When your boss asks…
…why PM, what do you say?
I was asked this question not too long ago, and came up with the following justifications for implementing a project management practice in my organization.
The goal of business is to create successful outcomes. Successful outcomes can include increased profitability, improved market share, or whatever the business has as its strategic goals. Certain initiatives to achieve these types of goals require focused effort through planning and execution to reach success. That focused effort is project management.
In researching an answer to the initial question, I discovered many reasons why organizations implement project management. The reasons are as varied as the types of organizations that use them. Project management principles, when properly applied, reduce risk, increase communication, and ensure ultimate project success as judged by the ability of the project to deliver benefit(s) and satisfy customers.
Applying project management practice to organizational endeavors also helps the company increase understanding of what they are trying to accomplish. For example, suppose a company wants to create and sell a new product. To benefit from project management practice, the product management team requires a business case to justify the production changes required to introduce a new product. If done properly, the business case will clarify and align the planned production change with existing organizational goals. In addition, the business case will assist management in prioritizing functional and project related activities, to ensure the organization correctly engage existing resources.
Increased understanding and proper resource alignment are just two of the many reasons why applying project management principles to organizations ensures business success. I will share other reasons in future articles.
© 2009, Juanita Woods, PgMP, PMP, MBA. All rights reserved.
