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Taking Inventory – Audits and Reviews

EPM Strategy delivers Project Management capability Audits to meet your organization’s needs.  Every organization is unique and therefore deserves a unique audit plan.  We can provide a full audit of your entire system or process.  Or, we can provide an a la carte approach based on your specific needs.

We have four main different types of audits:

  1. Organizational Project Management Assessment
  2. A single Project or Program (or Portfolio) Audit
  3. Microsoft Project (Server, Online or Stand-Alone) Technical Audit
  4. Microsoft Project (Server, Online or Stand-Alone) Procedural Audit
  5. Pre-Project Change Assessment

Each type of audit will result in discussions and documentation explaining where your organization stands in relation to standards and best practices that are industry norms.

 

Organizational Project Management Assessment

EPM Strategy will use their customized methodology and wide spectrum of knowledge in industries and organizations to provide an effective and valuable assessment.

An assessment can be provided at the organizational, department, group or subgroup level within a company.

Every organization is on a different part of their journey toward Organizational Project Management Maturity and so every organization needs a distinct approach to their assessment.  The level of depth in an assessment will depend on the organization (and area(s) of the company) but almost every assessment will include a representation of each of the following areas:

  • Organizational Strategy
    • Where is the organization’s ability to execute towards mission, vision, objectives and goals?
  • People
    • What is the amount of knowledge of the stakeholders in regards to Project, Program and Portfolio processes?
  • Processes
    • What are the stages and application of the organization in regards to processes and best practices?
  • Technology
    • Does the organization have technology in place to support the people and processes?
    • Do stakeholders know how to use that technology to provide business value?
  • Relationships
    • What is the relationship between your technology and business processes?
    • What is the relationship of Projects to Programs – particularly within the Portfolio?

 

The results from the assessment will be shared in documentation and presentation form outlining:

    • The areas of opportunity
    • Industry standard comparisons
    • Roadmap of recommended next steps

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A Project, Program or Portfolio Audit

This type of audit can take place at any time during the lifecycle.  The audit is designed to help the Project Manager, Sponsor, Executives and the organization obtain an external perspective on the status of their Project, Program or Portfolio.  It can help the Project Team members and other Stakeholders gain a view of what has been done, what is being done and what is working or not working.  The audit is designed to see areas of success and areas that need improvement.  The goal is to help the organization to keep doing the right things right, avoiding any mistakes and to help work out any areas of concern.

Although each organization’s roadmap is unique, there will most likely be the following components:

  • A questionnaire for stakeholders
  • In person interviews with key stakeholders
  • Documentation Review
  • Plan Review
  • Future Opportunities and Steps

The interviews and reviews will yield  information  that merges your unique roadmap with items of interest that are discovered during the audit process.

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Microsoft Project Technical Audit

 

This type of audit is for your technical implementation.  There are more installations of Microsoft Project technology in the world than any other software.  However, not everybody utilizes the software efficiently to maximize its value.  We specialize in helping organizations better use their existing technology.  This type of audit includes any or all of the Microsoft tools – including Project Standard, Project Professional, Project Server or Project Online – and how they are installed and configured.

    • Configuration
      • Is it set up correctly for your environment?
      • Is it configured correctly?
    • Usage Statistics
    • System Reviews
    • Licensing Review
    • System usage being maximized?
    • Administrator review
      • Are the people running the systems knowledgeable about them?
    • Potential Cost Savings
    • Productivity Analysis

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Microsoft Project Procedural Audit

 

This type of audit is for your practical usage of your implementation.  There are more installations of Microsoft Project technology in the world than any other software.  However, not everybody utilizes the software efficiently to maximize its value.  We specialize in helping organizations better use their existing technology.  This type of audit includes any or all of the Microsoft tools – including Project Standard, Project Professional, Project Server or Project Online – and how those tools are being used within your environment.

 

  • Who is using it?
    • How often?
  • How are they using it?
  • How SHOULD they be using it?
  • What reports are being used?
    • By whom?
    • Why?
    • Where?
  • What is the value to the organization?
  • What should the value be to the organization?
  • What about the Phases of Projects?
      • Initiation
      • Proposals
      • Planning
      • Execution
      • Completion
      • Lessons Learned

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Pre-Project Change Assessment

How ready is your organization?  How ready is the team?  How ready are you for this specific project?

Before implementing any major or complex project it is good to look at the readiness of your team, their knowledge and how the impact will change the organization.  This assessment is beneficial for evaluating if you are ready for the project.

Team Current State and Needs Assessment

  • Identify members of the current team
  • Assess the current structure of the team
  • Assess the business and project capabilities of the team
  • Organizational structure review of the Client in support of Implementation

Evaluation of organizational readiness for change

  • Change Intensity Assessment
  • Implementation History Assessment
  • Sponsorship Assessment
  • Key Resource Fit Assessment
  • Communications Assessment

Implementation Risk Assessment

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