Establishing joint technology and transformation PMO function for a a leading global provider of professional assurance services

Our client, a global leader in professional assurance services, helps businesses manage risk effectively while ensuring compliance and maintaining high standards.

Challenge

After completing a large-scale separation program, our client needed to carefully manage a growing program portfolio to unlock and maximise value. However, they lacked a clear process for handling business demand and developing business cases. This led to uncoordinated requests, which drove up costs and increased complexity.

Inconsistent project delivery frameworks posed challenges in effective risk management, timelines, and budgets. Governance processes were fragmented, bypassing essential technology-related checks, such as impact assessments and security controls. To mitigate increasing risks and focus on the right things, our client sought support in establishing a joint PMO function to bridge the gap between business units, transformation efforts, and technology to ensure cohesive project delivery.

Solution

We began by defining clear accountability and creating a unified process for business and technology demand, bridging gaps in awareness, and ensuring a holistic view of the entire portfolio. This involved establishing a cadence for regular portfolio health checks, as well as prioritisation criteria for new demand endorsement, balancing business strategic objectives with necessary projects to stabilise post separation.

To improve project delivery quality and data maturity, we standardised key artefacts and templates, including business case, risk classifications, and resource trackers. Additionally, we engaged the technology leads to create consolidated backlog reporting across seven application platforms, enabling the client to have visibility of all change and capacity across technology being utilised to support the value creation plan.

While leading the existing transformation PMO team, we also initiated recruitment for the new joint PMO function. We collaborated with HR to create job descriptions that addressed the team’s capability requirements.

Outcome

The improved processes and controls significantly enhanced the client’s portfolio management capabilities and provided tools to assist in optimising project resource utilisation for key roles to enable decision making. Implementing these key aspects for portfolio and change governance, aligning with senior stakeholders across technology and transformation as well as providing recommendations provided the client with a foundation for continual improvement, supporting their long-term success and objectives.

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