Best practice of structure in PPM?

[Henrik Jutterst]

Hi all!

We're about to implement PPM and start using this instead of previous project management tools (MS Project).

What I'm looking for is some sort of best practice on structure of Portfolio, Program, Project and Demand to an organisation with different business units.

Should a Portfolio be set up based on:

• Business Unit
• Type of project
• Internal / External
• Other structure

Pro/Con

• Business Unit:
  • Pro: Logic structure. Each BU can see and handle their own programs/projects/demands
  • Con: Organisation structure will constantly change.
• Type of project
  • Pro: Types will not change that often just be added.
  • Con: Might be a messy solution over time.
• Internal / External
  • Pro: Very clear structure
  • Con: There might be some projects where it includes both internal and external projects
• Other
  • Pro:
  • Con:

Please if you have any input or can link to related articles for PPM in ServiceNow where the discussion is about these type of architectural decisions.

We are running Jakarta and I've been looking at this documentation up til now.

Portfolio Management

Also looking into this one now: Project Portfolio Management | ServiceNow

[Henrik Jutterst]

Thank you Richelle!

This is just what I was hoping for in terms of feedback! Basically we're looking for what previous users have learned from their experience on the implementation.

What is your best do and don't regarding this and what did it take you to implement and start working in ServiceNow with projects?

[sachin_namjoshi]

I implemented PPM for various kind of customers.

I find below things common in those implementations for portfolio implementation.

- Portfolio is based generally on type ( client, corporate, IT)

- OR portfolio is categorized on category of portfolio ( business function)

Regards,

Sachin

[Uncle Rob]

If you're going to dare defining this absent a PMO discipline at your org, keep in mind that SN now allows definition of both Portfolio AND Program.   Whatever you do... make sure the distinction between Portfolio & Program is clear and sacrosanct.

Both Portfolio and Program are abstractions of projects though... so you *REALLY* need to have PMO insight into their definition, otherwise you're fixing the success of the deployment to a guess.

[Sean Hamilton]

Hi.   My very simple advice is "follow the money!"   Which usually (but not always) means a business unit, then cascades down to departments, etc. (which include Programs and projects.   That should simplify everything! You should build your portfolio around whoever has the final authority to approve budgets for their BU / Dept.

I completely agree with Richelle Pivec'sDec 1, 2017 6:09 AM reply!

[Henrik Jutterst]

Hi Sean and thanks for the post!

Even though I fully understand and in some ways do agree with you I have to ask; what if you live in an ever changing structure change of the organisation? I guess that will create extra work in terms of structure?

What if we focus on Type of project instead?