Program & Project Management
Large Records Management Company

Challenge
As Records Management organizations are moving from a traditional paper based records storage to digital storage, they are challenged to keep up with the fast pace of today's technology. Additionally, facing competition from non-traditional competitors, as well as new legislation, the importance of managing their portfolio of products/services is becoming ever more paramount to their continued success.

Solution
A leading Records Management organization recognized the need to increase their digital capabilities while continuing to improve their service to traditional clients. Faced with a mandate for greater project integration with limited staffing capabilities, they identified the need to significantly improve efficiencies through both process improvement and organizational maturity around their project and program management. Magic Hat Consulting was engaged to assist in this transformation, utilizing a "leading from within" strategy while also consulting with the fledgling PMO leadership to enact solutions in areas identified as needing urgent improvement. In both a Project and Program Manager role, our consultants were able to provide the experience and mentorship necessary to help our customer achieve a higher standard of excellence in project execution.

Results
As a result of BTS Solutions engagement, the PMO now has a dramatically improved level of governance providing management the insight needed to grow their international project portfolio while accelerating their effort to support the traditional and digital records management business. As well, the PMO has matured from a CMMI Level 1 to CMMI Level 3 in less than two years while greatly increasing project success rate and ROI.

Insurance Company
Challenge
The IT PMO/PPM needed to address the issues of resource supply and demand resolving resource conflicts among various project types and work categories, where demand was exceedingly supply. There was no mechanism in place to qualify and prioritize the project portfolio, thereby ensuring resource availability for the most important projects.

Solution
Defined and developed the Resource Allocation Factory (RAF), a standardized and repeatable process; including a recurring reporting and meeting cadence, with a mechanism and forum to reconcile shared resource conflicts among base operation and project work. The solution included the development of a methodology, process flow, portfolio tool integration and reporting. Guidelines were produced that outline the RAF Process, Resource Conflict Resolution, Communication Plan, Administration Process, Recurring RAF Schedule, and a myriad of Reports as needed by user/stakeholder requirements.

Results
The value to the organization ensured the effective and efficient allocation of IT shared resources to projects, within the full context and understanding of the existing and projected burden of work for these resources. Resource allocation and reporting improved measurably via documented resource management metrics by work category (type of work) on a monthly recurring cadence.

The success of this program enabled the development and integration of the pipeline of business project work requests (Demand Management) into the portfolio management system. The Demand Management process integration is in progress, but holds the promise to achieve the benefits of the amalgamation of the portfolio of project work across the entire organization (business and IT).