10 Effective Methods and Strategies for Multi-Project Management
| Translated by Julian Hammer
Multi-project management (MPM) means the simultaneous planning, management and controlling of multiple projects within an organization. It aims at using synergies between projects, distribute resources effectively and achieve strategic objectives more effectively. The multi-project manager acts as a superordinate authority, ensuring that there is a gobal overview of the running projects.
Why are multi-project management methods relevant for successful project implementation? Multi-project management methods are crucial for project implementation as they help to coordinate resources, time and priorities efficiently, minimizing conflicts between parallel projects. They promote transparency and strategic alignment so that business objectives can be achieved despite complex dependencies and limited capacities.
Simultaneous management of multiple projects means increasing complexity. The diversity of projects makes it necessary to use different strategies and methods in multi-project management in order to meet the challenges. For example, not all projects can be pursued with the same intensity at the same time. It is therefore necessary to prioritize projects according to their strategic relevance, urgency and resource requirements.
The allocation of limited resources such as personnel, budget and time is a central task. Bottlenecks and overloads must be avoided. Multi-project management must also ensure that the objectives of the projects are clearly defined, coordinated and that their achievement is realistic.
Through targeted planning, efficient resource management ensures that personnel, materials and financial resources are distributed in line with requirements without overburdening or disadvantaging individual projects. This increases productivity and avoids unnecessary costs.
Risk management identifies and evaluates potential problems at an early stage. A forward-looking analysis allows measures to be taken to minimize or avoid risks. This reduces negative effects on individual projects and the entire portfolio.
Multi-project management places high demands on organization and coordination. Successful implementation depends to a large extent on the ability to manage resources and risks effectively. This is the only way to achieve project goals despite differing project requirements.
The methods of multi-project management include classic approaches for structured projects, agile methods for flexible and iterative processes and hybrid models that combine both. The choice of multi-project management methods depends on factors such as project size, complexity, phase, available resources and strategic goals to ensure efficient management of the entire project portfolio.
Table of Contents
- Integration of Multi-Project Management Tools
- Prioritization of Projects
- Effective Resource Management
- Introducing a Central Communication Platform
- Regular Status Reports and Meetings
- Risk and Change Management
- Using Agile Methods
- Stakeholder Management
- Standardization of Processes
- Continuous Improvements and Lessons Learned
- Multi-Project Management Methods vs. Single-Project Management Methods
1) Integration of Multi-Project Management Tools
Multi-project management software provides efficient support for planning, monitoring and controlling multiple projects. It provides a central overview of resources, risks and the status of all projects.
The most common challenges in multi-project management include a lack of transparency, resource conflicts, unclear priorities and communication problems. Without centralized control, there is a risk that projects will interfere with each other, deadlines will be missed or strategic goals will be lost sight of. The integration of multi-project management tools solves these problems by centralizing relevant data, automating processes and visualizing the current project status.
These are the most important multi-project management functions:
- Project dashboards visualize the current status of all projects in real-time, including progress, milestones and deadlines.
- Resource management modules show availabilities and resource bottlenecks and support a targeted distribution.
- Risk management is an important feature that identifies potential problems at an early stage and allows for the evaluation and management of risks.
- Prioritization functions help to weight projects according to their strategic importance and urgency.
- Time and budget tracking monitors expenditure and temporal effort across all projects and compares these with the planned values.
- Communication platforms such as activity tracking, notification function and chat facilitate the exchange of information and documents in the project teams, especially in distributed teams.
Multi-project management tools reduce the administrative workload through automation and enable teams to concentrate on the implementation of projects.
The PLANTA Project multi-project management tool is a comprehensive software solution which was especially developed for multi-project management. Thanks to the integration of functions such as resource management, scheduling and cost control PLANTA Project offers a central platform that creates transparency and promotes collaboration between project teams. The software supports both traditional and agile project management methods and can be flexibly adapted to the specific requirements of different industries.
2) Prioritization of Projects
The prioritization of projects serves to identify projects within a portfolio according to their strategic importance, urgency and available resources. The aim is to prioritize the most important and relevant projects.
In multi-project management, conflicts often arise between projects that are competing for limited resources such as personnel, budget or time. In addition, there is often no clear basis for deciding which projects are strategically more important.
The prioritization method solves these problems by enabling a structured evaluation that creates transparency and provides clear criteria for decision-making. This ensures that resources are used efficiently and strategic goals remain in focus.
The following components are used for this purpose:
- Evaluation criteria such as strategic relevance, ROI (Return on Investment), urgency, risks or resource requirements help to evaluate projects objectively.
- Scoring models evaluate projects based on a point scale. This takes into account various factors such as benefits, costs and risks.
- The prioritization matrix is a visual tool. It classifies projects based on several criteria (e.g. urgency and importance) as in the Eisenhower matrix or the MoSCoW method.
- Portfolio dashboards are software-based solutions which render the current status and the ranking of projects visible at one glance, often with real-time data.
- Decision-making workshops are held with relevant stakeholders to discuss and decide on priorities together.
When prioritizing projects, it is crucial to define clear criteria in order to ensure an objective and comprehensible evaluation. Frequently used criteria are:
- Strategic relevance: How much does the project contribute to the achievement of the superordinate business objectives?
- ROI: What financial benefits does the project generate compared to the costs?
- Urgency: How time-critical is the project due to external deadlines or internal priorities?
- Resource requirements: Which and how many resources are required for the project and are they available?
- Risks: What potential risks are associated with the project and what is the probability and scope of their impact?
- Dependencies: Are there any projects or processes that depend on or influence this project?
- Innovation potential: Does the project promote innovation or open up new business opportunities?
- Customer benefits: How much does the project improve customer satisfaction or the market value of the company?
These criteria can be adapted and weighted depending on the industry, organization and specific requirements.
Prioritizing projects creates transparency and a solid basis for decision-making so that projects with the highest added value are implemented first. This also increases efficiency and satisfaction of the project teams.
3) Effective Resource Management
Effective resource management includes resource planning as well as the allocation and monitoring of resources across multiple projects. The aim is to ensure that these resources are used optimally in order to complete projects efficiently and on time.
In multi-project management, challenges often arise through resource bottlenecks. They occur above all when several projects rely on the same resources at the same time. This can lead to overload and delays, as the available resources are not sufficient to adequately support all projects.
Another problem is the lack of transparency in the allocation of resources. If there is no clear overview of the available capacities, inefficient processes and misunderstandings arise that impair the progress of the project.
Another critical issue is the overworking of employees. If staff are not distributed adequately or sufficient time reserves are not planned, the workload of individual team members increases. This reduces productivity in the long term and impairs motivation in the team.
The method of effective resource management solves these
problems through central resource planning and coordination that allow for a software-aided optimal resource distribution. This also includes a transparent display of free capacities and impending overload in real time. The following measures can be implemented for this purpose:
- Capacity planning: Includes the analysis of available resources to ensure that projects are equipped with sufficient capacity.
- Resource allocation: Systematically allocates resources based on project requirements and priorities.
- Bottleneck analysis: identifies critical resources that can cause potential bottlenecks and develops a strategy to resolve this issue.
- Resource pools: Collects centralized data on available resources so that they can be deployed according to demand and skills.
- Planning software: Helps to plan, allocate and monitor resources effectively.
The following resource planning criteria are important to ensure that this method can be used competently:
- Availability of resources: Is sufficient time, budget and personnel available?
- Qualifications and skills of the personnel: Does the team have the required competences?
- Urgency and priority of the projects: Which projects have to be implemented first due to deadlines?
- Strategic importance of the project: How does the project contribute to achieving the company’s goals?
- Dependencies between projects: Which projects influence each other?
Effective resource management in multi-project management ensures optimum utilization of existing capacities, avoids bottlenecks and reduces the risk of overloading. It creates transparency regarding the distribution of resources and allows for better coordination between projects. The optimal distribution of resources promotes the satisfaction of project teams and allows for projects to be concluded efficiently and on time. Ultimately, the method helps to increase overall performance in multi-project management and to ensure the achievement of strategic business objectives.
4) Introducing a Central Communication Platform
A central communication platform is a digital solution that bundles the exchange of information, documents and status updates both within a project and across multiple projects. It is used so that all parties involved can communicate via a standardized channel.
This is important because there are often communication problems in multi-project management because information is scattered or not available in good time. This can lead to misunderstandings, delays or duplication of work. In addition, unclear responsibilities and a lack of transparency make cooperation difficult.
The introduction of a central platform resolves these problems by bundling all relevant information in one place, creating clear communication paths and facilitating access to data for all persons involved.
The following tools can improve communication in multi-project management.
- Real-time messaging enables fast coordination and reduces delays in communication.
- Document management centralizes storage within the projects and access to relevant files and versions.
- Project overview provides a visual representation of the current status, progress and open items.
- Notification systems inform team members about important updates or changes.
- The integration of third party tools connects the platform to other software solutions like calendars, time recording or risk management tools.
These tools are chosen according to the following criteria:
- User-friendliness: Is the platform intuitive and easy to use?
- Access rights: Can sensitive information be protected through roles and authorizations?
- Collaboration functions: Does the platform support team work and the editing of documents?
- Scalability: Is the solution suitable for growing projects and teams?
- Integration: Can the platform be seamlessly connected to existing systems?
The introduction of a central communication platform improves collaboration and saves time by facilitating access to information. Misunderstandings and duplication of work are reduced and teams can react more quickly to changes.
5) Regular Status Reports and Meetings
Regular status reports and meetings are structured communication methods in multi-project management.that are used to discuss and document the progress, challenges and upcoming steps in projects. The aim is to create transparency and promote cooperation.
Communication problems often arise in multi-project management, especially when coordinating information between different teams.
Unclear responsibilities and a lack of transparency can lead to delays, duplication of work and risks being overlooked. In addition, there is often a lack of a clear basis for decision-making because information is not available on time or in full. Regular status reports and meetings create a central platform to solve these problems by ensuring consistent reporting and coordination.
The following components belong to status reports and meetings:
- Reports document the project progress on a regular basis, including success, problems, risks and upcoming tasks.
- Team meetings promote the exchange between the persons involved in the project and clarify open items or conflicts.
- Cross-project coordination takes place when software-supported escalations require a decision
- Report editors enable the creation and distribution of reports on the project progress, also in comparison to the initial target planning.
- Action protocols record the decisions and responsibilities discussed and ensure that they are implemented.
The criteria that are relevant for this method are the following:
- Regularity: At what frequency should meetings be held and reports be prepared? (z. B. weekly, monthly)?
- Participants: Who needs to attend the meetings to exchange relevant information?
- Content: What topics and details need to be covered in reports or meetings (e.g. progress, risks, resources)?
- Documentation: How and where are reports and logs stored and made accessible?
The use of regular status reports and meetings promotes consistent communication between the project teams. Decisions can be made faster and on the basis of complete information. Risks and problems are also identified and addressed at an early stage. Structured documentation ensures traceability, which significantly increases efficiency and collaboration in multi-project management.
With a suitable project management software, the above-mentioned information is made transparent, so that the necessity for regular meetings can be drastically reduced.
6) Risk and Change Management
Risk and change management is a method in multi-project management that aims to identify, assess and manage potential risks at an early stage. In addition, changes in projects are planned and implemented effectively. The aim is to minimize negative effects on projects and ensure flexible adaptation to new conditions.
In multi-project management, risks such as resource bottlenecks, technical problems or external influences can lead to delays or cost overruns. At the same time, changes often occur as a result of new requirements, external market conditions or internal restructuring. Without structured risk and change management, these factors can lead to chaos, inefficient use of resources and unachievable project objectives.
This method is an important tool for avoiding the problems described above. Software with this functionality supports project managers in systematically evaluating risks and changes. It enables potential project risks to be identified in good time and ensures that changes are implemented in a coordinated and controlled manner — with the following functions:
- Risk checklist: A central list in which all identified risks, their assessments and the planned measures are documented.
- Risk Analysis: Techniques such as SWOT analysis or risk-value matrices help to assess the probability and potential damage of risks.
- Risk minimization: Measures to avoid, reduce or transfer risks, for example through contracts or alternative plans.
- Change requests: formal documents in which planned changes, their justification and impact are recorded.
- Change Control Boards: Teams that decide on the approval or rejection of changes and coordinate their implementation.
- Tracking tools: Software or specialized risk management tools for monitoring risks and changes.
The following criteria have proven their worth for reliable risk and change management:
- Probability and impact: How probable is a risk and what impact would it have?
- Cost-benefit analysis: What costs arise from a change and what benefits does it bring?
- Urgency: How quickly do risks need to be addressed or changes be implemented?
- Dependencies: Which other projects or processes are affected?
- Availability of resources: Is there sufficient capacity to manage risks or implement changes?
Effective risk and change management minimizes uncertainties and makes sure that project managers can react flexibly to changes. Risk management in project management promotes structured decision-making and helps to identify and address potential problems at an early stage. Changes are implemented in a controlled manner so that no unnecessary delays or costs arise.
7) Using Agile Methods
Agile methods are flexible and iterative approaches to project management that aim to plan, implement and regularly review projects in small, manageable steps. They rely on continuous improvements, close collaboration in the team and the ability to quickly react to changes. In multi-project management, they enable dynamic adaptation to changing priorities and requirements.
These frequently changing requirements, unclear priorities and a high level of complexity are typical problems in multi-project management. This can lead to projects coming to a standstill, communication between teams suffering or resources being used inefficiently. Agile methods solve these challenges through short planning cycles, regular feedback and a high level of transparency in the course of the project.
Agile methods minimize delays since problems can be recognized and resolved in good time. They also ensure better communication between teams and stakeholders by continuously discussing progress and obstacles.
The following options are used for this purpose:
- Sprints are short, defined work phases (usually 1–4 weeks), in which a team completes particular tasks.
- Daily stand-ups are brief daily meetings during which the current progress, obstacles and the next steps are discussed.
- Product Backlog contains a prioritized list of tasks and requirements which the team is to process.
- Sprint review and retrospective are meetings used at the end of a sprint to present results and reflect and improve the working method.
- Kanban boards are visual tools which show the progress of tasks in different phases (e.g. to do, in progress, done).
- Scrum Master describes a role within the team that ensures that agile principles are complied with and obstacles are removed.
Agile methods and agile project management are based on the following criteria:
- Flexibility of requirements: How often do project goals or priorities change?
- Team size: Agile methods are particularly effective in small to medium-sized teams.
- Stakeholder involvement: Is regular coordination with stakeholders possible and desired?
- Complexity of the projects: How are large tasks broken down into smaller work packages in order to effectively manage dynamic project requirements?
- Availability of resources: Are the necessary capacities and technologies available for iterative work?
Agile methods promote flexibility, transparency and efficiency in multi-project management. They enable rapid adaptation to changes, early problem solving and better collaboration between teams and stakeholders. This reduces delays and leads to a more effective resources utilization.
8) Stakeholder Management
Stakeholder management identifies all relevant stakeholders of a project, understands their expectations and needs and actively involves them in the project processes. The aim is to gain the support of stakeholders and avoid conflicts.
In multi-project management there is often a variety of stakeholders with different or even contradictory interests. Without targeted stakeholder management, misunderstandings, conflicts and resistance can arise. In addition, the lack of involvement of relevant stakeholders can lead to important requirements being overlooked.
Stakeholder management solves these problems by systematically analyzing which stakeholders have a decisive influence on the project. It develops suitable strategies to involve and inform stakeholders. This improves communication and increases the likelihood that projects will be met with broad acceptance.
Stakeholder management is implemented using the following methods:
- Stakeholder analysis: identifies and evaluates all relevant stakeholders in terms of their influence and expectations.
- Stakeholder mapping: Visualizes stakeholders in a matrix, e.g. by influence and interest, to define the interaction strategy.
- Communication strategy: determines how stakeholders are to be regularly informed, consulted or involved.
- Feedback mechanisms: Establishes channels through which stakeholders can express their opinions and actively participate in the project.
- Conflict management: Develops measures to resolve potential conflicts with or between stakeholders at an early stage.
The functions are based on the following criteria:
- Relevance: Which stakeholders have an influence on the success of the project?
- Expectations: What requirements or goals are the stakeholders pursuing?
- Interests and influence: How strong is the interest and power position of the stakeholders?
- Need for communication: How often and in what form do stakeholders need to be informed?
- Conflict potential: Which stakeholders could develop resistance?
Structured stakeholder management ensures improved communication and increases the acceptance of projects by all parties involved. The requirements of the stakeholders are taken into account appropriately. Overall, the method contributes to a smooth process and stronger support in multi-project management.
9) Standardization of Processes
Standardizing processes and workflows in multi-project management means defining repeatable processes and procedures which are the same for all projects within a portfolio. The aim is to ensure efficiency, consistency and comparability in project work.
Due to the different project teams in multi-project management, there are often different procedures and tools. This can lead to inefficiency, communication problems and difficulty in comparing projects.
The standardization of processes and workflows solves these problems by creating clear procedures and specifications. This simplifies communication between teams and reduces errors.
“The introduction of the defined project approval process was a real milestone”, is what Yamaichi Electronics says about the optimization of its project management. The Japanese manufacturer, which manages up to 70 parallel development projects and 250 individual projects per year, relies on PLANTA’s software to plan resources efficiently and improve workflows. Yamaichi uses PLANTA to create individual reports, integrate a profitability analysis and optimize the utilization of resources, including test equipment.
Standardization can be achieved with the following components:
- The process documentation describes standardized procedures and processes that must be followed in every project.
- Templates and checklists make sure that important steps and requirements are adhered to in every project.
- Project management software offers a central platform for standardized workflows, reports, and resource planning.
- Trainings teach the uniform standards and their application to the project teams.
- Monitoring and feedback monitors the compliance with standards and enables improvements based on feedback.
This is done on the basis of the following criteria:
- Relevance: Which processes are applicable to most projects?
- Flexibility: Can the processes be adapted to specific projects?
- Efficiency: How well do the standardized processes reduce effort and susceptibility to errors?
- Compatibility: Are the processes compatible with existing tools and technologies?
- Acceptance: Are the standards considered helpful and practicable by the teams?
The standardization of processes improves efficiency since all projects are based on the same proven procedures. Repeatable processes reduce errors and facilitate monitoring, while templates and tools save time. Altogether, the method contributes to increasing quality and consistency in multi-project management and promoting structured project work.
10) Continuous Improvements and Lessons Learned
The method of continuous improvement and lessons learned refers to the systematic analysis and use of experiences made during and after the conclusion of projects. It is used to learn from mistakes, identify best practices and apply them to future projects.
Valuable knowledge is often lost in multi-project management if there is no structured follow-up. As a result, mistakes are repeated and opportunities for improvement are not exploited. In addition, there is often a lack of a mechanism for systematically documenting and passing on best practices.
The method of continuous improvements solves these problems by encouraging the reflection about the course of the project and deducing concrete measures.
This method can be implemented with the following tools:
- Lessons Learned Workshops are meetings during which teams analyze the course of the project and identify success factors as well as weak points.
- Feedback systems offer mechanisms that allow persons involved in the project to provide regular feedback, e.g. through surveys or tools.
- Improvement register enable a central collection of findings and suggestions that can be incorporated into future projects.
- Process reviews ensure regular reviews of existing processes to identify opportunities for optimization.
- Performance measurement is carried out using KPI to evaluate and monitor the impact of improvement measures.
The following criteria form the basis for these components:
- Relevance: Which findings are particularly important for future projects?
- Feasibility: What measures can realistically be implemented?
- Priority: Which improvements have the greatest impact on efficiency or quality?
- Acceptance: How do the teams feel about implementing the lessons learned?
- Measurability: Can the results of the improvements be clearly tracked?
Continuous improvement and lessons learned promote a learning culture in multi-project management in which teams benefit from experience and develop continuously. Learning becomes agile, errors are reduced and the efficiency and quality of project work is increased. The method also strengthens the motivation of the teams, as they are actively involved in improvement processes.
Multi-Project Management Methods vs Individual Project Management Methods
Multi-project management (MPM) is the simultaneous planning, management and controlling of multiple projects within one organization. It includes the coordination of resources, the prioritization of projects and the monitoring of overall progress to ensure that project goals are achieved.
In contrast, individual project management focuses exclusively on the successful implementation of a single project. While single project management aims to achieve a specific project goal on time and on budget, multi-project management focuses on optimizing an entire project portfolio. In multi-project management, projects have to be prioritized, dependencies taken into account and resources shared between projects, which brings additional complexity.
A central goal of multi-project management is the optimal use of resources in which time, budget and personnel are used efficiently across all projects in order to avoid bottlenecks and overloads. Furthermore, the focus is on strategic prioritization, in which projects are selected and promoted that make the greatest contribution to the overarching corporate goals. To track the progress of all projects, it is crucial to ensure transparency and control. This provides a clear overview of the status of projects and gives managers the opportunity to react to deviations at an early stage. At the same time, risk management plays an important role by identifying and minimizing risks that result from dependencies or resource conflicts between projects.
However, multi-project management also comes with specific challenges:
- Resource conflicts arise when several projects have to use limited capacities, which can lead to bottlenecks and delays.
- The complexity and dependence between projects further complicate planning since a delay in one project can have an impact on other projects.
- Another difficulty is the prioritization, since there are often rivaling stakeholder interests that influence decision-making.
- Communication is a key challenge as clear processes and platforms are required to ensure alignment between different project teams and stakeholders.
- The monitoring and control of several projects requires comprehensive tools and techniques to maintain an overview and ensure the success of the entire portfolio.
In an increasingly complex and dynamic business world, companies often have to implement numerous projects simultaneously to remain competitive. Effective multi-project and portfolio management ensures that limited resources are used efficiently, strategic goals are achieved and risks are minimized. Without clearly structured multi-project management, there is a risk of wasted resources, project delays and the failure of important initiatives.
Which Tools and Techniques Support Multi-Project Management?
Multi-project management requires the use of various planning, analysis and visualization techniques in order to coordinate several projects efficiently. The most important planning tools include project management software tjhat enables strategic planning by providing a central overview of all projects. Roadmapping supports long-term planning by setting out clear objectives and milestones for the future.
Analysis tools, such as Balanced Scorecard, measure the performance and orientation of the projects to business objectives while the Earned Value Analysis monitors the progress and performance of a project against actual costs, planned costs and work completed. This method identifies deviations at an early stage so that countermeasures can be taken in good time.
Visualization techniques such as Gantt charts facilitate time and resource planning by providing a clear representation of tasks, schedules and dependencies. Kanban boards and Scrum boards visualize work processes and promote the efficient work flow, particularly in agile projects.
For resource planning, resource management tools are used which show availabilities and bottlenecks to ensure optimal distribution. Prioritization matrices help to evaluate projects by their strategic meaning and urgency while the risk matrix identifies and evaluates risks to minmize uncertainties.
In addition, the network planning technique facilitates the analysis of dependencies and the identification of critical paths while the Milestone Trend Analysis (MTA) recognizes schedule deviations at an early stage. Project status dashboards offer real-time insights into the progress and support well-founded decisions. Finally, workflow automation tools allow you to automate routine tasks to save time and increase efficiency.
Together, these tools and techniques form a comprehensive system that ensures transparency, control and the successful implementation of multiple projects.
The following table provides an overview of the tools, that are specifically used for planning, controlling and optimization in multi-project management:
| Werkzeug/Technik | Zweck | Vorteile |
|---|---|---|
| Projektmanagementsoftware | Strategische Planung mehrerer Projekte | Übersicht und Koordination |
| Roadmapping | Langfristige Planung | Zukunftsorientierte Ausrichtung |
| Balanced Scorecard | Performance-Messung | Ausrichtung auf Unternehmensziele |
| Earned Value Analyse | Fortschritts- und Leistungsmessung | Früherkennung von Abweichungen |
| Gantt-Charts | Zeit- und Ressourcenplanung | Visuelle Darstellung von Zeitplänen |
| Kanban Boards | Arbeitsfluss Visualisierung | Erhöhung der Effizienz und Transparenz |
| Scrum Boards | Verwaltung von Sprints in agilen Projekten | Iterative Planung und schnelle Anpassungen |
| Ressourcenmanagement-Tools | Verteilung und Überwachung von Ressourcen | Optimierung der Ressourcennutzung |
| Priorisierungsmatrix | Bewertung der Projektrelevanz | Fokussierung auf strategisch wichtige Projekte |
| Risikomatrix | Bewertung und Steuerung von Risiken | Reduzierung von Unsicherheiten |
| Netzplantechnik | Analyse von Projektabhängigkeiten | Überwachung kritischer Pfade |
| Meilensteintrendanalyse | Analyse von Terminabweichungen | Frühwarnsystem für Verzögerungen |
| Projektstatus Dashboards | Visualisierung des Projektfortschritts | Erhöhte Transparenz und verbesserte Entscheidungsfindung |
| Workflow Automation Tools | Automatisierung von Routineaufgaben | Reduzierung von manuellem Aufwand |
Documentation tools such as Confluence, SharePoint or Google Workspace support multi-project management by providing a central platform for storing, organizing and accessing relevant documents. They promote communication between teams and improve the traceability of decisions and progress
What Are the Tasks and Responsibilities in Multi-Project Management?
Multi-project management comprises various areas of responsibility that ensure that parallel projects are planned, coordinated and implemented efficiently.
A central area is the analysis of the project landscape in which current and planned projects are examined with regard to their objectives, requirements and resource requirements. This serves as the basis for evaluation and prioritization in which projects are weighted according to strategic importance, urgency and resource utilization. This prioritization ensures that the available capacities are focused on the most important projects.
Another task is the resource management in which limited resources like time, budget and personnel are optimally distributed to different projects. Bottlenecks must be identified at an early stage and conflicts between projects must be avoided.
The monitoring and controlling of all projects creates transparency with regards to the progress, identifies deviations from plans and allows for countermeasures to be taken in good time. This is complemented by the risk management which analyzes and evaluates potential risks and implements measures to minimize them.
There are various responsibilities in multi-project management to handle these tasks, which are also mapped in the PLANTA system:
- The management makes strategic decisions, sets the project direction and provides the necessary resources.
- The program manager coordinates several thematically connected projects that contribute to one common objective. The focus is on the coordination between projects and the achievement of overarching program goals.
- The portfolio manager is responsible for the selection, prioritization and controlling of projects within a portfolio to achieve the greatest possible benefit for the organization.
- A resource and skill manager takes over the planning and distribution of human and material resources. It ensures that employees with the right skills are available for the respective tasks.
- The multi-project manager is responsible for the parent control and coordination of several projects. It prioritizes projects and optimizes resources across all projects.
- The project manager, on the other hand, is responsible for the implementation and controlling of individual projects. He defines project goals, monitors progress and ensures that time, budget and quality are adhered to.
- Project employees fulfill operational tasks within a project and implement the project manager’s specifications.
- The project management administrator assists the project managers with administrative tasks such as maintaining project data, preparing reports and ensuring that processes are followed.
- The Project Management Office (PMO) plays a central role in multi-project management by providing processes and tools, monitoring standards, coordinating communication and acting as a central point for reporting and analysis.
Overall, the responsibility of multi-project management is to control the project landscape efficiently, resolve conflicts and ensure the strategic alignment of projects.
What Are the Tasks of the Project Management Office (PMO) in Multi-Project Management?
The Project Management Office (PMO) is a central organization unit that supports companies to manage their projects and the entire project portfolio effectively. It ensures that standardized methods, processes and tools are used. The PMO acts as an interface between the company management and the project teams and assumes a coordinating and supporting role.
The PMO facilitates the planning and management of projects in the company by providing standardized processes and best practices that ensure a uniform approach. It supports the prioritization of projects based on strategic goals and ensures an optimal distribution of resources.
In addition, the PMO monitors the progress of all projects in the portfolio through central reporting and analysis. It produces comprehensive status reports that create transparency. The PMO also takes on an advisory role by providing project managers with training and tools and supporting them in finding solutions for problems and risks.
