It is exciting to see the complexity and scope of our IT projects continue to grow as businesses learn and adapt to changing technology. As a result, project management has become a critical and strategic business function in ensuring we deliver successful projects every time.
The goal of our Project Management Office (PMO) is to deliver projects on time, on budget and of value. We achieve this by working alongside our customers to ensure our projects align with their objectives and achieve the anticipated outcomes and benefits.
Our Solutions Manager, Ali Kaabi, answers all the burning questions about PMO, including how we surpass our on-time delivery rates, the reason behind our project management success and what it takes to exceed customer expectations on every occasion.
Q: Let us start with a brief overview of you, your role at The Missing Link and our PMO?
I have been a part of the dream team for over a year now; however, I have 15 years of experience in leading multiple delivery functions in a diverse range of organisations and industries. My role at the Missing Link is to manage our Project Management Office (PMO) and ensure we continue to deliver our projects successfully.
The acronym of PMO can stand for Project/Program/Portfolio Management Office, but to many of us, it is the department that manages or supports project delivery. Here at The Missing Link, we achieve this by providing delivery support, governance, transparency, reusability, and traceability.
I believe each PMO brings unique values to their organisation, contributing in various ways instead of being one-size-fits-all. However, for us, our PMO provides value to our customers by;
- Improving the management and control of projects
- Providing a consistent and high-quality experience
- Increasing project success
- Effective risk management
- Increasing efficiencies
- And reducing implementation costs, resulting in more affordable engagement for our customers
Our PMO is ever-evolving to ensure that we not only elevate our capability but also spearhead any transformation to ensure we stay relevant and continue to provide value to our customers.
Q: What does our successful project delivery framework look like?
I am immensely proud that we have developed a unique customer-centric project delivery framework that also aligns with the industry best practices to manage project implementations. Our methodology and highly skilled team provide the right balance between flexibility, agility, and governance to ensure project outcomes are achieved.
Q: Why is it essential that our project delivery framework is agile and innovative?
If you ever needed further proof, as to why every stage of our project delivery framework needs to be agile, then look no further than the current circumstances! We had three crucial infrastructure transformation projects kick-off concurrently just before COVID19, which we couldn't delay or pause.
We needed to adapt and develop our delivery approach to ensure not only these projects are delivered on-time and on-budget but also increase communication and collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders.
In response, we accelerated our digital transformation. We adopted a fully digital approach with our project and portfolio management. We embraced these new changes, converting to the new digital platforms such as Microsoft Teams to be aligned with our project practice. In addition to this, we looked at our Project Management Framework; we adapted some new activities whilst investing in creating a collaborative environment for both internal and external stakeholders. By embracing new technology, we reduced our admin time (and cost), we then invested these saving into our new communication framework, ensuring our external clients were perceived these values and were supported throughout the project life-cycle.
Customer satisfaction is always our highest priority, and by responding and adapting quickly, we were able to successfully deliver our most significant projects to date with minimal disruptions.
Q: What is the secret behind our ability to deliver projects on time, along with exceeding client feedback on every occasion?
Our adaptive PMO, coupled with our high performing team, are the key to our success.
We continuously develop and invest in our team to ensure we continue to be a one-stop-shop for all things relating to project delivery. Together we have created a shared vision, shared team processes, and a high-performance culture.
From the moment that we get the go-ahead, our team invests in creating the right atmosphere for our customers. Our goal is to build a relationship and be the customer's trusted partner to deliver their projects and objectives successfully. Whether it is our unique project kick-off, or our weekly status meetings and reporting, we invest in more communication and clarity for our customer.
We adopt a hands-on approach throughout our projects to ensure we are striving to better our understanding and meet our customer's objectives.
Q: How would you define success personally, and how do you keep your team motivated every day?
For me, success is very much a bottom-up approach; having a motivated team, coupled with a safe and engaging environment that continues to expand and improve, thus becoming a part of its fabric.
What I love most about my role is having the opportunity to inspire, empower and develop my amazing team. I keep my team motivated by understanding their individual needs, aspirations, and motivators (or demotivators). I translate this into a tailored development plan that is focused on enabling and empowering them to develop their abilities and confidence.
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