Enterprise Project Management

  Governance   Manufacturing   PMO   Program Management   Knowledge Shelf  

The definitions and the roles of the project management office (PMO) in industry today are very diverse, and it is therefore important to examine and understand the evolving role of the PMO in a dynamic global business environment. Two extremes of project management offices (PMO) that I have come across so far are those consisting of (1) a single person, who is not a certified project manager, managing a single project, and (2) a complete structure at the corporation managing all of the initiatives across the corporation’s divisions. The former, in my opinion, is at best no more than a project manager for whom the organization has used the designation of manager–project management office, while the latter does not include the words project or project management office at all but functions like a project management office.

I find that the role of enterprise PMO (EMPO) is as important as any other corporate function. I see EPMO as equivalent to other corporate functions such as strategic planning, finance, or audit, with many similarities among these corporate functions. In addition, an organization can maximize the value of “project management” by standardizing the practices and consolidating the initiatives across the enterprise.

Current State

Organizations are realizing the importance and benefits of project management practices and are …

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