Don't be afraid

Many organizations think that implementing a tool like PCM is like throwing Microsoft Word on your desktop and telling you to use it. We all know that 90 percent of us only use about 10 percent of MS Word. Tools such as this are a discipline product; if you have the discipline to correctly use it, it can do great things. PCM is a way of life type product; your organization will come to depend on it to manage each set of contracts. PCM requires some forethought and planning before it can be used in an organization. There are many questions that need to be answered to properly set up this powerful tool. Often, those questions do not have ready or immediate answers; implementing a tool like PCM will force organizations to provide those answers. This is not a bad concept; don't be afraid. This exercise will help your organization mature and become better informed about project information and contract management. There is so much information that needs to be tracked and managed, that there must be procedures in place to make sure that nothing slips through the cracks. PCM will also shine a light on items that currently are in the dark, either intentionally or not. It is a tool that forces accountability within the project team. This is why many users are afraid to implement a tool such as this. PCM will expose those areas that are typically lacking in your organization. Every organization is different as to what those areas are and the effects of exposing them.

Change in an organization can be extremely hard. This is not something you didn't already know. Most managers and/or their subordinates do not like change. They have become very comfortable with the status quo. They have their very special spreadsheet that they can manipulate to show upper management. Many say, "Since the current system works, why do we have to change?" We need to define the word "works" in that question. All may be fine with the project manager and everything works for him, but for upper management, all is not fine. They have been wondering why, even though the project manager tells them all is great until the end of the project comes, the profit margin is not what they had expected and been told for the duration of the project. Many times upper management say, "If we had only known about those issues before the end of the project." PCM allows the upper management to have a view into the projects if required. It offers real-time information for reporting. They can run these reports any time from their control center. From the perspective of the enterprise, graphically they can see how aspects of the project are going. The following screenshot shows the Control Center screen of PCM:

The health of a project can be visible from the Control Center of PCM. By reviewing the graphs available and the alerts that affect your position, you can concentrate your time where it is needed and make proper decisions for the project.