Project Management and PMO Operations

Team of architects working on construction plans



In the previous article, it seems that my seniors taught me a lot about my role as a PMO committee member.

his experience as a pmo member seems to have made him interested in pmo, and today he is trying to obtain information on the pmo's other roles such as education, enlightenment activities, rule revision, and responsibility for management quality.


Taro : Sempay!

Thank you very much for your advice the other day.

Since then, I started working as a PMO member and actually conducting project checks for departments.

senior : oh, i think so. how did you actually try it?

Taro : Well, the check for input rule violations of Object Browser PM (PMNeo) has a tool prepared, so you can do it quite smoothly.

And there didn't seem to be so much violation of the rules.
 

Everyone does it properly.

Also, I'm reading the contents of progress reports, but there seemed to be no one who clearly didn't do it here. The contents of the progress report were also described properly, and there were almost no management of issues and obstacles, such as neglect.

Senior: Yes, it seems to be managed properly. It's good. By the way, Taro-kun is managing it very well now, so you may feel that he doesn't point it out much, but that's the result of taking the time to do various activities to 'manage' the project properly.

Actually, I had a lot of hard work to get to the quality of management so far.

Activities to ensure proper management and continuous maintenance of management quality are also important roles of the PMO department.

Taro : That's right, I think so.

So, today, as a result of the PMO department's very hard work until the current project management quality, I thought that there is a present, and I wanted to hear the story around that, so I called out to me.

Senior: Well, at the end of the last story, I was on the way to the PMO department because I said that there was another important role in the PMO department to improve the project management capabilities of the entire company.

Well, today, let's touch on the role of the PMO department, such as rule revision and enlightenment activities.

taro : yes, please!

establishment of rules for project management and opposition from the field Young conflicted businessman choosing between a right and a wrong directionSeniors : When I think back to the beginning of the introduction of PMNeo to our company, the most impressive thing is that, well, it was a little bit but "repulsed" from the field.

Oh, first of all, I was in charge of introducing PMNeo when I introduced it to our company. After that, the PMO division was launched.

Taro : Eh, eh!? Was the person in charge who introduced PMNeo in-house by a senior! ?
I'm going to know a lot. Even more so, please tell me various things.

Senior: Well, the first activity I did when I introduced PMNeo in-house is like this.

• Interview on current project management work (excel-centric)
• Create usage rules according to department, product, development method, deal type, and scale
• Creation of domains (standardization) (definition of stationery, quality standards, etc. of wbs)
• project management operations flow, creating rulebooks
• briefing session on new operation for all employees
• i made rules for using the tool and the operation flow considering the business situation of each department and explained it to each part.
• but i remember it was hard to get an understanding at first.

taro : well, is that so!?

seniors : after all, people in the field who are proud to have done well so far just introduced a new tool, so even if we held a briefing session to use it according to this rule, it was difficult to convince them.
what happens if i don't use it? or is there a merit to change?

there was no small sense of repulsion, or rather, an atmosphere that did not convince me.

to gain understanding from the field

Two creative millenial small business owners working on social media strategy using a digital tablet while sitting in staircase-2

taro : what happened after that when the people who were repulsed at first?

senior : yes, when i saw the reaction of the field like that, i realized that it was not enough to just hold a functional briefing session.

by explaining the importance of project management and explaining the background that we believed that it is essential to introduce tools for that purpose, the benefits and effects obtained by introducing them, why individual individuals need to observe the rules and use the tool, what it will be like for the entire company if they violate the rules, etc., i've come to get a sense of satisfaction on the site.

Seniors : When you understand, they worked seriously on entering information into the tool, and the information in PMNeo became more and more correct value, and it became a reliable tool.
After that happens, there are no people who repel too much, and if anything, a positive opinion has come out from the site on the contrary how to make it to such a usage more if it says.
Of course, when asked questions about usage and rules, we have responded patiently and carefully without leaving them unattended.

taro : oh, that sounds like it's hard.

seniors : there were certainly some difficult parts, but when i think about it, it was natural, i thought.
if you don't understand why you need to change what you've done so far, what purpose and effect it has, and if the site doesn't understand the importance of project management and the need for tools, there is plenty of a sense of being done, and you should never manage (input) it properly.

seniors : so i explained where the information that each person entered was used and how much impact if i typed incorrectly would be, and i was conscious of input responsibility and management responsibility.

• the information entered by each person must be important that leads to the input of the upper person.
• in order to fulfill their own management responsibilities, the top people should obtain the correct information.

To that end, i feel like everyone should follow the rules with a sense of responsibility.

 

Seniors : When you talk about this kind of story, it is easier to understand it by explaining it with pictures.

With this image (Fig. 1), when you get to know where the information input by each individual is connected at the company-wide level, you have a great understanding.

In addition, since the person responsible for the legitimacy of the input data that makes the rules obey is clear, I think that it was very large to have strong control in TopDown, and it contributed to the establishment of operation.

ESTABLISHMENT OF PMO DIVISION AND CONTINUOUS ACTIVITIES

Team of designers working together on a computerSeniors : Well, I started to settle with this feeling, but I think it was a very important time after that. In other words, when we launched the PMO division.

Taro : Oh, you can do PMO here, right?

seniors : yes, when i saw the establishment of new operations, my mission was once ended, but i thought that if i left it to the site with peace of mind, the rules would quickly become a ruin and the management quality would decrease.

taro : why? at one time, the operation has taken hold according to the rules, right?

seniors : after all, if there are no people (or departments) to supervise, there is a high possibility that the operation will fall apart.

even if they use it positively, some people come up with their own rules based on the idea of being good, and if they are not scolded even if they do it appropriately, there will be people who will not follow the rules immediately. new hires don't know the rules, and people who are promoted from members to leaders don't know the rules of operation in that position.

then, the operation becomes more and more strange.

taro : oh, i see. that's certainly true.

even if many people understand at that time and can achieve high management quality, the situation will change over time, so it is difficult to maintain high management quality without people (or departments) who support it according to the situation.

Seniors: Yes, by launching the PMO division there, I began to have that part supervised and managed. As I mentioned last time, we do regular project checks, such as keeping the rules.

regular rule revisions, study sessions, and other educational activities
Businessman showing computer screen to coworkers in creative office-3

seniors : by continuously supplying information such as why project management is important, how to use tools for advanced management, and what operational rules are in each position, even if various changes occur, it is possible to maintain high management quality continuously.

Taro : I see, because there is an administrator called PMO, the management quality is maintained.
I'm convinced.

Seniors: PMO's important mission is to continuously educate the PMO by taking input from the field, accepting instructions from management, and constantly improving operational rules, and continuing to communicate the importance of project management to the field on a regular basis.

Regarding the point of devising the method according to the situation, such as sending information from PMO to the field through committee members in each department, it seems that it is doing efficiently with the same idea as the operation of the project check that I talked about last time.

Seniors : Well, the PMO department itself is also a cost department, so it may not be so easy to make it at any company. 

 

However, even if the cost is multiplied, if the quality of operation is maintained (improved more), project management can be done properly, and as a result, the number of failure projects is thought to decrease, the existence can never be disregarded, and there should be merits of costing. At least we think so, and the PMO department exists, and in fact it has its effects.

Taro : Well, if you think about it as a PMO, if you think that the company's profits will increase (the deficit will decrease), it can be said that it is an indispensable existence.

PMO NEEDS POWER

Group of young colleagues using laptop at officeSenior: Yes, there was one more important thing.
It means that people (and departments) who make uniform rules, understand them, and crack down should always have power.

taro : is it power?

senior: that's right.

for example, if a person who does not follow the rules is a person with a charismatic voice (influence) or a person who is a high-ranking person in the position, do you think it is very difficult to point out the violation of the rule and have it corrected?

taro : well, that's true.

Seniors : Speaking closely, Taro is in charge of the PMO committee of the department, so he is in a position to point out to members of the department about violations of rules and improvements in business. What do you think if the person you have to point out is the manager or manager who is your boss?

taro : well, 、、、it's hard. it's hard to say a little.

Senior: Well, that's right.

That's why we need power.

The PMO committee member points out that he wants you to find a violation of the rules and correct it, but by saying that there is TOP power behind the activity, even if the other party is the manager, it can be restrained so easily so that it cannot be ignored.

Taro : Well, by making it an activity under top power, even if it is pointed out by members of the committee, it will be an instruction and a point at the company Top Down.
In that case, I might be a little easier to say.

If the problem occurs unnessted what has been pointed out, it will be a manager to be pursued as long

Seniors : At other companies, there are times when people say that they are troubled by not listening to what the PMO says easily, even if PMO does not have power.

Seniors : Last time, we talked about the project check work by PMO and the role of PMO committee members, and this time we talked about activities to create operational rules for project management and maintain their management quality. Do you know a little bit about PMO?

taro : yes! i understood that it was a very amazing department!
thank you very much.

senior: i wonder if a great department will be put away in that word.