Conference Program

8:00am - 9:00am - Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00am-10:00am

Managing the Dynamic IT Portfolio: Responding to the Rhythms of Change

Terry Doerscher, Chief Process Architect, Planview

During periods of economic contraction, the ability to effectively manage demand, use capacity to maximum efficiency and control costs takes on an added dimension of importance. For most organizations, rather than applying portfolio management techniques to select entrepreneurial opportunities, attention often turns to how to best weather the storm with judicious cost containment and increased scrutiny of discretionary activities.  During downturns in the business cycle portfolio managers must shift their approach to both help the organization maintain existing products and services, as well as position the organization to take advantage of the inevitable upswing.  This session will provide an overview of how product and service lifecycles are leveraged as part of investment portfolio development, and how portfolios are executed relative to shifts in operational strategy.

10:00am - 10:30am - Refreshment Break

10:30am-11:30am

Creating Your Own 'Secret Sauce' for Strategy, Governance, and Portfolio Management
Susan Malisch, Vice President, CIO, Loyola University Chicago
 

Many organizations struggle with aligning Information Technology with the strategic direction of the business environment in which they operate.  This misalignment generally creates a set of cascading problems; a lack of understanding of how projects are selected for implementation, what criteria are used to prioritize projects, and how projects are managed and controlled once they are initiated.  While there are many strategies and project management methodologies generally available, success is often determined by how well the leadership adapts techniques which are best suited to their environment. 

This presentation will cover a 10-point checklist, provide specific templates, tips and techniques, and provoke food for thought in how to create or refine your "secret sauce" of Strategy, Governance, and Portfolio Management.

11:30am-12:30pm

IT Project Leadership: Driving Business Strategic Projects in Challenging Times

Joanne Johnson, Process Management Strategy Consultant, Best Consulting Group; Former Director IT Portfolio Management, Career Education

During a downturn, business can lose sight of their business and IT visions.  In order for a business to remain competitive, it is important to continue to remain focused.  Mr. Amrhein will present specific advice for determining which projects to cut, how to get business buy-in for the revised plan, and developing support within your IT group.

In this session attendees will learn:

• How to develop a revised plan that supports evolving business needs

• How to maintain investments in crucial areas

• How to identify the projects that are a must- have from a business perspective

• How to prioritize projects within your portfolio

• How to secure buy-in for the changed plan

12:30pm - 1:30pm Luncheon

1:30pm-2:30pm

How to Leverage Comprehensive EPM to Understand Your Organization's Demand While Maximizing Limited Supply

Fabrice Roche, Senior Vice President, UMT Consulting Group

Due to the recent economic downturn, budgets and resources have become even more limited than normal.  Across the board budget and resource cuts were often used to solve the issue of too many projects and too few resources, but deep cuts often destroy more value than is necessary.  Leveraging Enterprise Project and Portfolio Management to understand and manage your organization's project demand, the alignment of those projects to the organization's strategic drivers and the ability to execute projects with fewer resources can preserve significant value to the organization even when it is necessary to cut resources to bare-bone levels.
 

You will learn how to:

• Gain visibility into the organization's Project Demand: establish a single repository for all projects

• Establish project workflow(s): standardize the business case requirements and the intake process

• Maximize your Supply: strategically align investments to maximize the value of limited budget and resources

• Automate your EPM process: maximize benefits by leverage an enterprise project and portfolio management governance process and technology platform

2:30pm - 3:00pm - Refreshment Break

3:00pm-4:00pm

Measure What Matters Most: Using Metrics to Improve Portfolio Performance

Jay Hoskins, Senior Solution Architect, PowerSteering Software

The goal of PPM is to achieve better corporate performance through a portfolio that's aligned with the strategic objectives of the organization. But with all the variables involved how do you accurately measure the impact of your portfolio, ensure that your PMO meets the needs of the business and utilize the right information to make decisions?

Attendees will learn how to:

• Identify and cut costly, redundant, and non-strategic projects from your active portfolio

• Quantify your PMO's current and sustainable business value

• Rebalance and reprioritize your portfolio to reflect changing business needs

• Measure project financial performance, beyond "just costs"

• Track project schedule, execution and cycle time

4:00pm-5:00pm

A Road Map for the High Impact PMO
Mark Price Perry, Founder, BOT International

The PMO is the bridge between projects and business. This presentation provides a business-driven approach to the PMO and to project portfolio management. Highlighted is a five dimensional approach to organizational project portfolio management that defines the roadmap for a PMO to operate in both the strategic corporate space as well as in functional departments. This presentation addresses the requirements for setting up a PMO that meets the needs of practitioners responsible for managing projects, PMO management responsible for managing the project portfolio, and the leadership team “constituents of the PMO” responsible for the attainment of business goals for whom the PMO exists to serve.  “A Road Map for the High Impact PMO” is practical guide supported by PMO and PPM expertise, outside-the-box insights and considerations, and new techniques aligned to the needs of the business as opposed to theoretical and academic approaches.

Attendees will learn:

• New techniques for effectively managing the PMO

• New approaches for organizational-wide project portfolio management

• Insights into the negative, unintended consequences project management standards

• Techniques for thinking “outside-the-box” of the traditional PM community

• Case examples and insights to ensure a business driven PMO

Conference Price: $219.00 per person

Each attendee will receive a certificate awarding 7 CPE credits for CISSP continuing education, in addition to 0.7 CEUs and 7 PDUs. CISSP is a registered certification mark of (ISC)², Inc.