An internationally active group of companies for engineering and consulting services in the field of infrastructure and industrial plant construction had grown considerably through the global acquisition of small and medium-sized companies. Initially, these companies essentially continued to operate as independent units. However, the lack of integration made cross-divisional cooperation significantly more difficult, which led to considerable cost increases in the projects concerned. In addition, some divisions had acquired projects with unmanageable risks. As a result, this situation led to an erosion of the company's earnings. The company management therefore entrusted the interim manager - at the time a permanent employee - as Group PMO (project management officer) with the task of leading a programme to introduce standardized business processes (project management guidelines) and company-wide risk management.
Harmonized core processes introduced for bid preparation and project execution
After intensive workshops had laid the foundations for harmonized processes in advance, the interim manager worked closely with the parties involved to draw up project management guidelines for the various aspects of professional project management. These guidelines describe in detail the now defined core processes for preparing quotations and processing orders for the various project types. After approval by the company management, the interim manager summarized the guidelines in a manual. The manual was then published on the intranet and in a traditional printed version. In addition, the key content was communicated in cascade form at events within the company.
Training program developed with seminars and eLearning modules
In order to further increase acceptance and achieve the broadest possible penetration in day-to-day project work, the interim manager also designed a comprehensive training program. This program included classroom training with a series of seminars. The interim manager developed e-learning modules to deepen individual topics. Targeted monitoring ensured that the majority of the relevant employees took part in the respective training measures.
PMO organization set up and established
In order to anchor the implementation of this programme in the company's organization and ensure sustainable application of the project management guidelines, the interim manager set up a group-wide PMO organization. He ensured that a Project Management Officer (PMO) was appointed for each business unit, which he managed in a virtual team. Under the guidance of the interim manager, the PMOs ensured that the necessary measures for implementing the program were implemented in the respective business unit.
Risk management with risk clusters and reporting designed and introduced
Another focus of the program was the development of a risk management system. In close coordination with the Management Board member responsible for risk management, the interim manager defined a categorization matrix that was used to assign projects to different risk clusters for the approval process. This clearly regulates the management level at which a project must be approved to pass the respective quality gates during the bidding phase. The interim manager also established monthly reports and reviews for project execution using the risk clusters. This ensures that the relevant risks are identified as early as possible at all management levels. Reporting and reviews make it possible to identify changes promptly and take corrective measures at an early stage in order to avoid negative effects on the company's results as far as possible.
Company gets back on track with standardized business processes and risk management
After two years, the implementation was successfully completed: The project management guidelines had been rolled out across the board and the new processes were firmly anchored in the company's day-to-day operations. The consistent application of governance principles with regard to project approval and review significantly improved the company's risk situation. All in all, this program played a key role in the positive development of the company's results.
