Project Portfolio Management: A View From The Management Trenches

4.2. SUPPLY-SIDE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

"John, I can see that your boss was a wise man to take you on. There's not much that slips by you!" Bill leaned over and gently punched his old friend in the arm. "You are dead right. We haven't touched on managing the supply of resources—until now! I always suggest that portfolio managers. . ."

"Let me guess," cut in John. ". . . portfolio managers should keep things simple!"

"Exactly right! I suggest that you manage the supply-side using the same categories of skills, technology environment, and facilities. Let's touch on the last two first and then spend a little more time discussing skills management, since that's where you have the most potential to make a big impact across your entire organization.

"For the technology environment, you have a range of options for deploying resources in a creative way such as using an ASP model, virtualization or duplicate environments to better manage constraints. For facility supply, you can find additional space for project teams in temporary accommodations, hotels, just-in-time offices, take over a new floor in your office building, and so on."

"That all makes sense—and it's what I've been doing for one of my new projects that's just started in New Orleans. So, tell me about skill supply management." John was clearly most interested in this.

Bill continued, "Managing the supply of skills is about differentiating between your organization's core competencies—those skills and capabilities that are the ...