What is a Corporate Project Management System

Corporate Project Management System (CSM) is a complex of organizational, methodological and information toolsaimed at the effective organization, implementation and support of project management processes in the organization.

An effective corporate project management system is always an integrated approach to solving the problems of project management of the organization, which is primarily aimed at improving the quality of project planning, their implementation and monitoring of execution, and, as a result, at improving the quality of project results and the level of customer satisfaction.

Many companies have already implemented, are implementing or are just planning to implement the CSM. But first of all, the CSM is necessary for those companies whose activities are more of a project nature. An effective project management system can significantly increase the number of successfully implemented projects, whether internal or external projects of the company.

Key Components of a Project Management System

Currently, there are several major standards for project management in the world – PMBoK,PRINCE2 and P2M. These methodologies have much in common, and regardless of which methodology the company decided to take as a basis for implementation, three key components of the CSM can be identified, which we will consider below.

Project Management Methodology

The company should develop and implement uniform corporate project management standards, which may include: project management policy, project management regulations, program and project portfolio management regulations, methodological recommendations for project planning, regulations on the motivation of project managers,document templates.

Corporate project management standards should describe the project life cycle, key project roles and their job duties, project management processes, programs and project portfolio management processes, and regulations for the interaction of the company's structural units.

Project Office

A project office is one of the key elements of an effective corporate project management system. The project office develops the project management methodology, monitors the compliance of project teams with corporate regulations and project management standards. To effectively perform its functions, the project office must report directly to the top management of the company and perform the following functions:

Implementation and development of the project management system;
Accumulation of experience in the field of project management;
Methodological support of project teams;
Effective management of the company's resources involved in projects;
Control of compliance by project teams with the requirements of the CSMS;
Training of project teams in project management;
Administration and support of ILI;
Reporting on project activities to the top management of the company.
Project Management Information System (PMS)

For effective project management, a unified management information system is needed that automates project management processes. In addition to automating processes, the ISMS is also a single repository of project documentation and a corporate knowledge base for project management.

The most common YMIs currently are:

MS Project Server,
Oracle Primavera,
Planview,
SAP,
Compuware,
Oracle Project.

THE ISMS helps project management teams to plan and control project tasks efficiently and efficiently. It may seem that the choice and implementation of the ISM is a fairly simple task, because there are many ready-made software products. However, the wrong choice of ISM and its incorrect implementation can greatly complicate the management of the company's projects. That is why, before implementing the PMI, it is necessary to develop and implement a project management methodology and a Project Office.

The team implementing the ISM should remember that the ISM MUST comply with:

Goals and requirements of the company;
Qualifications of project teams and project managers;
The level of the technical team that will support and develop the ISM,
Project management methodologies.
Below is the Gartnerquadrant, which distributes all project management information systems into niche groups. Requirements for the functionality of the information system are formed on the basis of the processes described in the project management methodology, and take into account the optimal approach for the company.

Effectiveness of implementation of corporate project management system

It's no secret that most employees of organizations have different levels of competence, including project management. One of the goals of the implementation of a corporate project management system is to form a unified approach to project management throughout the company as a whole.

After the implementation of the CSSM in the organization, a single information space for project management appears, a single terminology is used, which significantly increases the efficiency of communications both within projects and between project teams.

An effective CSMS allows you to take into account and apply in practice the best world experience and project management practices, which, in turn, allows project managers to avoid many mistakes.

Effective implementation of the CSM allows the company to reach a new level of project management by:

"General picture" of project activities (Big Picture). The situation when there is no general picture of project management in the company is quite common. Project managers have information only about the progress of their projects, heads of structural units can know about how their internal projects are carried out, but what happens in the neighboring department or at the company level as a whole remains a mystery. This all results in problems of interaction between projects, first of all, when allocating resources to projects. The project management system allows you to form a single picture of the project activities of the organization and increase control over the implementation of the company's projects. THE ISM, for example, allows you to generate consolidated financial statements for the entire portfolio of the company's projects.
Effective management of company resources. The project management system allows project managers and line managers to effectively plan and control the company's resources involved in projects. This should take into account the relationships between projects and the fact that some resources are used in several projects at the same time.
Knowledge base. It often happens that the experience of the project manager acquired within the company remains his personal experience and is not recorded anywhere, which actually means the loss of this experience for the company as a whole. An effective corporate project management system allows you to accumulate and systematize the experience of the company's project activities, thereby avoiding repeated mistakes in project management.

Effects of corporate project management system implementation:

Balanced portfolio of projects focused on achieving the company's strategic goals;
Control over the progress of all projects of the company;
Early detection of deviations of projects and programs from the baseline deadlines and budgets;
Obtaining a single picture of the company's project activities;
Effective use of the company's resources in projects;
Effective interaction of the company's departments involved in projects with each other;
Prompt and reliable reporting on the progress of projects.
Key Success Factors for Project Management System Implementation

The key success factors in the implementation of a corporate project management system include:

Support and participation in the implementation of the company's top management;
Mass training in project management of employees;
Creation of a Project Office.

Practical Tips for Implementing a Corporate Project Management System

From simple to complex. Regulations (methodology) should be developed in small steps - it is impossible to implement a project management system in a short time. You should start with the simplest, really necessary forms and reports and gradually, step by step, introduce new elements. The average duration of CSM implementation is 1.5-2 years.
Each organization has its own regulations (methodology). You should not directly implement someone else's regulations (methodology) - each organization has its own experience, corporate culture and structure. Here you can only "peep" and learn from someone else's experience.
The golden mean. In the regulations (methodology), every line of the template or requirements must be justified. It should be remembered that each new report is an expense of resources and time of the project manager and participants.
Regulations (methodology) shall be agreed and approved. Bring the methodology to the discussion of project managers and heads of interested departments - you can check it from all points of view and get approval.
Continuous improvement. Periodically, it is necessary to revise the regulations (methodology) to reflect the current state of project management and to issue new editions. Get rid of excess, add what will work, optimize processes.
Consulting. Invite a consultant on the principles of educational (guiding) consulting: select a specialist who will further develop the UE in your organization, and he, under the guidance of a consultant, creates a project management system.

The main mistake in implementing a corporate project management system is that the implementation begins with the integration of the project management information system into the company's IT architecture, which is not correct. Initially, it is necessary to create a project office, implement a project management methodology and only then select and implement the ISM as a means of automating the methodology processes.

Always remember that the PMI is not the main or primary component, but a necessary one. The PMI helps the project office, project manager and management committee to implement projects and project management methodology most effectively.