The project manager in the United States welcomes the team to an important meeting. For him, it’s early morning. But it’s midday for the team members in Ireland, late afternoon for those in India and late evening in Australia, where they are working from home and will go to bed after the call.
For those who manage global programs or projects, this scenario is a common challenge. Although virtual teams offer many advantages, they come with obstacles as well: Meetings can be hard to schedule, and language barriers can create communication hurdles. Due to limited or absent face-to-face contact, team members might feel isolated or sense a lack of collaboration with co-workers.
Global organizations that use worldwide distributed teams for a single client could benefit from a virtual project management office (VPMO). A VPMO is more than technology and software suite—it’s a new organization within the organization that eases communication and provides benefits over conventional project management.
Like a typical PMO, a VPMO provides support for both project professionals and the organization as a whole. However, thanks to technology, a VPMO supports a global organization 24/7, instead of only regular PMO working hours. Because of that, a VPMO enables the organization to work more flexibly, meet the challenges of a global economy and respond better to customers’ needs.
MUCH TO GAIN
Whether your VPMO is the first PMO your organization has created or it’s replacing an existing one, it can provide the following benefits for project professionals and the organization:
Consistency. The VPMO’s major benefit is its ability to provide consistent project management approaches, tools and templates across regions. Every project manager is trained to regularly use a standard set of project management tools.
Collaboration. The VPMO works to improve cooperation among project managers. It provides a system and structure for them to meet regularly, ask for support, mentor each other and share knowledge.
Consultancy and personal development. The VPMO staff can provide expert advice on various topics, troubleshoot project problems or arrange training in certain skills.
Availability. One aspect that makes a VPMO different from a typical PMO is its round-the-clock support for project managers. With a VPMO, there is no more need for different PMO solutions worldwide, because it’s staffed by workers around the globe and can operate constantly.
Coverage. Although the VPMO is global, each region could have a local staffer to interact in person with the other project managers, escalate any specific challenges and organize on-site meetings.
Cost savings. A VPMO can implement organization-wide project management technology solutions—such as software or communications systems—to achieve cost savings and higher efficiency.
Bridging cultures. The VPMO can pay special attention to the cultural and language differences of project team members around the world and provide training where needed.
FIRST STEPS
Once project leaders have determined that a VPMO might benefit their organization, they might wonder: Where to start?
Before investing in any VPMO development efforts, you must convince senior management that a VPMO will be a move in the right direction. Without senior support, there won’t be time or motivation to implement a new way of cross-boundary collaboration across the organization. However, instead of making big promises about the immediate benefits of a VPMO implementation, project leaders should analyze existing organizational project management challenges and costs. Based on this audit, the project leaders should initiate a meeting with senior executives to discuss how a VPMO can solve problems.
LESSONS LEARNED
Building a VPMO within a global organization takes at least a year or two. Based on my own experience, the following tips can make the journey less stressful:
■ Gain complete support from senior management.
■ Build trust and be aware of how technology can strengthen that trust.
■ Learn to be effective in a cross-cultural environment.
■ Be flexible when working with virtual teams.
■ Network and work on teambuilding in a virtual world.
■ Don’t forget to help fellow project managers.
■ Have a vision, even if it is not perfect.
■ Be patient but persistent.
Share Your Thoughts
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A VPMO can help ensure all project managers in a global organization feel supported, trained and eager to participate—no matter where they work or what time it is. PM
| Denis Vukosav, PMP, is a program manager at State Street International, Dublin, Ireland. |