Modernize IT Portfolio Management: Agile PMO
Our Agile IT PMO provides enterprise-wide support that enables the following:
- Data-driven decision making. Through standard tools and metrics, we provide real-time insights into all programs across IT, enabling us to more efficiently make “once and done” decisions that affect our entire portfolio rather than assessing each program or project in isolation. Cross-capability roadmaps help us make decisions based on impact and timing.
- Accountability. Through right-sized governance, we provide support to PMO segments and APTs to help ensure on-scope, on-schedule, on-budget delivery.
- Transparency. We use a standardized dashboard to provide at-a-glance project/program execution health, team capacity, risk mapping, and progress reports.
When armed with accurate, complete, and consistent information, APTs can make informed decisions about the priorities and value they provide to their customers. However, when their decisions impact systems or teams beyond their immediate area, the IT PMO takes advantage of systems of record to present “one version of truth” across the entire IT portfolio.
We measure our PMO against industry-standard benchmarks to understand how far we have come toward our goals, but also to identify and incorporate best-in-class metrics for the future. In early 2020, we partnered with Gartner and surveyed IT leadership to identify opportunities to mature services and provide greater value. Participants included IT general managers, segment leads, principle program managers, Segment PMO leads, as well as members of IT Finance and Delivery Methods and Coaching. 19 participants completed the survey (40 percent) and four partially completed the survey. The feedback helped us identify where we made the most progress, what was most important to them, and our focus going forward.
We scored the highest on our ability to provide valuable metrics, specifically through the Value Management Office (VMO) dashboard. We nearly reached the benchmark in seven other areas; we also focused primarily on emerging capabilities in cost tracking, investment allocation, and managing risks and interdependencies. These results indicated that we were achieving transparency and standardization, two foundational capabilities necessary to a successful VMO dashboard.
As we move into the future, our newly formed Agile PMO will enable lean principles that ensure clear line-of-sight from strategy to execution. We plan to continue our cross-capability road-mapping to enable the prioritization of new capabilities and innovation investments as a part of the business value we bring.