1. A higher project management maturity level
Because a PMO occupies the central position within the project organisation, it can strongly influence the quality and standardization of all projects by means of processes and templates. It becomes the central position from which projects are started, ended and monitored. The proper setting up of a PMO plays a major role in achieving higher project management maturity within the organisation.
Advantages: Saving time & money by setting up the project department more efficiently.
2. Establishing project definitions
A PMO adds structure to a project! Questions like: "when does something become a project?" and "what structure does a project have?", are answered by a predefined standard project route of a PMO. This route also makes it easier to compare projects. In addition, a PMO ensures uniformity by providing fixed project templates.
Advantages: The entire project organisation has one standard for projects and knows when something is a project and when it is not. This makes it easier to compare projects with each other.
3. Reports and insights on all projects
From the central position between all projects, a PMO has the ultimate view on all the statuses of the various projects. With this data, a PMO can provide relevant insights in the field of resources, progress and budgets to higher management and the Project Managers themselves. Decisions before the start of a project can be made based on data and reports instead of gut feeling.
Benefits: real-time insight into project statuses. Making decisions based on data.
4. The (communication) heart of the project organisation
The proper organisation of communication between all stakeholders in a project is one of the most important tasks of a PMO. From arranging meetings to distributing all relevant discussion reports. Doing everything possible to involve and inform the right people in important decisions/information about the projects.
Advantages: Communicating relevant information per organisation layer. Facilitating, and therefore relieving, the communication in the projects.
5. PMO as knowledge centre of the project organisation
To learn from all the successes and learning moments of the projects, a PMO can act as the central place for all the knowledge and data. It can ensure that this data is easily accessible to project managers so that before they start a project, they can see exactly where the risks of similar projects were in the past. Gathering and managing this data is entirely the responsibility of the PMO.
Benefits: collection, maintenance and distribution of relevant lessons learned, project data and knowledge in one central place, the PMO.
