The Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Professional

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The Enterprise Project Management (EPM)
Professional
ProjectWorld Presentation
The Key to Successful Adoption of Enterprise
Project Management
Brendan Giles, BSc., PMP, MOS, MCP (EPM)
March 28th, 2007
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Overview

• What is an EPM Professional?
• Why does our PMO need one?
• Can a Project Manager fill the role?
• Why an EPM Professional is crucial to the success
  of an EPM environment and promoting rapid
  adoption?
• Why recruitment and training of the EPM
  Professional is crucial to adoption of the EPM
  Environment
• Summary
• Questions and Wrap-up

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Overview of Acronyms

• PMP
• Project Management Professional Certification
  issued by the Project Management Institute
• MOS
• Microsoft Office Specialist Certification issued
  for each of the Microsoft Office Applications
  including Microsoft Project (New Certifications
  to be released in 2007)
• MCP
• Microsoft Certified Professional Program
  available for all Microsoft Software
• EPM
• Enterprise Project Management. Centralized
  control, Shared Resources, Portfolio / Project
  Reporting and tracking at the enterprise level.
• PMO
• Project Management Office. Responsible for
  project delivery, best practices and support of
  Project Management Environments such as EPM.
• MDX
• Multi-Dimensional query language used with
  Online-Analytical Processing (OLAP)

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Why does our PMO need one?
Program Manager
EPM Professional
Project Managers
Stakeholders
Resource Managers
Project Teams
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because organizations demand transparency from
the PMO
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Microsoft Enterprise Project Management
Microsoft is a leader in providing Enterprise
Project Management Software to Clients
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Microsoft Enterprise Project Management
Microsoft continues EPM Leadership in 2007
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Can a Project Manager Fill the Role?

• No. A Project Manager manages projects not EPM
  environments
• Project and Program Managers can rely on the
  support of an EPM Professional

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The EPM Professional

• A EPM Professional is a Project Management
  Technology Role
• An EPM Professional supports the PMO
• An EPM Professional supports the technology
  required to gain access to crucial project
  knowledge
• A well trained EPM Professional is crucial to a
  strong PMO in the 21st Century

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Why is an EPM Professional Crucial?

• Project Knowledge must be shared by many people
  within the enterprise space
• A Stand-alone project rarely exists
• Resources must be shared among project
  initiatives
• Organizations demand that their resources are
  used wisely and effectively..and they want proof
• Failed projects are costly..delivered projects
  wasteful of resources with the wrong objectives
  are just as costly
• PMO portfolio reporting must be accurate, quick
  and available upon demand
• The EPM Professional if trained properly can
  support the tools needed to run an effective PMO
• Confidence in the PMO and its reporting comes
  from within via a properly trained EPM
  Professional

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Reasons Given for Slow Adoption of EPM
Environments

• We cant share project information with
  sponsors they might ask too many questions
• .I know we dont have a process but things work
  out in the end, they always have.so report
  little during execution
• I dont have time to maintain a project plan I
  sure dont want it published to a shared
  repository
• An EPM environment is too complicated and we can
  never find anyone who is trained to run it

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Reasons Given for Slow Adoption of EPM
Environments

• Enterprise reporting is like yelling our
  weaknesses to the whole company
• Its not a priority..besides we are too busy
  collecting data from all these Project Managers
  who never tell each other what they are doing
• We like our sponsors to pay a fixed price for
  projects and not be involved on how we spend the
  money
• Cant we just use e-mail instead of all this
  other interactive stuff
• EPM environments are complicated and besides the
  Project Manager we assigned to run it doesn't
  seem to know much about it

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Addressing Slow Adoption of EPM

• Communicate the benefits of Enterprise Project
  Management at ALL levels within the organization
• Clearly define the skill set that an EPM
  Professional needs
• Identify roles within the PMO clearly
• Integrate the EPM Professional into the PMO
  before adoption
• The EPM Professional must be involved in
  implementation and support

Training the EPM Professional Is crucial to EPM
Adoption
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Addressing Slow Adoption of EPM

• Recruit and Train EPM Professionals before
  implementing an EPM Environment
• Show how an EPM Professional is as crucial a part
  of the PMO as a Project Manager, Portfolio
  Manager or Standards Analyst
• Show how EPM Professionals can be invaluable
  during audits
• Show how Microsoft is a leader in EPM software
  and works closely with training partners
• The EPM Professional must be involved in
  implementation and support
• Training as an EPM Professional can evolve into
  specialization in any of its technology areas
  later in your career.

Training the EPM Professional Is crucial to EPM
Adoption
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Addressing Slow Adoption of EPM

• Microsoft EPM Partners must have EPM
  Professionals on staff
• Microsoft EPM Partners must offer support
  services to In-House EPM Professionals
• Microsoft offers the EPM Software but Training
  partners must supply EPM Professional Training
• Microsoft offers the EPM Certifications but
  Software partners must supply EPM Professionals
  for hire or EPM Support Services.
• The EPM Professional is not a PM or DBA or
  Developer but a distinct role within the PMO.
• The EPM Professional is needed now to ensure that
  organizations feel comfortable adopting a
  Microsoft EPM Environment

Training the EPM Professional Is crucial to EPM
Adoption
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Recruitment and Training of an EPM Professional

• Identify the Microsoft Software that makes up an
  EPM Environment
• Design an all in one training program
• Include additional software tools to assist the
  EPM Professional in supporting the environment
• Include some soft skills
• Plan for upgrades
• Design a PMO integration plan
• Include Certifications

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Recruitment and Training of an EPM Professional

• Recruit Professional Trainers to deliver the EPM
  Professional Course Material
• Engage in PMO Readiness
• After successful completion of the program have
  the EPM Professional implement the EPM
  Environment
• Ensure the EPM Professional has Technical support
  from Microsoft Partners
• Monitor success and rapid adoption

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EPM Professional Profile

• Software Installer
• Microsoft Project Server Administrator
• Sharepoint Administrator
• Microsoft Office Specialist
• VBA Developer
• Project Portfolio Report Specialist
• Microsoft Project Professional power user

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EPM Professional Profile

• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Database Administration
• OLAP Cube Design
• Windows and Web Development

• This sounds like a lotbut the EPM Professional
  is not an expert DBA, Project Manager, Developer
  ..they are General Practioners of these
  disciplines

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EPM Professional Training

• Administration
• Microsoft Project Server
• Windows Sharepoint Services
• Sharepoint Server
• Portfolio Server
• SQL Database Fundamentals
• SQL Analysis Services Fundamentals

• Installation
• Microsoft Project Professional
• Windows 2003 Server
• Windows Sharepoint Services
• Sharepoint Server
• Portfolio Server
• Microsoft Project Server

• Development
• Visual Basic for Applications
• Microsoft Visual Studio 101
• Visual Studio Tools for Office
• Microsoft Office Specialist
• MDX Fundamentals (OLAP)
• Project Guide Development

• Project Management
• Microsoft Project Power User
• Fundamentals of Scheduling
• Plan Templates
• Best Practices
• Project Methodologies

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My Vision for the EPM Professional

• My Vision for the EPM Professional outlined here
  is something I have under development
• Microsoft Training Partners and EPM Partners will
  be reviewing it
• Customers can also participate
• The EPM Professional will be an all round
  professional and can easily specialize in any of
  the disciplines mentioned as a future career
  path. They will be in demand
• EPM Professionals will lead to rapid adoption of
  EPM

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My Vision for the EPM Professional
The EPM Future is now
With the right tools the EPM Professional will be
crucial to rapid adoption
The race to adoption is on
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Questions and Answers
Reach me at bgiles_at_aci.on.ca or through the
MPA-GTA
?