PM

In December 2007 the PMI asked its members this same question. As part of our ongoing work in developing Australian research the below comparison proves useful:

Painful though it is to admit, Australia is still behind global trends in even the most basic of metrics. Amongst the many potential causes for this, PMPartners have consistently found the following to be the top three causes of this lack of accountability: Project management metrics are not built into operational KPIs; project metrics are insufficiently tracked to identify individual overruns; and lack of change control and baseline tracking make such measurement extremely difficult. Although this is a bleak picture, every organisation can be improved. For example, in 2005 a PMPartners client identified that roughly 50% of their project delivered on budget. They could only guesstimate that it was around 50%, as metric based reporting was too haphazard to be any more precise. After PMPartners assisted this organisation in the successful implementation of a PMO, a 2007 audit found that exactly 92% of their projects delivered on budget, on time and to scope. Every organisation can make the same transformation, so call PMPartners on (02) 9267 2267, or mail info@pmpartners.com.au to chat with our PMO Practice Manager.

BA

A common analogy is that requirements management is like flossing – we all know we should do it but very few actually do, because it’s far from something to get excited about. However poor requirements has been consistently ranked as the number 1 cause of project failure over the last ten years, and is something that every evolving project management organisation must address. Although sophisticated requirements tracking software can add considerable value to the quality of project deliverables, even a simple, well structured Excel spreadsheet can ensure that every business need is met in the solution, and only business needs are met in the solution. The cost of quality is often free – by doing it right first time we avoid the inevitable rework. To access a sample Requirements Traceability Matrix call PMPartners on (02) 9267 2267, or mail info@pmpartners.com.au to chat with our Business Analysis Practice Manager.

In December 2007 and January 2008 our BA question was: What kind of Business Analysis Framework does your organisation have? The chart to the right illustrates the rapidly maturing industry of Business Analysis. 52% of organisations surveyed have successfully integrated their approach to Business Analysis within their Project Management Framework, and 16% have started their journey. As with project management, it is often difficult to determine what exactly is “best practice” when designing such frameworks. This challenge is compounded by the accelerated rate at which the Business Analysis industry is evolving – to do what we did five years ago can only see us slip behind our market competitors. That’s why PMPartners has supported large Australian and international companies in Banking (Retail and Commercial), Aviation and Insurance in developing a tailored Business Analysis Framework to optimise your Business Analysis investments. To see how we can help you organisation call PMPartners on (02) 9267 2267, or email info@pmpartners.com.au.

In many industries databases of project Lessons Learned are bought and sold on the open market. In Mining, Defence and Manufacturing such information delivers benefits of both loss avoidance and revenue generation. Yet outside these sectors a large % of Australian organisations still fail to harness the intellectual capital of their people. Typically an organisation will progress through the list of options above, growing in maturity and making maximum of use of their Project Lessons Learned. In several Top 100 companies PMPartners has supported its clients to generate the buy-in required to build these processes into their organisational culture, and deliver these lessons into dollar measurable benefits. Contact PMPartners today to chat with one of our experienced consultants, our browse our suite of Online Assessments to see how Lessons Learned can be easily built in to your organisation’s methodologies.

It is often said that Business Analysis is where Project Management was (outside engineering and construction) 10-12 years ago, and this is definitely the case. However professional BAs will be heartened by the fact that Business Analysis is evolving at a remarkably rapid rate. For example: The PMI PMP certification was introduced in 1984, PMBoK v1.0 in 1987. Compare that with the IIBA’s release of the CBAP certification and v1.6 of the BABoK – both in 2006. This is good news when examining the above graph, which clearly indicates that professional Business Analysts are still being under-utilised up the hierarchy. Aside from diversions into line management or BA works on more complex projects, most Australian organisations offer relatively little to maintain these highly skilled professionals. Little wonder then that professional BAs are in such high demand. PMPeople is the contracting and recruitment arm of PMPartners, dealing exclusively in BA and PM roles – whether hiring BAs or looking for work, PMPeople are the BA recruiting industry experts.

PMPartners PM/BA Forum

On 29 October 2007 PMPartners held its inaugural PM/BA Forum. Delegates from over 20 Australian and international companies participated in the event, which was widely recognised as the most high value event of its kind in 2007.

The Forum covered the following topics:

1. Programme Management and Complex Project Management
2. The PMO and Portfolio Management
3. Professional Development Options in Project Management
4. PMBoK and PRINCE2
5. Business Analysis Future Directions
6. Open Panel Discussion

As part of its ongoing research into Australian Project, Program and Portfolio Management PMPartners asked the below questions of the conference delegates.

Conference Delegates

Sector of operation
Delegate role in their organisation
Delegate Organisations
How many PMOs operate in your company?
How long has your PMO been established?
Does your PMO feed into a Portfolio Management Framework?
To what extent can your PMO make project decisions?

Key Observations

1. The majority of conference delegates had no Project Management Office (PMO) in their organisation.
2. Consistent with international research, Australian PMOs have a high churn rate, frequently closing and/or restructuring (every 1-2 years).
3. Most Australian PMOs do not feed in to an organisational Portfolio Management Framework.
4. Most Australian PMOs have little authority to make project related decisions.

These findings confirm what many have long suspected: That the major challenge facing many Australian organisations today is they don't know if they are doing the right projects, and at the right time. The concepts and benefits of a PMO and a Portfolio Management Framework are gaining acceptance, but the introduction and maintenance of this project infrastructure is often poorly executed.

PMPartners offers a wide range of PMO and Portfolio Management consultancy and education services, proven in the field over 12 years with hundreds of clients. Contact us today to see how best PMPartners can maximise the value from your project investments.

Research was also conducted during the Business Analysis Future Directions session, asking delegates What career options are open to Business Analysts in your company? This question was also open to voting for the public; the results can be found on this page, immediately above this section (PMPartners PM/BA Forum).

What are the three most significant success factors for projects in your organisation?

The two most significant project success factors according to this data are Clear Business Objectives, and Clear, Agreed Business Requirements. These results reflect current tends in Australia over the last 10-12 years. The Australian project management community is now better skilled than ever, and managing projects is no longer some organisations' greatest challenge. The major challenge is often doing the right projects, enabled by consistently implemented project portfolio management. PMPartners offers a range of Project Portfolio Management consultancy and education services, further details of which can be found by clicking here. The need for Clear, Agreed Business Requirements is both obvious, and difficult to master. The PMPartners Business Analysis Practice includes a five day course Effective Requirements for Successful Projects. This chart indicated that addressing these two project success factors increases a project's chances of success by an incredible 55% - a solid investment for any organisation.

What support mechanisms do you use in your work as a Business Analyst?

As an emerging profession Business Analysis is still somewhat under resourced, as companies come to grips with the challenges involved in effective Business Analysis works. The key finding from this data is that the vast majority of BA support is informal - from colleagues, managers or industry networking meetings. All of these are valuable inputs for today's BA, but more is needed to achieve sustainable project success. PMPartners has over ten years experience in establishing Business Analysis Centre's of Excellence, enabling our customers to implement a repeatable, scalable and robust Business Analysis Framework to support project success. Contact us today to hear some of our success stories, or to chat with one of our consultants.

Respondents could select multiple roles in answering this question, in recognition of the fact that project staff rarely perform just one role. This research indicates that it is no longer enough to be skilled in just project management, or just business analysis - that in some organisations, project staff are required to fulfil some elements of both roles. PMPartners offers a range of both business analysis and project management courses, from introductory through to advanced offerings.