Manage the IT Portfolio
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Transcript of Manage the IT Portfolio
Info-Tech Research Group 1
Manage the IT PortfolioWorld Class Operations - Impact Workshop
Info-Tech Research Group 2
Beyond Practical Research – Workshops Get You To Results
Workshops: Leverage Best-Practices Research & Get to Action
• Unlike other Research firms we believe it’s important to help our members implement improvements.
• An onsite 40-hour workshop, which allows you to make systematic improvements to your core processes.
• Workshops are designed to help focus attention, create alignment, and ensure best practices are put to work at your organization.
• Our workshops help you get to immediate impact and results, and are tailored to your situation and needs.
Workshops: Focused on You Implementing Improvements
• The goal of each Capability Optimization Workshop is to create tangible benefits
and clear improvement as a direct result of the workshop.
• Specific deliverables, goals, metrics, and outcomes are established for
each workshop.
• Successful workshops will leverage our years of analyst experience and
written research to provide an engaging experience which focuses
on implementing and getting to measurable results.
• Each workshop begins by diagnosing the current state and then
focuses on designing high impact improvements based on
best-practices research.
• Three and six month follow-ups will occur to ensure benefit realization.
Info-Tech Workshops provide the best-practices and implementation support necessary to help an IT leader build a World Class IT Operation.
Capability Optimization
Workshop
Diagnose Current State
Right-sizing
Process
Process Design
Measuring Benefits
Implementation Support
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Immature or non-existent portfolio management causes:
Destabilized business requirements.Inadequate or conflicted staffing assignments.Underestimation of future project/resource requirements.Non-standardized expectations around IT resources.Improper allocation of IT funding in the annual cycle.
A formalized IT Portfolio Management process results in:
Standardized business cases that are aligned with corporate strategy and one another. Streamlined process for requesting and allocating IT resources for project work. Greater confidence in the validity of skill requirements and resource estimates. Accurate allocation of staff and resources across various programs. Transparency into how scope changes can impact project timelines. Transparent project approval and prioritization procedures.
What is IT Portfolio Management?
A process that establishes discipline and visibility around IT’s investments and contribution to business goals.
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Workshop Schedule & Core Deliverables
Name Goal Core Deliverable
Day 1
Improve the Transparency of the IT Portfolio
Visualize the current portfolio to bring transparency to IT spend. • Current Investment Mix
Day 2
Improve IT Portfolio Impact & Alignment
Identify gaps between current and target investments and plan to reconcile misalignments.
• Portfolio Gap Analysis
Day 3
Optimize the Portfolio Management Process
Use a consistent process to build and assess business cases and ensure IT’s budget is spent on the most effective projects.
• Business Case Process and Template
Day 4
Monitor Portfolio Performance & Stakeholder Satisfaction
Measure the performance of the portfolio to improve the effectiveness of the IT spend.
• Portfolio Metrics
Day 5
Manage Benefits Realization & Accountability
Determine how deep to go when tracking benefits; determine how to reinforce budget and business case discipline.
• Strategy for Tracking Benefits
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Day 1: Improve the Transparency of the IT Portfolio
1.1 Review Portfolio Strategy and Methodology
Define corporate goals and categories of IT investment.
Discuss current roles, responsibilities, and portfolio
management processes.
1.2 Visualize IT’s Current Portfolio
Bring transparency to the categories of investment
that dominate the budget .Discuss issues,
opportunities, and goals for improvement during the
workshop.
Map IT’s current portfolio to corporate goals and
investment categories.
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Day 2: Improve IT Portfolio Impact & Alignment
2.1 Visualize the Target Portfolio Against Current
Determine target allocations for investment categories.
Compare current and target investment mix.
Identify the top three disparities having a negative
impact on IT’s portfolio.
2.2 Highlight the Gaps
Specify recommendations to initiate, change, or retire
projects/programs.
Discuss implications of gaps between the current and
target mix.
Brainstorm alternative IT investment opportunities
which align to gaps.
2.3 Manage Stakeholders and Strategy
Present opportunities to optimize the portfolio to
stakeholders.
Bring transparency and accountability into the IT
portfolio management methodology.
Define the process for effectively communicating
information to stakeholders.
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Day 3: Optimize the Portfolio Management Process
3.1 Right-Size the Business Case
Process
Analyze and optimize the process for
preparing business cases.
Right-size the business case
template.
3.2 Define Business Case Assessment
Process
Define criteria for assessing business
cases.
Assess business cases on cost,
benefit and risk.
Document approval and rejection
process.
3.4 Define Cost and Benefit Milestones
Prepare to follow-up on expected benefits
after projects are complete.
Standardize milestone schedules.
3.3 Manage Rejected Business
Cases
Standardize communication and expectations around
rejected business cases.
Communicate cost and benefit data to
appropriate stakeholders.
Document business case standards and
procedures.
Define criteria for improving, holding or discarding rejected
business cases.
Avoid losing good ideas within rejected
business cases.
Classify business cases by investment
categories.
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Day 4: Monitor Portfolio Performance & Stakeholder Satisfaction
4.1 Optimize Performance with Portfolio Metrics
Evaluate current and potential metrics.
Strategize measurement and
tracking methodologies to
optimize on portfolio performance.
4.2 Establish Recurring Reviews
Define the process for reviewing project and portfolio data.
Collect and measure data to assess performance.
4.4 Report to Stakeholders and
Executives
Manage communication,
interpretation, and clarification of
portfolio performance.
Report on progress to corporate goals.
4.3 Adjust Projects and the Portfolio
Communicate recommendations to
further drive performance.
Define and analyze relationships
between projects for optimal portfolio
performance.
Finalize processes to track and apply
metrics.
Create and communicate a
review schedule with stakeholders.
Recommend adjustments to
specific projects to capitalize on
benefits.
Manage change requests.
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Day 5: Manage Benefits Realization & Accountability
5.1 Define Benefit Tracking Practices
5.2 Optimize Internal Procedures and
Templates
Validate that templates communicate specific, accurate, and relevant
information.
Validate that procedures are specific and action-oriented.
Validate that processes are realistic and create value.
Establish responsibility and accountability for benefits
achievement.
Develop and document the strategy for tracking and
measuring benefits.
Validate that tracked benefits meet corporate
standards.
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Client Testimonials
We’ve tried to work on it on our own, but the
really valuable part is having the focused time working with the experts
and getting the deliverables at the end
of the exercise. It is something that we can action and really take
forward.
-University
Helped us organize how we do portfolio management, better
than we had, and how we can do it in a way
that IT is seen as supporting the business goals.
-ManufacturingCompany
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Portfolio Workshop Primary Deliverable:Best Practice Approach to Portfolio Management Customized to Your Process
• Comprehensive, step-by-step walk through of your Portfolio Management Target State.
• Assessment of overall balance between Strategic and Operational Initiatives.
• Detailed analysis of how well your portfolio supports individual Strategic Goals.
• Recommendations for optimizing your investments to better meet the needs of key Stakeholders.
Visualize Your Portfolio Assess and Right-Size Your Business Case
Establish a Benefits Achievement Tracking Process
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Portfolio Workshop Core Deliverables
Seven Key Deliverables will be completed during the Workshop:
Portfolio Alignment & Visualization Tool• Visualize the alignment between your portfolio
management practices and enterprise goals.• Discuss existing gaps and how to close them.
Portfolio Gap Analysis• Prepare an analysis of existing gaps between
portfolio management practices and enterprise goals.• Understand the impact of those gaps on corporate
objectives.• Facilitate a discussion about aligning portfolio
management practices and enterprise goals between executives.
Business Case Right-sizing• Assess the current methods of analyzing business
cases to approve or reject projects.• Adjust elements of the methodology based on goals
and objectives. • Right-size an existing business case template or co-
design a template with an Info-Tech analyst. • Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the
project approval process and benefit realization plan.
Portfolio Evaluation Process• Complete a full walk-through of the portfolio
evaluation process and create a draft process manual detailing best-practice activities.
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Portfolio Workshop Core Deliverables
Portfolio Management Process• Create a standardized process for managing
projects currently active in the portfolio.• Use cost and benefit information to efficiently make
decisions to close or maintain projects over time.
Portfolio Communication Strategy• Communicate specific elements of the portfolio
management process and portfolio performance.• Prepare a set of standardized reports and a
distribution schedule.• Release the appropriate information at the
appropriate time.
Benefits Achievement Tracking Process• Establish a right-sized process for tracking the
achievement of benefits as outlined in business cases over time.
• Document and implement the first phase of this process to ground it in reality.
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Seven Key Deliverables will be completed during the Workshop:
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Manage the IT Portfolio Workshop:Built on World Class Research, Experience, and Standards
Research Process
COBIT Driven• Grounded in open international
standards.• APO05 Manage Portfolio.
• Team with over 30 years experience.• Over 2,800 hours of research.• Based on primary and in-field
research.
Tools & Templates
• Standard Operating Procedures• Investment Mix Visualization• Business Case Assessment• Business Case Prioritization• Milestone Report• Portfolio Metrics Evaluation• Benefits Summary & Analysis
• 115 page Research Report• 15 in-depth activities and exercises• Ability to map 100 of your top projects • Ability to visualize the portfolio against five major and 60 minor
sub-groupings