Chapter 20Project Portfolio Management: Align Project Resources with Business Strategy

Ralph Kliem and Eric Verzuh

Ralph Kliem has more than twenty-five years of experience as a project management leader for a Fortune 100 firm, including developing and implementing a project portfolio management process for a major business unit within that Fortune 100 firm. He is the author of several books, including Tools and Tips for Today's Project Manager (PMI) and Project Communications Management (CRC Press).

Introduction

Projects are the means for achieving strategic goals. Entering new markets, driving down costs, delivering innovation—all are achieved through projects. There is a seemingly infinite supply of worthwhile initiatives, but clearly a limited supply of the people and resources needed to perform projects. Further, just about every project management think tank has found that far too many projects don't deliver their promised benefits. All these factors underscore that it is absolutely critical to view projects as investments that must be carefully chosen and regularly monitored. Project portfolio management (PPM) is the means for doing so.

img Project Portfolio Management Aligns Resources with Strategy

Project portfolio management (PPM) ensures that projects and programs promote organizational strategies and goals. It accomplishes that by avoiding the common trap of trying ...

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