Reframe IT Projects for Business Success

Refresh your IT project portfolio with business improvement projects in the new year. Ensure the balance of the portfolio will generate positive returns by favoring business projects with tangible paybacks. Start by seeding your project pipeline with new project proposals and pilots or prototypes. ...

... "It's a business improvement project only if it includes redefinition of how the business is supposed to run, if users are trained in how to perform their new responsibilities using the new software, and if the project isn't finished until the business is successfully operating differently and better. " ...

Via TMCNet: Resolutions for 2009

Open Door Innovation

Here's interesting approach to cross-fertilizing innovation practices by swapping employees. In this case, Google and Procter&Gamble, both powerhouses in their respective industries, look to learn from one another. ...

... "It’s another phase in open-door innovation that companies are embracing to gain an edge over their competitors in difficult times. Open door innovation is a term coined by Kyle Couch, Vice President Client Learning Experience at The Beacon Group. " ...

Via PRWeb: Employees Are Shown the Door

PMOs Trend Toward Broader Role: Announcing the EMO

Cornelius Fichtner of PM Podcast and PM Prepcast fame, recently blogged about a new trend emerging with regard to PMOs---the Everything Management Office or EMO. The insight came as a result of a number of discussions at the PMO Summit 2008 in Florida, particularly with Terry Doerscher of Planview.

I had the pleasure of being part of a panel at another PMO Summit, hosted by Terry Doerscher in Philadelphia, where he referred to this emerging trend as PMO 2.0.

The concept is that PMOs are emerging to offer guidance not only on strategic projects, but on smaller efforts, operational requests, and even business processes. From my observations as well, in many organizations the PMO is quickly becoming an overall process center of excellence and/or integration point, also linking strategy with execution of all work. I've often referred to this as an Integration Management Office, but the concept is similar.

Fichtner and Doerscher wisely caution against an EMO becoming to prescriptive or bureaucratic, and suggest that it should be more about guidance, influence, and support. I echo this. With that in mind, it's especially important for a PMO/EMO to be placed high enough in the organization to be effective.

For more, read Cornelius's report...


The EMO - The Latest Trend For PMOs