Session 2 SR2a PMI - Pulse - 2014
Session 2 SR2a PMI - Pulse - 2014
Session 2 SR2a PMI - Pulse - 2014
THE
HIGH COST
OF LOW PERFORMANCE
2014
February 2014
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
For the past several years, PMIs Pulse of the Profession reports have
emphasized the benefits of effective project, program and portfolio
management. More recently, we have begun focusing on strategic initiative
management to drive organization success through improved efficiency.
Though executives know what they should be doing 88 percent say that
strategy implementation is important to their organizations sixty-one
percent acknowledge that their firms often struggle to bridge the gap
between strategy formulation and its day-to-day implementation.1 This gap
demonstrates a lack of understanding among organization executives that
all strategic change happens through projects and programs. While some
projects improve an organizations ability to run the business and dont
rise to the level of a strategic initiative, all of an organizations strategic
initiatives are projects or programs, which inevitably change the business.
Most in the C-suite fail to realize this simple truth. Maybe more would if
they assigned a senior executive to oversee strategy implementation the
same way many of them designate a Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) who has
responsibility for strategy development. When that person is supported by
an organization culture of project management, including a high performing
PMO, that is when we will see project success rates climb.
This years Pulse research reinforces these findings, and demonstrates the
significant implications of this chasm:
Very few organizations (9 percent) rate themselves as excellent
on successfully executing initiatives to deliver strategic results.
Consequently, only 56 percent of strategic initiatives meet their
original goals and business intent.
This poor performance results in organizations losing $109 million for
every $1 billion invested in projects and programs.
High-performing organizations successfully complete 89 percent
of their projects, while low performers complete only 36 percent
successfully. This difference in success results in high-performing
organizations wasting nearly 12 times less than low performers.
February 2014
Mark A. Langley
President and CEO
Project Management Institute
Dollars Lost
US$109 million
The amount lost for every
US$1 billion spent on projects
Figure 1: Organizations lose an average of
US$109 million for every US$1 billion spent on
projects.
February 2014
February 2014
February 2014
5.2%
5.0%
3.8%
2.5%
3.6%
2.9%
2.9%
2012
2013
3.8%
3.9%
3.9%
4.0%
0.8%
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
February 2014
February 2014
February 2014
DRIVING ORGANIZATIONAL
SUCCESS
High-Performing Organizations
are Three Times as Likely to
have Organizational Agility
% of high
performers
with high
organizational
agility
PEOPLE
Not only must organizations focus on the development of their talent and
the practices by which they do that, they also need to focus on managing
their people through rapid organizational changes that stem from new
strategic initiatives. And further, organizations need to ensure executive
sponsors are in place to help drive the organizational changes.
31%
9%
% of low
performers
with high
organizational
agility
Figure 3
High-Performing Organizations
are Twice as Likely to have High
Alignment of Projects to
Organizational Strategy
% of high
performers with
high alignment
of projects to
organizational
strategy
57%
28%
% of low
performers with
high alignment
of projects to
organizational
strategy
Figure 4
High-Performing Organizations
have Twice as Many Successful
Strategic Initiatives
% of strategic
initiatives of
high-performing
organizations
that meet
original goals
and business
intent
76%
38%
% of strategic
initiatives of
low-performing
organizations
that meet
original goals
and business
intent
Figure 5
2014 Project Management Institute, Inc. PMI.org/Pulse
February 2014
Talent Management
Our research shows that organizations need to focus on the development
and training of their talent in order to achieve superior project performance,
successful strategic initiatives and become high performers. Organizations
are currently facing unique challenges: few organizations are focusing on
knowledge transfer and this might be hampered by the fact that nearly
two-thirds of organizations report using outsourced or contract project
managers. Furthermore, 26 percent of organizations plan to increase the
percentage of project managers who are contracted or outsourced in 2014,
compared with just 20 percent in 2013.
However, there is a direct correlation between effective talent management
and better project performance. PMIs Pulse of the Profession In-Depth
Report: The Competitive Advantage of Effective Talent Management14 showed
that organizations that align their talent management to strategy have
more successful projects and waste fewer project dollars. Our research
revealed that high-performing organizations are more than twice as likely
as their low-performing counterparts to align talent management to
organization strategya significant competitive advantage.
Figure 6 shows the talent management practices identified in the Pulse
research that significantly more high-performing organizations have in place.
Talent Management
77%
68%
36%
66%
35%
66%
33%
62%
26%
51%
32%
29%
5%
24%
32%
31%
33%
30%
% of high performers
% of low performers
February 2014
60%
62%
63%
63%
63%
48%
50%
49%
49%
50%
Ongoing
project manager
training
Formal process
to develop
project
manager
competency
Formal process
Formal
to mature
knowledge
project
transfer process
management
practices
Defined
career path
45%
Effective
knowledge
transfer process
11
February 2014
Change Management
Actively engaged sponsors is
once again the top driver of
project success.
60%
63%
63%
63%
2012
2013
2014
40%
% of projects with active sponsors
Figure 8: For the past three years, organizations report that fewer than two in three
projects have actively engaged sponsors.
12
February 2014
Change Management
81%
Percentage of projects
with active sponsors
Effective
change management
45%
42%
10%
32%
36%
% of high performers
% of low performers
And maturing these two practices has a great impact on the success of
strategic initiatives (Figure 10).
66%
69%
Study
Average
56%
41%
41%
Percentage
of projects
with active
sponsors
Effective
change
management
Figure 10: Effective change management leads to more successful strategic initiatives.
13
February 2014
PROCESSES
For the past several years, our Pulse research has confirmed that
organizations can clearly benefit from maturing their project, program
and portfolio management processes. The Pulse data demonstrates that
process maturity leads to success. Despite this, our latest Pulse findings
reveal that many organizations are not taking sufficient action to mature
their processesas evidenced by the trends in the perceived value of project
management, the growth of project management offices (PMOs), the use of
standardized project management practices throughout organizations, and
the maturity levels of project, program and portfolio management.
Similar to 2013,16 nearly one half (46 percent) of organizations
report not fully understanding the value of project management.
These organizations face a real risk to their successsignificantly
more strategic initiatives are successful when organizations fully
understand the value of project management (63 percent versus 47
percent).
The percentage of organizations that report having a PMO remains
flat at 69 percent. Furthermore, there is a lack of growth in the
presence of enterprise-wide PMOs: just one half (47 percent) of
organizations report having an EPMO; this number was 46 percent
in 2011. As shown in PMIs Pulse of the Profession In Depth Report:
The Impact of PMOs on Strategy Implementation,17 high-performing
PMOs drive value by creating an organizational culture of project
management, continually evaluating PMO performance and evolving
and improving through knowledge management and change
management.
As previously mentioned, the use of standardized project
management practices throughout the organization is flat; today,
only one-fourth of organizations report using these throughout the
organization.
In 2013, PMIs Pulse research revealed that project, program and
portfolio management practices in many organizations are not
yet mature, and this remains true today. Fewer than one in five
organizations reports high maturity of project, program or portfolio
management.
This failure to take the necessary actions to mature their processes results
in less success. This is clear when comparing high-performing organizations
with low-performing organizations. Along with the high maturity of project,
program and portfolio management, high-performing organizations
14
February 2014
Process Maturity
77%
40%
74%
64%
Has a PMO
45%
35%
32%
5%
31%
6%
10%
30%
15%
8%
37%
27%
27%
25%
% of high performers
% of low performers
15
February 2014
Our Pulse research reveals that the benefits of process maturity are evident.
Figure 12 shows the extent of the success of strategic initiatives from each
of the practices; organizations realize significantly more successful strategic
initiatives when these practices are in place.
63%
Study
Average
56%
58%
47%
50%
Organization
understands
value of project
management
Has a PMO
70%
72%
72%
44%
45%
46%
Project
management
maturity
Program
management
maturity
Portfolio
management
maturity
66%
41%
Standardized
practices used
throughout
organization
16
February 2014
OUTCOMES
Successful organizations have a continued focus on the outcomes of the
intended benefits of their projects and programs. Benefits realization
is the practice of ensuring that the outcome of a project produces the
projected benefits claimed in the business case. This is achieved through the
establishment, measurement and communication of the expected benefits
of an organizations initiatives.
High benefits realization maturity is inextricably linked to the success of
projectsand strategic initiatives. Despite this, our latest Pulse research
reveals that fewer than one in five (17 percent) organizations report high
benefits realization maturity. High performers are nearly eight times more
likely to be mature in their benefits realization processes (Figure 13).
39%
5%
34%
% of high performers
% of low performers
% successful strategic
initiatives when in place
Study
Average
56%
% successful strategic
initiatives when not in place
44%
Mature benefits realization
Figure 14: High benefits realization maturity leads to more successful strategic initiatives.
17
February 2014
CONCLUSION
In the past few years, organizations have faced headwinds, resulting in
a chasm between their actual state and their vision of success. High
organizational agility and high alignment of projects and programs to an
organizations strategy have become integral to navigating an increasingly
competitive market environment. Strategies are being shaped by customer
expectations and demands and by the modest global economic growth
forecasted for 2014.
This 2014 Pulse of the Profession report reveals a clear imperative for
organizations to take action now to become high performers and optimize
their project management practices to mitigate the millions lost on failed
projects.
Our research highlights three focus areas that, once developed and
deployed, lead to increased success of both projects and strategic initiatives:
people, processes and outcomes. Organizations that develop these
competencies lose 12 times less money and mitigate the high cost of low
performance.
18
February 2014
REFERENCES
1 Economist Intelligence Unit. Why Good Strategies Fail: Lessons for the C-Suite.
July 2013.
2 PMI. Pulse of the Profession In-Depth Report: The Impact of PMOs on Strategy
Implementation. November 2013.
3 Economist Intelligence Unit. Why Good Strategies Fail: Lessons for the C-Suite.
July 2013.
4 PMI. Pulse of the Profession In-Depth Report: Organizational Agility. 2012.
5 Economist Intelligence Unit. World Economy: EIUs Latest Assumptions.
December 16, 2013.
6 McKinsey Global Survey. Economic Conditions Snapshot. December 2013.
7 Economist Intelligence Unit. World Economy: EIUs Latest Assumptions.
December 16, 2013.
8 IBM. The Customer-Activated Enterprise: Insights from the Global C-suite Study.
October 2013.
9 Ibid.
10 PwC. 10 Minutes on Building the Customer-Centered Organization, 16th Annual
Global CEO Survey. January 2013.
11 High performers are organizations that achieve 80 percent or more of projects
on time, on budget and meeting original goals.
12 Low performers are organizations that achieve 60 percent or fewer projects on
time, on budget and meeting original goals.
13 In our latest Pulse research, 12 percent of organizations are deemed high
performers compared with 29 percent of organizations deemed low performers.
14 PMI. Pulse of the Profession In-Depth Report: The Competitive Advantage of
Effective Talent Management. March 2013.
15 PMI. Managing Change in Organizations: A Practice Guide. 2013.
16 PMI. Pulse of the Profession: The High Cost of Low Performance. 2013.
17 PMI. Pulse of the Profession In-Depth Report: The Impact of PMOs on Strategy
Implementation. November 2013.
19
PMI.org|[email protected]|
#PMIpulse