After months of frustration with outdated project management tools, you finally decided to make the switch to a more robust, modern, and comprehensive PPM solution. The search was on.
You scoured the entire PPM vendor landscape, researched thoroughly, gathered team feedback, defined evaluation criteria, and weighed your options carefully. Finally, you found what looked like the perfect PPM solution. It promised everything: advanced resource management and project tracking, strategic alignment, comprehensive reporting, and AI capabilities.
At Winmill PPM, we understand this journey all too well. With over 800 successful implementations, we have seen firsthand the challenges and pitfalls that come with DIY PPM projects.
Your team successfully implemented the PPM solution in-house, and you were all set to transform the project portfolio management landscape for good.
PPM Sets Sail & the Journey is Smooth – Until It Wasn't
The ship finally set sail, and the team was excited. Everything ran smoothly until the first wave hit the deck. Cracks started to appear.
The new tool did not integrate well with your old systems, and customization was a challenge. Small issues arose—data was inconsistent, and the analytics were off. Resource problems drove up costs, slowed productivity, and pushed deadlines back.
The key to overcoming these hurdles lies in anticipating them!
If you are considering a DIY PPM implementation and have not experienced these challenges yet, that’s great news! It means you still have time to prevent the above from happening. Today, we will help you do just that.
In this blog, we outline the most common pitfalls the majority of DIY implementations often encounter (and fall prey to). Then, we provide strategies to help you make quick course corrections at the implementation level that can help mitigate their impact. Read on:
The Hidden Costs of DIY PPM Implementation: Common Pitfalls & Ways to Avoid Them
Common Pitfall #1: Resource Allocation & Utilization Problems
Resource allocation and utilization problems are often the first warning signs of poorly constructed PPM implementations.
Resource issues become apparent when overburdened teams struggle to meet deadlines. Lack of productivity and resource constraints can quickly degrade project quality, delay project timelines, or even cancel projects. Adding additional resources is often the automatic response, but it turns out to be counterproductive, increasing costs and creating new imbalances.
Ways to Avoid Resource Allocation & Utilization Problems
- Resource Capacity Planning: Thoroughly evaluate resource capacity to assess the organization's ability to handle project requirements (current and future).
- Improved Resource Allocation Methodology: Define a clear and consistent guideline for resource allocation, focusing on skill sets, workload, and project priorities.
- Standard Resource Utilization Metrics: Establish clear and concise KPIs to measure resource utilization and accurately identify areas of optimization.
- Accurate Resource Data Migration & Cleansing: Ensure accurate and comprehensive data migration of resource information, including certifications, skills, and availability.
Common Pitfall #2: Uncontrolled Project Growth
Uncontrolled project growth is a slow burn that may seem harmless initially but eventually grows into a smoldering heat that ignites a fire.
While the projected growth may seem ideal initially, the momentum soon spirals into a tangled mess that cannot be controlled or managed. Resource constraints, cost overruns, increased errors, and reduced agility are common symptoms of uncontrolled, which, over time, chokes and derails the portfolio management.
Weak project selection criteria and insufficient portfolio oversight are two primary reasons for uncontrolled project growth. The absence of formal approval processes and lack/bypass of rigorous evaluation further exacerbate the problem and accelerate the expansion.
Ways to Avoid Uncontrolled Project Growth
- Set A Robust Project Intake Process: Define clear and explicit project initiation criteria, prioritize based on strategic alignment and ROI, and establish a formal approval process with designated decision-makers to prevent uncontrolled growth.
- Ensure Strategic Alignment: Continuous assessment of ongoing projects for strategic alignment helps organizations focus resources on high-value projects.
- Focus on Project Closure: Enforce standard project closure procedures to prevent zombie projects and release resources for new initiatives.
- Enhance Resource Allocation: Leverage appropriate PPM tools and customize them to meet resource allocation needs. Regular portfolio assessments that balance workloads and proactive resource estimation prevent resource over-commitment.
Common Pitfall #3: Delayed Decision-Making
Inconsistent data formats, poor data quality, standardized reporting gaps, and slow data processing often lead to decision-making delays, which is a competitive disadvantage today.
Decisions based on intuition rather than data trigger second-order problems that lead to suboptimal resource allocation, missed opportunities, and increased project risk. Delayed decision-making also drives up project costs (resource inefficiencies) and reduces an organization’s ability to adapt to market changes.
Ways to Avoid Delayed Decision-Making
- Improved Data Quality and Accessibility: Ensure data consistency through seamless integration and standardization, followed by rigorous data cleansing. A centralized repository offering real-time access to accurate information is critical.
- Decision-making Frameworks: Establish a structured decision-making framework with defined roles and responsibilities. Cultivating a data-driven culture and implementing a robust decision-making framework are foundational for efficient data-driven decision-making.
- Enhanced Reporting and Analytics: Leverage predictive analytics to complement real-time reporting. Standardized reports paired with dynamic visualizations can significantly accelerate decision-making processes.
While there are many pitfalls in DIY PPM implementation, resource allocation challenges, uncontrolled project growth, and delayed decision-making are the most common and dangerous, as they trigger a domino effect that triggers and exacerbates more significant problems.
They are particularly critical not only because they can cause significant damage but also because they can be rapidly addressed through effective PPM implementation. Unfortunately, DIY PPM approaches often miss this opportunity and end up in a similar predicament outlined at the beginning of this article.
Moreover, these challenges are often interconnected, creating a domino effect. Fixing one issue might trigger another, leaving you in constant firefighting mode. Effectively addressing these problems and avoiding potential pitfalls requires a comprehensive implementation approach.
Unless you enjoy constantly anticipating and solving new challenges, partnering with an expert PPM implementation service is the best approach to avoid these pitfalls.
The Only Way to Avoid the Pitfalls in PPM is to Prevent Them Altogether
Project portfolio management (PPM) is akin to navigating a treacherous ocean, a vast expanse filled with formidable challenges, unpredictable storms, and hidden creatures. Setting sail with only knowledge of the ship (business and its requirements) and the destination (goals) is a recipe for disaster, a fate shared by many DIY PPM implementations.
A successful voyage demands intimate knowledge of the rough seas, unpredictable weather patterns, and strategic foresight. An experienced PPM implementation service, like a skilled shipbuilder, understands the potential pitfalls & treacherous waters you might encounter to build the perfect PPM foundation that helps you achieve your goals.
As North America's leading PPM implementation experts, Winmill PPM is a trusted partner that has helped hundreds of businesses transform their PPM with our expert implementation services.
Our best practices, honed through more than 800 PPM engagements, form a living knowledge base that harnesses the power of PPM solutions. This enables us to successfully align organizations' goals, strategies, and portfolios.
Ready to confidently navigate the complexities of PPM implementation? Learn more about our award-winning implementation services here or schedule a consultation to discuss your specific needs.