Implementing PM3 for Improved Project Management in a Local Authority

A local authority in the UK, Wellesley Council*, faced challenges in effectively managing its diverse range of projects and initiatives, which ranged from infrastructure development and public services to community engagement programs.

The existing project management processes were fragmented, leading to inefficiencies, missed deadlines, and difficulties in tracking project progress.

To address these issues, the council decided to implement PM3, an award-winning Project Portfolio Management (PPM) software, to streamline project management and enhance overall organisational performance.

Implementation:

Step 1: Needs Assessment and Vendor Selection

Wellesley Council conducted a thorough needs assessment to understand its project management challenges and requirements. After evaluating various PPM solutions, the council chose PM3 due to its comprehensive functionality, scalability, user-friendly interface, and proven success in other local authorities.

Step2: Change Management

Implementing a PPM is a change management challenge, and it is important that all stakeholders know why the tool is being rolled out and what is expected of them. Bestoutcome helped the Council in their change management activities supporting the PM3 implementation. This included developing a compelling need to change, various communications and creating a group of PM3 champions. These change management activities were an important part of the successful roll-out of PM3.

Step 3: Configuration and Integration

PM3 is highly configurable so we worked with the council to configure PM3, so it was aligned with the council’s processes. The configuration included integrating PM3 with existing tools such as Microsoft Office, MS Teams and the council’s financial management system.

Step 4: Training and Adoption

Comprehensive training sessions were organised for the council’s project management teams. The teams were trained in project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure using PM3. The PMO teams were trained on a face to face (Teams) basis and the project managers were trained using the PM3Learn platform.

PM3Learn provides on-demand training to users by offering a flexible, self-paced, and comprehensive online learning portal that empowers individuals to enhance their project management skills using PM3. PM3Learn includes not only courses on PM3 but also contains webinars, user forums and project management starter courses.

Step 5: Data Migration and System Launch

Existing project data was migrated to PM3, allowing for a smooth transition from the old system to the new one. The system was launched across two departments initially, with the view to roll-out to other departments the following year.

The Benefits Wellesley Council* experienced

1. Improved Project Visibility and Tracking

Before PM3, project progress tracking was time consuming and often relied on manual updates. After the implementation, real-time project status updates became easily accessible, leading to a 40% reduction in time spent on collecting project status information.

2. Enhanced Resource Utilisation

PM3’s resource allocation and capacity management module allowed for optimised allocation of staff, reducing instances of overallocation, and ensuring that the right resources were available for each project phase.

3. On-time Project Delivery

Through better planning and monitoring enabled by PM3, the local authority increased the number of projects completed within their planned end dates. The visibility of projects in PM3 on a real-time basis allows the PMO and senior management to identify failing projects more quickly and intervene to bring these projects back on track. Before PM3, failing projects would be ‘under the radar’ and were identified at too late a stage in order to bring them back on track.

4. Cost Savings

Effective cost tracking and budget management in PM3 led to a reduction in project cost overruns.

5. Stakeholder Satisfaction

Improved communication and collaboration facilitated by PM3 resulted in an increase in stakeholder satisfaction, as stakeholders were now better informed about project progress and timelines. PM3’s stakeholder management module has also improved the change management capability of the council resulting in more successful project implementations.

6. Strategic Decision-making

Data-driven insights provided by PM3’s reporting and analytics capabilities enabled the leadership to make informed decisions about resource allocation and project prioritisation, resulting in a 10% increase in alignment with the council’s strategic goals.

Conclusion:

The implementation of PM3 within Wellesley Council’s resulted in improved project management processes, resulting in tangible benefits such as enhanced project visibility, optimised resource utilisation, cost savings, and increased stakeholder satisfaction.

The quantitative and qualitative information presented above underscores the positive impact of PM3 on the council’s project delivery and organisational performance. The successful implementation of PM3Learn also improved the project management capability of the council.

*Organisation name has been changed for legal reasons.