The Path To PPM

Aaron is the former editor of ProjectsAtWork.com

  Governance   ProjectsAtWork  

The path to successful project portfolio management will eventually lead to choosing a PPM tool. But you need to know where you're going first.

Project portfolio management is much more than a buzzword these days. Increasingly, all types of organizations — from government to IT to enterprises across all industries — have adopted PPM processes to better align their initiatives with overall strategic goals. As they move forward, most companies are also seeking out technology solutions to help instill more discipline, visibility and real-time analysis into their PPM efforts.

"Companies are looking to take portfolio management to the next level, and the next level usually includes the adoption of some sort of a tool," says Nancy Crump, manager of Fujitsu Consulting's Enterprise Value Management group, which offers a PPM methodology combined with a product called EPMSuite (search Cool Tools).

There are dozens of new and established PPM solutions on the market. Some offerings are extensions of project management tools, rolling up the execution and tracking of projects to an enterprise level; some combine consulting and training services with methodology; and others leave the project management execution to other tools, focusing, instead, on delivering top-down decision-making capabilities to executive management.

"We take a top-…

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