But with more companies adopting a project approach to all kinds of operations, many are trying to build project-management cultures. The project office is emerging as the framework to develop that culture and improve results, thereby cutting costs. A recent study of 30 companies by Forrester Research Inc. in Cambridge, Mass., found that more than half had IT project offices. That's a big job. Instead, he says, they're about multiple projects, cross-functional projects, global projects, overlapping projects, interdependent projects, project resource allocation, politics, sponsorship and culture.
Project offices give support and take data.
They provide standard tools and methodologies, as well as coaching. They collect information by means of project-management tool kits that give a current view of the companywide IT project portfolio, including staff deployment. In time, the office can provide a historical view of project estimates vs. performance, enabling management to see where projections part with reality. Although the approaches vary, some staffs see their project offices as centers of excellence for project management. Theoretically, a project office forces the business to face the reality of limits on staff, time and budget, and requires it to prioritize projects.