[ITW] Erick Athier, co-founder of IQar, publisher of the SuiteProG PPM solution

When choosing a PPM tool becomes a real headache... Do you feel lost when faced with the plethora of PPM (Portfolio Project Management) solutions available on the market? You don't know whether or not you should equip yourself with such a tool? Or which one to choose?

Don't panic, Erick Athier, co-director of IQar and a recognised expert in project portfolio governance, reveals his 'roadmap' to guide you through the process.

Erick Athier:

In recent years, equipping yourself with a project management tool has become a reflex response to companies' lack of project management maturity.

The reasons given for this are : Too many or too many projects, difficulties in reporting, lack of a common language, the search for cross-functional mobilisation around transformations, professionalisation of framing and planning... In short, there are so many reasons why successful companies today are undeniably equipped with project management tools.

See all software Project Portfolio Management (PPM)

When should you buy a PPM tool? Are all tools suitable for different organisations?

Erick Athier:

A PPM tool is an invaluable aid in supporting the project governance cycle: we're talking here about planning, monitoring and steering projects in terms of costs, quality and deadlines within the overall perspective of the organisation's strategy.

The need for a PPM generally corresponds to two well-established organisational profiles:

▶︎ That of the so-called mature company which already has a management toolkit (made up of several more or less in-house, but heterogeneous tools) and which wants to switch to a target software package to manage its projects and portfolio.

This company is often fairly large, manages high-impact transformations, has project processes that are already fairly well established and, more often than not, carries out its day-to-day operations "on a project basis" (R&D, IT services, ESN, civil engineering, etc.). In fact, these companies are looking both to install "business software" and to strengthen or even professionalise already well-established processes. More than a PPM, it wanted to equip itself with an EPM (Enterprise Portfolio Management).

▶︎ That of the company that needs above all to align its organisation in a transformation process, to create a common language and dynamic around its projects (often internal) and which understands that the volume of requests and projects and the efforts relating to both project and portfolio management require professionalisation and a collaborative tool.

This company is looking for a PPM that is not intended to be business software, but rather a tool that facilitates framing, planning, project management and multi-project decision-making. The company wants the tool to 'carry' the method, which it has more or less formalised at this stage!

To help you in this reflection, IQar, Pure Project Player, has created and made available to all organisations an e-quizz in the following format
IQar, the Pure Project Player, has created and made available to all organisations an e-quiz designed to enable all project stakeholders to take a step back and identify their organisation's level of maturity.

What are the key criteria to take into account when choosing a tool?

Erick Athier:

A golden rule: remember that the primary objective of your project management tool is to enable you to monitor and manage the organisation's projects!

My 25 years' experience in deploying PPM methods and tools for organisations of all sizes and in all sectors means that I would advise you not to neglect, but above all to pay close attention to the following points:

▶︎ For the first category of company known as Mature (level 3), the criteria are often precise and can be summed up in three salient points:

• Ergonomics and user experience.
• Extensive functional coverage of projects and portfolios (simulation, advanced budget management, control of roadmaps, elaborate workload planning, time management, etc.).
• Interoperability with other key enterprise IS applications (CRM, Budget Commitment, ERP, EDM, etc.).

▶︎ For the second category (levels 1 and 2), who are looking for a PPM, the criteria are a little more flexible, but still precise. They can also be summed up in three points:

• A modern, collaborative and pragmatic interface.
• Intuitive project management based on a simple method and common language.
• Accessible reporting tools that allow you to develop your skills in workload and budget management.

As you can see, the aim here is to translate the needs identified in relation to the desired objectives into selection criteria that will enable you to make an initial selection of PPM solutions that match your organisation's level of maturity.

See all software Project Portfolio Management (PPM)

Once the criteria have been clearly defined, what are the pitfalls to avoid? What success factors need to be established?

Erick Athier:

In the two cases mentioned above, the deployment of a PPM is first and foremost a project. It absolutely must be considered as such, i.e. with the appropriate framework, planning and management.

Just as the PPMs available to the first type of company are similar, so there is diversity for the second. The 500 or so PPM tools available for the latter category can be grouped into three families:

Challengers

These are relatively mature PPM tools that are challengers for the first category of company, but which are still trying to expand into the second category.

These tools are generally very good, but complex to deploy , although publishers will minimise this risk!

Collaborative tools

These are tools that approach the project from the point of view of the "task" and its "social availability" within the company. They anchor tasks in the individual's calendar, make actions visible both inside and outside projects, and promote a bounce-back or task-sharing approach.

They are based on agile approaches, but generally lack depth in framing and planning processes and in multi-project tools. These tools are modern and attractive, and may lead you to believe that your organisation can suddenly become "social, agile and collaborative"!

Hybrids

These are tools that are closer to the challengers in terms of functional coverage, but which try to put forward a pedagogical approach to make the tool a support for the implementation of a "project method".

They are not as 'rich' functionally as the challengers. They are not as advanced in terms of social and collaborative features as the collaboratives. They focus on the project and its place in the company's management and decision-making system.

In summary, here are the success factors to be established for the deployment of a PPM:

In conclusion, the best PPM tool is...
The one that meets your needs and objectives and that best adapts to the constraints of your organisation. However, don't neglect the impact of the PPM solution on your organisation's processes and, before embarking on the acquisition of a solution, dare to take stock of your organisation's maturity.

Sponsored article. The expert contributors are authors who are independent of the appvizer editorial team. Their comments and positions are their own.