AtekPC Project Management

1. What is the purpose and mission of a PMO?  The mission statement defines achievable and measurable objectives and identifies the responsibilities, and hence services, of the PMO.

   The purpose of implementing the PMO is to provide standardization in managing projects as well as to gain improvements in planning and performance. PMO will help AtekPC to improve the project management skills, process, and governance structures. In fact, the PMO purpose can be defined as the project focused and enterprise-oriented tool. Project focused on consulting, mentoring, and training what leads to the success of individual projects. The enterprise responsibilities are addressed services that might improve all projects and overall company image such as portfolio management, methods, and tools, PM standards, and project performance archives. The enterprise purpose is to provide a long-term stability and backbone for the project management's success. This mission can be met by forming and maintaining a project historical database, developing project management best practices, and providing training in all project management knowledge areas.

   There are few missions associated with the PMO, the first one is cost reduction where the Project Management Office uses IT as a support role as well as the factory role since AtekPC have increasingly become more focused on operations and maintenance instead of company’s improvement and efficiency. Also, by implementing PMO the company becomes more creative, adaptive, and responsive in launching new products.

2. What are the main challenges and obstacles in implementing a PMO?  The governance model establishes the domain of control, its organizational level of accountability, and its authority.

   One of the challenges AtekPC is facing is determining the correct allocation of resources dedicated to the PMO in implementing this new project. Also, the lock of PMO experts available to be a part of the project shows the internal culture or rather lock of innovation. Another issue and at the same time symptom for looking into PMO is the decrease in sales and profitability due to a maturing Personal Computer market. The PC industry was experiencing difficulties because of the low demand for those products, so eventually the company found itself behind the curve in areas of new technology such as mobile phones, PDA’s, and web-based applications. Even though the PC market kept lowering the cost of distribution, the competition among PC manufacturers grew very rapidly and their innovated products became easily accessible. Consumers were focused more on convenient and efficient gadgets with and access to the internet anywhere and anytime.

     3. What structural and governance mechanisms are critical to effective PMO implementation?  The structural model determines its degree of centralization, staff allocations, and level of direct project management.

   The critical structure of the PMO is the organizational strategy based versus departmentally based. PMO’s are more effective and can better impact the bottom line, when they are operating at the corporate enterprise-wide strategic level. After reviewing the Limitations and issues - heavy vs. light there are some major factors that are leaning to both. One of the heavy issues is that AtekPC does not have enough people and resources to move as fast as they would want to. Another concern is that no management wants to move to the PMO - people in the department challenge the values of PMO what definitely comes from the close-minded culture of the organization.

AtekPC considered two organizational models of PMO:

-PMO-Heavy

•  Full staff of project managers responsible for the management of all IT projects.
• Acquire project management experts, and used these resources to manage projects under the direction of the PMO.
• There should be no projects that operate outside the management and direct control of the PMO.

-PMO-Light

• Minimal staff of experts working through internal project managers to perform responsibilities of PMO.
• Developing the skills of internal project managers who were not formally connected with the PMO.
• Possibility to operating all projects outside of the PMO under existing organizational controls.

4. How much PM is enough PM?  How much PMO support is enough PMO support?  The cultural impact of the PMO on the organization is assessed by the receptivity to PM and the amount of organizational flux.

   The case vividly describes that PMO will never succeed if the goal is to try and change the permamnent atmosphere present in Atek PC. In my own words; the most optimal approach for PMO to arise victorious in Atek, and hopefully other companies to come, is to gather the proper ingredients that PMO requires to maintain information and begin to create pathways for companies. Once that is settled, the proper ingredients will be used in factions over specific periods of time so the PMO will not shock the employees and methods they have grown accustomed too. It may seem at first senseless to use the PMO very little, but in the future it will be more beneficial and efficient than the methods used now, as well as promoting the changes slowly but surely. In order for the employees to remain content and con continue to their job, the plans for the PMO will be verbalized in advanced, and clearly. Some many jump to conclusions thinking that the PMO will do all the work, but that is not the goal. The goal is for the PMO to work with businesses and optimize performance and results in projects. As long as the goals for PMO are communicated clearly and slowly, everything should go just fine. The PMO is a guide, not a worker or a manager. The resulting effects of PMO will not be a shock to a corporate environment, as long as the changes are long-term instead of short term.

   For PMO to work to the best of its ability, management must back the plan to the utmost. Whoever is in charge must be putting forth the plan in a manner that employees will not find offensive. As long as this is executed properly, PMO will then be looked upon with respect and then used in a maximized manner.