Culture Change ChallengesIn Enterprise PM Tool Implementations

Frank Polack PMP

BAR CAMP Birmingham, May 2, 2009

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Core functions of an EPM tool

Time Management – Manages deliverable activitytimelines and deadlines for programs, projects,tasks and assignments

Resource Management – Manages the allocation of available personnel using a resource profile repository, and enables resource loading and leveling

Cost Management – Tracks resource (and other) costsand facilitates the chargeback or billing of projectexpenses, such as those associated with time, travel,equipment or other materials

Source: Gartner (June 2006)

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Additional EPM Benefits

Enterprise Project/Portfolio Management (EPM) solutions can be especially effective at ensuring that PMOs operate efficiently by

aligning work with strategic goals automating some of the mundane activities that typically steal time from the project management process accelerating project-based work to optimize

business performance

- Microsoft IT/PMO Governance Vision

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Talkin ‘bout my generation…

What’s your company’s culture?Blue Chip: coat and tie -or-Dot Com: jeans, pets

foosball and lattes

Rules… ‘Dirty’ Harry or Barney Fife

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Managing Culture Change

What can we do out to make the Culture Change more successful?

Presenting:

Frank’s Top 10 Hits….

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Managing Culture Change – Top 10

Educate management, from C-level down

And “bottom-up” PR is just as important

Buy-in / Commitment is key to success

1. “Stairway to heaven..”

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Managing Culture Change – Top 10

2. “I can see for miles and miles..”

Answer the “Why & What” Why are we doing this?

What do we intend to gain from this?

Is this a Finance tool, a Reporting tool,

or a Project Management tool?

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Managing Culture Change – Top 10

Vet the requirements

Who are the owners/users of the data?

(financial reports, timesheets, etc)

Do you really need 10 interfaces to all your other systems?

3. “K.I.S.S.

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Managing Culture Change – Top 10

Accept your deficiencies. If you don’t have the expertise,

bring it in. Don’t eschew the vendor’s help

without having a substitute identified.

Internal projects are the “cobbler’s kids”

4. “I wanna hold your hand”

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Managing Culture Change – Top 10

Identify your Processes first

Ensure that people are trained on the Processes

Then find a tool that works with your Processes

5. “If I had a hammer..”

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Managing Culture Change – Top 10

6. “I wanna be a Cowboy..”

Do you have cowboys or mushrooms?

What other cultural revolutions have worked

in your organization?

S.W.A.N.

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Managing Culture Change – Top 10

7. Paroli la lingvo*

Definitions, terminology, semantics are important.

What is a “project” in your organization? What is a project “plan” vs “schedule”?

Use a standard framework such as PMI’s PMBoKReview the training requirements –

just learning the software is not sufficient

[* Esperanto for “Speak the language” ]

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Managing Culture Change – Top 10

8. “Baby Steps”

Each generation accepts change differently

Implement small changes that can be tracked and validated.

What do project schedules look like today?

Do you use timesheets?

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Managing Culture Change – Top 10

9. “Beam me up, Scotty”

Are you going“where no man has gone before” ?

Run a pilot project. Test the process (build a schedule, input time, run a report)

80/20 Rule – get the big ‘gotchas’ out of the way before implementation.

Don’t kill the momentum with perfectionism

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Managing Culture Change – Top 10

10. “It’s So Easy..”

If the tool is cumbersome and not easy to use, the data (or lack thereof) will reflect it

Get feedback from those who will use the tool.(don’t forget Accounting..)

G. I. G. O.

Hype it up, get the word out, SELL IT!(P.R. is a catalyst)

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THANK YOU

medical practice trends.compowered by eMedikon

Frank Polack, PMP | fpolack@emedikon.com@ RAudiOne