This article will provide an overview of the key concepts and benefits of citizen development, as discussed in the webinar (3 of 3): Driving Digital Transformation in Your Organization.
In today’s discussion, we’ll explore the intriguing concept of the Digital Project Management Office (PMO). You may ask, “What is a Digital PMO?” The Digital PMO isn’t a drastic departure from the PMOs we’re accustomed to; it follows similar structural principles, albeit with a technological upgrade.
Understanding the Concept of the Digital PMO
The Digital PMO, as its name suggests, integrates digital project management tools at its core. These tools expedite the delivery of value to organizations, thereby enhancing the experience of our stakeholders.
Consider a complex IT project within a company that engages multiple teams. In traditional management approaches, updates about project progress, task assignments, and risk identification would be communicated via emails or in-person meetings. This could potentially lead to misunderstandings and delays due to the inherent inefficiencies of these methods.
However, within a Digital PMO, we utilize tools from the Office 365 suite, such as Microsoft Teams for communication and collaboration, Planner for task management, and Project for comprehensive project oversight. These tools offer real-time updates, manage tasks effectively, and accurately track project progression. They provide a unified and consistent source of information accessible to all stakeholders, significantly reducing the likelihood of miscommunication.
A critical component of the Digital PMO’s approach is its adherence to Agile principles. We’ve previously talked about Hyper-Agile, a concept you can revisit for a more profound understanding.
The Digital PMO aims to modernize the use of technology, focusing on data digitization – the transformation of non-data entities into data. It prioritizes data processing and analysis. Additionally, the Digital PMO leverages automation wherever possible, aiming for increased efficiency and productivity.
I’ve been advocating for the use of technology to enhance project management for about three to four years now. It’s crucial to understand that our profession isn’t immune to the digital disruptions occurring across various industries. As agents of change, we should embrace these technological advancements to streamline our processes and enhance our decision-making capabilities. This approach enables us to utilize data more effectively and efficiently.
The Inevitability of Digital Disruption in Project Management
Think of a digital PMO as a smartwatch. We can continuously update it with new features, enhancing its functionality and making it smarter over time. This analogy provides a visual representation of the innovative paradigm we’re part of today.
The heart of any successful PMO in today’s world is digital. But what makes a Digital PMO valuable? The answer lies in the speed and efficiency it provides. Real-time information flow allows users to self-serve, reduces effort, and leads to more accurate, forward-looking projections.
Instead of spending time on mundane tasks, the technology does the heavy lifting, allowing project managers to focus on relationship-building and other crucial aspects of their roles. This approach doesn’t eliminate jobs; instead, it alters the way we work.
I’ve been advocating this perspective for years, and just yesterday, the CEO and President of PMI expressed a similar viewpoint about leveraging technology to streamline processes and enhance data-driven decision-making. I highly recommend you check out this post to gain more insights into this perspective.
As we wrap up this discussion, it’s clear that when we talk about a Digital PMO, we’re referring to the ongoing technological transformation of traditional PMOs. This process benefits not just our organization but also those we work with. In our quest to embrace digital transformation, we’ve established a community of practice within our organization.
This article contains highlights from Rich Weller’s webinar – Digital PMO (3 of 3) – Driving Digital Transformation in Your Organization – being provided by MPUG for the convenience of our members. You may wish to use this transcript for the purposes of self-paced learning, searching for specific information, and/or performing a quick review of webinar content. There may be exclusions, such as those steps included in product demonstrations, or there may be additions to expand on concepts. You may watch the on-demand recording of this webinar at your convenience.
