicted risks and contingency plans in place, change management is also a lot easier.<\/p>\n Thorough research is a prerequisite for making the right calls. Whether to start a project, what to prioritize, the list goes on.<\/p>\n Project management is full of big decisions where assumptions are fatal.<\/p>\n Companies where senior management works closely with project managers are more<\/a> successful than those who don\u2019t, according to a study by Axelos.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n External stakeholders also have a significant impact on project success. So any PMO worth its salt should focus on improving stakeholder engagement across the board.<\/p>\n PPM professionals interviewed by Wellingtone highlighted stakeholder engagement as the highest-value<\/a> PPM process while also being easy to implement.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n So make it a priority. Even though the project sponsor is ultimately accountable for the project, create processes for keeping all stakeholders involved and up-to-date.<\/p>\n Get started<\/a><\/p>\n Identifying and standardizing the best management approach for projects is crucial. It\u2019s a great way to add value to your company.<\/p>\n What are PMO standards?<\/p>\n A PMO will often work to standardize the project management methodology, project KPIs<\/a>, and even software tools and collaboration protocols in a company.<\/p>\n The point is to create a set of repeatable processes and documents that any smaller project team can rely on to do better work. You can use tools to automate these processes and KPIs; for example, if you use Microsoft 365, you can deploy solutions like pmo365<\/span><\/a>, which contains a library of best-practice project management processes and KPIs.<\/p>\n According to a 2020 study<\/a> by Gallup, companies with high employee engagement gain a lot of benefits.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s only the highlight reel. Reduced absenteeism, higher quality work, the list goes on. Employee engagement is a potential goldmine, not a cost center.<\/p>\n But as workers transition to working remotely, you may find this a lot more challenging. And in 2020, up to 42%<\/a> of the entire US workforce worked from home.<\/p>\n So it\u2019s not like you can 100% rely on in-person workshops or team-building sessions.<\/p>\n Your secret weapon here, according to another study<\/a> by Gallup, is to check in with your remote workers more frequently. Ideally, a couple of times per week.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t have to be an official project manager. For smaller teams, the team lead could check in with other team members instead.<\/p>\n Schedule weekly \u2014 or even daily \u2014 virtual standup meetings to keep everyone on track. You can also include scheduled casual gatherings like a weekly coffee hour.<\/p>\nEngaging your employees and making them feel like a part of a greater whole \u2014 even if they\u2019re sitting alone at home \u2014 is crucial for the future workplace.<\/span><\/a>\n In many ways, the cross-functional team is a founding principle of project management. By borrowing resources from various departments, you can finish projects faster.<\/p>\n You also save significant sums by avoiding outsourcing tasks other teams can handle. So every organization\u2019s PMO should prioritize cross-functional collaboration<\/a>.<\/p>\n And the research backs us up.<\/p>\n According to a recent Deloitte survey, 74%<\/a> of employees switching to a cross-functional team experienced a performance improvement.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n Your PMO should be a bastion for \u2014 and help you realize \u2014 your company\u2019s strategic objectives.<\/p>\n For example, McDonald\u2019s wanted to double down on technology, so it established a \u201cglobal technology PMO\u201d to help them achieve this objective in many of its locations worldwide.<\/p>\n The results? Mobile order and pay system implemented successfully in 22,000+<\/a> restaurants, and self-order kiosks in another 17,000 locations.<\/p>\n A PMO can help refocus your entire organization on a single crucial strategic goal. But only if you do it right.<\/p>\n Many PMOs come up short because they\u2019re missing a vital ingredient.<\/p>\n Get started<\/a><\/p>\n According to the latest research by Wellingtone, 54%<\/a> of companies feel they don\u2019t have adequate tools to collaborate on multiple projects at once.<\/p>\n (Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n For a PMO, having the right software is especially important. It can transform how your company handles projects. You can:<\/p>\n And those are only surface-level benefits. Senior leaders with more time and better access to data and staff make better decisions.<\/p>\n Better structured communication and project files reduce the risk of manual errors and duplicate labor.<\/p>\n With a Work OS like monday.com, you can build the project management platform you need without having to write a single line of code.<\/p>\n Robust integrations with apps like CRMs, highly customizable templates, and smart automations make it easy to create the perfect support system for your project teams.<\/p>\n The projects overview template is a great starting point. You can outline the natural stages of projects in your company.<\/p>\n Color-coded statuses show not only the current project stage but also how it\u2019s going. That makes the manager\u2019s job a lot easier.<\/p>\n And automations make it easy to keep the data in these high-level boards accurate and up-to-date.<\/p>\n monday.com\u2019s automations can help you cut down manual data entry and improve access to real-time information.<\/p>\n You can, for example, connect a board with individual team boards. Any changes will be updated in real-time.<\/p>\n You can also set up notifications for when things change so that the right person always notices. For example, you can notify a senior developer who can troubleshoot issues with code.<\/p>\n Every time someone\u2019s stuck on a specific task, changing the status to stuck is enough. No message or email required.<\/p>\n Silos can block collaboration and ruin your project performance. Improving access to data from other teams by integrating with their tools is a good first step.<\/p>\n monday.com offers native integration with over 288+ apps like CRMs, helpdesks, marketing platforms, and more.<\/p>\n Sync monday.com items with cards, requests, or messages from other platforms. That way, you can keep all the data in the same place.<\/p>\n An easy shortcut to standardizing project management processes is with custom templates and workflows.<\/p>\n monday.com lets you easily save any custom board as a template. That makes it easy for other teams to reuse it and adopt new practices.<\/p>\n Trying to establish a PMO from scratch can \u2014 ironically \u2014 become a tough project for any company.<\/p>\n But starting a PMO alone isn\u2019t going to change anything. The implementation matters. So focus on engagement, collaboration, and working closely with all stakeholders.<\/p>\n And to get a head start, lay the foundation for better collaboration with company-wide project portfolio management software.<\/p>\n Use our projects overview template<\/a> to better manage a portfolio of projects for different clients or internal purposes.<\/p>\n Get started<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"If setting up a project management office (PMO) alone was enough to guarantee project success across the board, every company would have one, no matter how small.\r\n\r\nYet creating an effective PMO<\/a> is often a challenging project in its own right. And one where many companies fall short.\r\n\r\nIf you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing, don\u2019t expect to transform your company.\r\n\r\nIn some cases, the PMO contributes to projects in a trivial way but can\u2019t quite get off the ground and never reaches your lofty goals. Worst case, it\u2019s a time, energy, and money suck for your company.\r\n\r\nBut you don\u2019t need to go blindly into unexplored territory.\r\n\r\nIn this article, we\u2019ll share 6 PMO best practices, case study insights, and our very own best tips to help you set up and manage your PMO effectively.\r\n [cta-button url=\"https:\/\/auth.monday.com\/users\/sign_up_new\" target=\"_blank\"]Get started with monday.com[\/cta-button]<\/p>\r\n\r\n [cta-button url=\"https:\/\/auth.monday.com\/users\/sign_up_new\" target=\"_blank\"]Get started[\/cta-button]<\/p>\r\n\r\n Many PMOs come up short because they\u2019re missing a vital ingredient.<\/p>\r\n [cta-button url=\"https:\/\/auth.monday.com\/users\/sign_up_new\" target=\"_blank\"]Get started[\/cta-button]<\/p>\r\n\r\n [cta-button url=\"https:\/\/auth.monday.com\/users\/sign_up_new\" target=\"_blank\"]Get started[\/cta-button]<\/p>"},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If setting up a project management office (PMO) alone was enough to guarantee project success across the board, every company would have one, no matter how small. Yet creating an effective PMO is often a challenging project in its own right. And one where many companies fall short. If you …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":48138,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"monday_item_id":18042679591,"monday_board_id":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[13904],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-project-management"],"acf":{"lobby_image":false,"post_thumbnail_title":"","hide_post_info":false,"hide_bottom_cta":false,"hide_from_blog":false,"cluster":"","banner_url":"","main_text_banner":"","sub_title_banner":"","sub_title_banner_second":"","banner_button_text":"","below_banner_line":"","display_dates":"default","custom_schema_code":"","use_customized_cta":true,"display_subscribe_widget":true,"landing_page_layout":false,"featured_image_link":"","cta_button":{"title":"Sign up for high quality content","url":"https:\/\/forms.monday.com\/forms\/3ce1811bf93765f24eaf8a119ac6436f?r=use1","target":""},"activate_cta_banner":false,"sidebar_color_banner":"","custom_tags":false,"faqs":false,"disclaimer":""},"yoast_head":"\n6 PMO best practices no company should overlook<\/h2>\n
What makes a good PMO?<\/h3>\n
![\"PMO](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/PMO-value-ring.png\" "\\"PMO")
<\/p>\n1. Set clear guidelines for scope, risk, and change management<\/h3>\n
![\"Poor](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Poor-communication-impact-on-projects.png\" "\\"Poor")
<\/p>\n2. Close the gap between stakeholders and project teams<\/h3>\n
![\"Senior](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Senior-management-and-PPM-success.png\" "\\"Senior")
<\/p>\n![\"PPM](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/PPM-process-value-and-difficulty.png\" "\\"PPM")
<\/p>\n3. Standardize project management processes and KPIs<\/h3>\n
4. Focus on team and employee engagement in an increasingly remote workforce<\/h3>\n
\n
![\"Frequency](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Feedback-and-engagement.png\" "\\"Feedback")
<\/p>\n5. Lay the foundation for cross-functional collaboration<\/h3>\n
![\"Cross-functional](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Cross-functional-teams-boost-performance.png\" "\\"Cross-functional")
<\/p>\n6. Own your company\u2019s strategic initiatives<\/h3>\n
The missing link: project management portfolio software<\/h2>\n
![\"PPM](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/PPM-software-tool-usage.png\" "\\"PPM")
<\/p>\n\n
Lay the foundation for an effective PMO with monday.com<\/h2>\n
Get a birds-eye overview of all your projects<\/h3>\n
![\"Projects](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Projects-overview-board.png\" "\\"Projects")
<\/p>\nAutomate to eliminate menial tasks and improve data access<\/h3>\n
![\"Projects](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Projects-overview-board-2.png\" "\\"Projects")
<\/p>\nIntegrate with your other apps and tools to remove silos between teams<\/h3>\n
![\"monday.com](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/monday.com-integrations-3.png\" "\\"monday.com")
<\/p>\nStandardize processes with customized templates and workflows<\/h3>\n
![\"monday.com](\"https:\/\/www.monday.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/monday.com-save-template.png\" "\\"monday.com")
<\/p>\nEstablishing a PMO is only the beginning<\/h2>\n
6 PMO best practices no company should overlook<\/h2>\r\nLet\u2019s take a closer look at 6 best practices that will take your PMO to the next level. But first:\r\n
What makes a good PMO?<\/h3>\r\n
The key to establishing a successful PMO for your business is to have a thorough understanding of your needs and priorities before you start hiring.<\/blockquote>\r\nIt\u2019s crucial because the roles of your PMO should match the shortcomings elsewhere in your company.\r\n\r\nFor example, if employee engagement and collaboration is a widespread issue, fixing it should be your priority. The right PMO services will have a much larger impact than overseeing a single project.\r\n\r\nThe Project Management Institute (PMI) recommends using the \u201cPMO value ring\u201d as a guideline \u2014 don\u2019t worry, it\u2019s diamond-free. It highlights an 8-step process starting with defining your PMO services and objectives. It also emphasizes adapting and adjusting after you\u2019ve established your PMO.\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n(Image Source<\/a>)\r\n\r\nYou don\u2019t need to apply this PMO framework but you should learn from its principles.\r\n\r\nNow let\u2019s get into the best practices:\r\n1. Set clear guidelines for scope, risk, and change management<\/h3>\r\nAccording to research by Axelos, 3 of the 5<\/a> top issues with project portfolio management (PPM) <\/a>are directly related to poor scope setting and change management.\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n(Image Source<\/a>)\r\n\r\nYour PMO should develop processes to make the estimating scope, timelines, and budgets more realistic. You could even set up a dedicated team or council to review everything.\r\n\r\nAnticipating and accounting for risks in your planning is a big part of this. With predicted risks and contingency plans in place, change management is also a lot easier.\r\n\r\nThorough research is a prerequisite for making the right calls. Whether to start a project, what to prioritize, the list goes on.\r\n\r\nProject management is full of big decisions where assumptions are fatal.\r\n2. Close the gap between stakeholders and project teams<\/h3>\r\nCompanies where senior management works closely with project managers are more<\/a> successful than those who don\u2019t, according to a study by Axelos.\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n(Image Source<\/a>)\r\n\r\nExternal stakeholders also have a significant impact on project success. So any PMO worth its salt should focus on improving stakeholder engagement across the board.\r\n\r\nPPM professionals interviewed by Wellingtone highlighted stakeholder engagement as the highest-value<\/a> PPM process while also being easy to implement.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n(Image Source<\/a>)\r\n\r\nSo make it a priority. Even though the project sponsor is ultimately accountable for the project, create processes for keeping all stakeholders involved and up-to-date.\r\n3. Standardize project management processes and KPIs<\/h3>\r\nIdentifying and standardizing the best management approach for projects is crucial. It\u2019s a great way to add value to your company.\r\n\r\nWhat are PMO standards?\r\n\r\nA PMO will often work to standardize the project management methodology, project KPIs<\/a>, and even software tools and collaboration protocols in a company.\r\n\r\nThe point is to create a set of repeatable processes and documents that any smaller project team can rely on to do better work. You can use tools to automate these processes and KPIs; for example, if you use Microsoft 365, you can deploy solutions like pmo365<\/span><\/a>, which contains a library of best-practice project management processes and KPIs.\r\n
4. Focus on team and employee engagement in an increasingly remote workforce<\/h3>\r\nAccording to a 2020 study<\/a> by Gallup, companies with high employee engagement gain a lot of benefits.\r\n
\r\n \t
\r\n\r\n(Image Source<\/a>)\r\n\r\nIt doesn\u2019t have to be an official project manager. For smaller teams, the team lead could check in with other team members instead.\r\n\r\nSchedule weekly \u2014 or even daily \u2014 virtual standup meetings to keep everyone on track. You can also include scheduled casual gatherings like a weekly coffee hour.\r\n\r\n[twitter]Engaging your employees and making them feel like a part of a greater whole \u2014 even if they\u2019re sitting alone at home \u2014 is crucial for the future workplace.[\/twitter]\r\n5. Lay the foundation for cross-functional collaboration<\/h3>\r\nIn many ways, the cross-functional team is a founding principle of project management. By borrowing resources from various departments, you can finish projects faster.\r\n\r\nYou also save significant sums by avoiding outsourcing tasks other teams can handle. So every organization\u2019s PMO should prioritize cross-functional collaboration<\/a>.\r\n\r\nAnd the research backs us up.\r\n\r\nAccording to a recent Deloitte survey, 74%<\/a> of employees switching to a cross-functional team experienced a performance improvement.\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n(Image Source<\/a>)\r\n6. Own your company\u2019s strategic initiatives<\/h3>\r\nYour PMO should be a bastion for \u2014 and help you realize \u2014 your company\u2019s strategic objectives.\r\n\r\nFor example, McDonald\u2019s wanted to double down on technology, so it established a \u201cglobal technology PMO\u201d to help them achieve this objective in many of its locations worldwide.\r\n\r\nThe results? Mobile order and pay system implemented successfully in 22,000+<\/a> restaurants, and self-order kiosks in another 17,000 locations.\r\n\r\nA PMO can help refocus your entire organization on a single crucial strategic goal. But only if you do it right.\r\n
The missing link: project management portfolio software<\/h2>\r\nAccording to the latest research by Wellingtone, 54%<\/a> of companies feel they don\u2019t have adequate tools to collaborate on multiple projects at once.\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n(Image Source<\/a>)\r\n\r\nFor a PMO, having the right software is especially important. It can transform how your company handles projects. You can:\r\n\r\n \t
Lay the foundation for an effective PMO with monday.com<\/h2>\r\nWith a Work OS like monday.com, you can build the project management platform you need without having to write a single line of code.\r\n\r\nRobust integrations with apps like CRMs, highly customizable templates, and smart automations make it easy to create the perfect support system for your project teams.\r\n
Get a birds-eye overview of all your projects<\/h3>\r\nThe projects overview template is a great starting point. You can outline the natural stages of projects in your company.\r\n\r\nColor-coded statuses show not only the current project stage but also how it\u2019s going. That makes the manager\u2019s job a lot easier.\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nAnd automations make it easy to keep the data in these high-level boards accurate and up-to-date.\r\nAutomate to eliminate menial tasks and improve data access<\/h3>\r\nmonday.com\u2019s automations can help you cut down manual data entry and improve access to real-time information.\r\n\r\nYou can, for example, connect a board with individual team boards. Any changes will be updated in real-time.\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nYou can also set up notifications for when things change so that the right person always notices. For example, you can notify a senior developer who can troubleshoot issues with code.\r\n\r\nEvery time someone\u2019s stuck on a specific task, changing the status to stuck is enough. No message or email required.\r\nIntegrate with your other apps and tools to remove silos between teams<\/h3>\r\nSilos can block collaboration and ruin your project performance. Improving access to data from other teams by integrating with their tools is a good first step.\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nmonday.com offers native integration with over 288+ apps like CRMs, helpdesks, marketing platforms, and more.\r\n\r\nSync monday.com items with cards, requests, or messages from other platforms. That way, you can keep all the data in the same place.\r\nStandardize processes with customized templates and workflows<\/h3>\r\nAn easy shortcut to standardizing project management processes is with custom templates and workflows.\r\n\r\nmonday.com lets you easily save any custom board as a template. That makes it easy for other teams to reuse it and adopt new practices.\r\n\r\n
\r\nEstablishing a PMO is only the beginning<\/h2>\r\nTrying to establish a PMO from scratch can \u2014 ironically \u2014 become a tough project for any company.\r\n\r\nBut starting a PMO alone isn\u2019t going to change anything. The implementation matters. So focus on engagement, collaboration, and working closely with all stakeholders.\r\n\r\nAnd to get a head start, lay the foundation for better collaboration with company-wide project portfolio management software.\r\n\r\nUse our projects overview template<\/a> to better manage a portfolio of projects for different clients or internal purposes.\r\n