To assess IT project delivery and project management office (PMO) operations for the purposes of devising a strategy for improvement. For this rapidly growing international retailer, the challenge was to devise a strategy solid enough to address current needs, flexible enough to mature and evolve with the expanding organization, and lean enough to reflect the enterprise's fiscal imperatives.

An in-depth study of the external and internal factors affected by and influencing project delivery and portfolio performance was conducted. In addition to interviewing and surveying the decentralized project management practitioners and the IT leadership team, project performance data, methodologies, tools, processes, practices and policies were examined for fit and relevance. Additionally, project delivery teams were lead through Ishikawa (cause and effect) sessions to discuss and identify the root causes negatively impacting  project management performance. The outcomes of these sessions were socialized and organization-wide root cause themes harvested. Finally, a thorough assessment of the study's findings against industry, corporate size and IT best practices was conducted.

Optimize! delivered a comprehensive guide for improving financial, customer, internal business process and learning results through balancing IT capacity and demand, refining and streamlining project management processes, increasing the project management education program, leveraging tool capabilities, installing the appropriate organizational structures, fostering knowledge sharing, and measuring performance. In addition, a time line for implementation, work team accountabilities, and key objectives and outcomes was defined.

The client socialized the findings and solutions with the IT leadership team members, and encouraged their feedback. Solutions have been parsed out to the appropriate teams.