“By putting repeatable processes in place, we’re able to deliver a lot more with the same
amount of people and the same systems,” Mr. McIntyre says.
Regular reporting also has helped the PMO improve its project performance. Each Friday, project managers send out one-sheet status reports to everyone involved with their
projects. Stakeholders get updates on status, risks, dependencies and any impediments to
a project’s success. The PMO also produces a monthly report that gives
market directors and the executive team a digest of what’s happening with
all the projects across Ticketmaster’s portfolio.
“We don’t go into too much detail, but we make sure we’re explaining
not just what we’re delivering, but what the value is and what objectives
we’re trying to achieve,” Mr. McIntyre says.
For stakeholders who want more detailed information, project managers link to the more in-depth documents they prepare for their core team.
That way, if someone wants to know what is causing a project’s red status,
he or she can drill down into upcoming milestones, project challenges and
the risks the team is managing.
“This way, stakeholders and sponsors can know that what they’re hearing from the project manager is the truth,” Ms. Plumb says.
Through a combination of collaboration, creativity and transparency, the PMO has helped Ticketmaster make better business decisions—and deliver more reliable project results. Improvements to the organization’s
project environment have been built on a foundation of clear communications and
trust, Mr. McIntyre says.
“The project teams communicate a lot more regularly and effectively with the business.
The business is more involved in the projects. And because we deliver what we say we’re
going to deliver when we said we’d deliver it, the business trusts us.” PM
Lights, Camera,
Action!
Check out behind-the-scenes videos of this
year’s PMO of the Year
winner and finalists on
PMI’s You Tube channel.
Call for Awards
Nominations
Honor project and PMO
excellence in 2016. Visit
PMI.org/Awards