manage the it portfolio

Info-Tech Research Group 1

Manage the IT PortfolioWorld Class Operations - Impact Workshop


Beyond Practical Research – Workshops Get You To Results

Workshops: Leverage Best-Practices Research & Get to Action

• Unlike other Research firms we believe it’s important to help our members implement improvements.

• An onsite 40-hour workshop, which allows you to make systematic improvements to your core processes.

• Workshops are designed to help focus attention, create alignment, and ensure best practices are put to work at your organization.

• Our workshops help you get to immediate impact and results, and are tailored to your situation and needs.

Workshops: Focused on You Implementing Improvements

• The goal of each Capability Optimization Workshop is to create tangible benefits

and clear improvement as a direct result of the workshop.

• Specific deliverables, goals, metrics, and outcomes are established for

each workshop.

• Successful workshops will leverage our years of analyst experience and

written research to provide an engaging experience which focuses

on implementing and getting to measurable results.

• Each workshop begins by diagnosing the current state and then

focuses on designing high impact improvements based on

best-practices research.

• Three and six month follow-ups will occur to ensure benefit realization.

Info-Tech Workshops provide the best-practices and implementation support necessary to help an IT leader build a World Class IT Operation.

Capability Optimization

Workshop

Diagnose Current State

Right-sizing

Process

Process Design

Measuring Benefits

Implementation Support


Immature or non-existent portfolio management causes:

Destabilized business requirements.Inadequate or conflicted staffing assignments.Underestimation of future project/resource requirements.Non-standardized expectations around IT resources.Improper allocation of IT funding in the annual cycle.

A formalized IT Portfolio Management process results in:

Standardized business cases that are aligned with corporate strategy and one another. Streamlined process for requesting and allocating IT resources for project work. Greater confidence in the validity of skill requirements and resource estimates. Accurate allocation of staff and resources across various programs. Transparency into how scope changes can impact project timelines. Transparent project approval and prioritization procedures.

What is IT Portfolio Management?

A process that establishes discipline and visibility around IT’s investments and contribution to business goals.


Workshop Schedule & Core Deliverables

Name Goal Core Deliverable

Day 1

Improve the Transparency of the IT Portfolio

Visualize the current portfolio to bring transparency to IT spend. • Current Investment Mix

Day 2

Improve IT Portfolio Impact & Alignment

Identify gaps between current and target investments and plan to reconcile misalignments.

• Portfolio Gap Analysis

Day 3

Optimize the Portfolio Management Process

Use a consistent process to build and assess business cases and ensure IT’s budget is spent on the most effective projects.

• Business Case Process and Template

Day 4

Monitor Portfolio Performance & Stakeholder Satisfaction

Measure the performance of the portfolio to improve the effectiveness of the IT spend.

• Portfolio Metrics

Day 5

Manage Benefits Realization & Accountability

Determine how deep to go when tracking benefits; determine how to reinforce budget and business case discipline.

• Strategy for Tracking Benefits


Day 1: Improve the Transparency of the IT Portfolio

1.1 Review Portfolio Strategy and Methodology

Define corporate goals and categories of IT investment.

Discuss current roles, responsibilities, and portfolio

management processes.

1.2 Visualize IT’s Current Portfolio

Bring transparency to the categories of investment

that dominate the budget .Discuss issues,

opportunities, and goals for improvement during the

workshop.

Map IT’s current portfolio to corporate goals and

investment categories.


Day 2: Improve IT Portfolio Impact & Alignment

2.1 Visualize the Target Portfolio Against Current

Determine target allocations for investment categories.

Compare current and target investment mix.

Identify the top three disparities having a negative

impact on IT’s portfolio.

2.2 Highlight the Gaps

Specify recommendations to initiate, change, or retire

projects/programs.

Discuss implications of gaps between the current and

target mix.

Brainstorm alternative IT investment opportunities

which align to gaps.

2.3 Manage Stakeholders and Strategy

Present opportunities to optimize the portfolio to

stakeholders.

Bring transparency and accountability into the IT

portfolio management methodology.

Define the process for effectively communicating

information to stakeholders.


Day 3: Optimize the Portfolio Management Process

3.1 Right-Size the Business Case

Process

Analyze and optimize the process for

preparing business cases.

Right-size the business case

template.

3.2 Define Business Case Assessment

Process

Define criteria for assessing business

cases.

Assess business cases on cost,

benefit and risk.

Document approval and rejection

process.

3.4 Define Cost and Benefit Milestones

Prepare to follow-up on expected benefits

after projects are complete.

Standardize milestone schedules.

3.3 Manage Rejected Business

Cases

Standardize communication and expectations around

rejected business cases.

Communicate cost and benefit data to

appropriate stakeholders.

Document business case standards and

procedures.

Define criteria for improving, holding or discarding rejected

business cases.

Avoid losing good ideas within rejected

business cases.

Classify business cases by investment

categories.


Day 4: Monitor Portfolio Performance & Stakeholder Satisfaction

4.1 Optimize Performance with Portfolio Metrics

Evaluate current and potential metrics.

Strategize measurement and

tracking methodologies to

optimize on portfolio performance.

4.2 Establish Recurring Reviews

Define the process for reviewing project and portfolio data.

Collect and measure data to assess performance.

4.4 Report to Stakeholders and

Executives

Manage communication,

interpretation, and clarification of

portfolio performance.

Report on progress to corporate goals.

4.3 Adjust Projects and the Portfolio

Communicate recommendations to

further drive performance.

Define and analyze relationships

between projects for optimal portfolio

performance.

Finalize processes to track and apply

metrics.

Create and communicate a

review schedule with stakeholders.

Recommend adjustments to

specific projects to capitalize on

benefits.

Manage change requests.


Day 5: Manage Benefits Realization & Accountability

5.1 Define Benefit Tracking Practices

5.2 Optimize Internal Procedures and

Templates

Validate that templates communicate specific, accurate, and relevant

information.

Validate that procedures are specific and action-oriented.

Validate that processes are realistic and create value.

Establish responsibility and accountability for benefits

achievement.

Develop and document the strategy for tracking and

measuring benefits.

Validate that tracked benefits meet corporate

standards.


Client Testimonials

We’ve tried to work on it on our own, but the

really valuable part is having the focused time working with the experts

and getting the deliverables at the end

of the exercise. It is something that we can action and really take

forward.

-University

Helped us organize how we do portfolio management, better

than we had, and how we can do it in a way

that IT is seen as supporting the business goals.

-ManufacturingCompany


Portfolio Workshop Primary Deliverable:Best Practice Approach to Portfolio Management Customized to Your Process

• Comprehensive, step-by-step walk through of your Portfolio Management Target State.

• Assessment of overall balance between Strategic and Operational Initiatives.

• Detailed analysis of how well your portfolio supports individual Strategic Goals.

• Recommendations for optimizing your investments to better meet the needs of key Stakeholders.

Visualize Your Portfolio Assess and Right-Size Your Business Case

Establish a Benefits Achievement Tracking Process


Portfolio Workshop Core Deliverables

Seven Key Deliverables will be completed during the Workshop:

Portfolio Alignment & Visualization Tool• Visualize the alignment between your portfolio

management practices and enterprise goals.• Discuss existing gaps and how to close them.

Portfolio Gap Analysis• Prepare an analysis of existing gaps between

portfolio management practices and enterprise goals.• Understand the impact of those gaps on corporate

objectives.• Facilitate a discussion about aligning portfolio

management practices and enterprise goals between executives.

Business Case Right-sizing• Assess the current methods of analyzing business

cases to approve or reject projects.• Adjust elements of the methodology based on goals

and objectives. • Right-size an existing business case template or co-

design a template with an Info-Tech analyst. • Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the

project approval process and benefit realization plan.

Portfolio Evaluation Process• Complete a full walk-through of the portfolio

evaluation process and create a draft process manual detailing best-practice activities.

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Portfolio Workshop Core Deliverables

Portfolio Management Process• Create a standardized process for managing

projects currently active in the portfolio.• Use cost and benefit information to efficiently make

decisions to close or maintain projects over time.

Portfolio Communication Strategy• Communicate specific elements of the portfolio

management process and portfolio performance.• Prepare a set of standardized reports and a

distribution schedule.• Release the appropriate information at the

appropriate time.

Benefits Achievement Tracking Process• Establish a right-sized process for tracking the

achievement of benefits as outlined in business cases over time.

• Document and implement the first phase of this process to ground it in reality.

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Seven Key Deliverables will be completed during the Workshop:


Manage the IT Portfolio Workshop:Built on World Class Research, Experience, and Standards

Research Process

COBIT Driven• Grounded in open international

standards.• APO05 Manage Portfolio.

• Team with over 30 years experience.• Over 2,800 hours of research.• Based on primary and in-field

research.

Tools & Templates

• Standard Operating Procedures• Investment Mix Visualization• Business Case Assessment• Business Case Prioritization• Milestone Report• Portfolio Metrics Evaluation• Benefits Summary & Analysis

• 115 page Research Report• 15 in-depth activities and exercises• Ability to map 100 of your top projects • Ability to visualize the portfolio against five major and 60 minor

sub-groupings

manage the it portfolio

Documents