This article is part of our AIM Methodology series.
Many organizations admit, half-jokingly, “We have never met a project or an initiative we didn’t like.” But the reality is more painful – too many initiatives, too few resources, budgets that run higher than plan, and an inability to deliver fast enough.
This paper outlines four practical best practices to help organizations build a more disciplined portfolio management approach – and fix the prioritization problem that turns strategy into chaos.
In this article
- Why prioritization breaks down
- Step 1: Know what your organization is working on – all of it
- Step 2: Categorize by project type
- Step 3: Prioritize using consistent selection criteria
- Step 4: Now implement (not just install)
- Remember: this is a change that must be managed on the human side, too
- Talk to us about portfolio discipline
- Download the white paper
Why prioritization breaks down
It is surprisingly common for organizations to have no clear handle on how many projects are active, where resources are being spent, and whether the initiatives being pursued are truly aligned to organizational priorities. Without structure and discipline, prioritization becomes the Wild West.
Software may be part of the answer – but technology alone is insufficient. Prioritization is also a people and cultural change issue, which is why a people-focused solution matters.
Step 1: Know what your organization is working on – all of it
Portfolio management starts with a complete inventory of all existing and proposed projects, along with their timeframes.
- Consolidate all projects into a single master schedule
- Include enterprise, business unit, area, and departmental work
- Use this visibility to make informed decisions about capacity and resourcing
Step 2: Categorize by project type
Once you have a project inventory, categorize projects by type. Depending on strategic priorities, some categories may matter more than others. The critical point: map categories to strategy so there is a clear link between strategic direction and where resources are being spent.
Common project-type categories include:
- Mandatory / Regulatory / Compliance
- Maintenance
- Business enhancement (patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, quality or process improvement)
- Cost efficiencies / reduction (by % or $ amount) and better use of services
- Innovation
Step 3: Prioritize by applying consistent selection criteria
A major deficiency in many organizations is the lack of consistent criteria used to determine what is “in” and what is “out.” Even if eliminating projects is not realistic, sequencing can almost always be improved.
The paper recommends criteria that align to AIM’s implementation success metrics (on time, on budget, business objectives, technical objectives, and human objectives met).
Examples of selection criteria include:
- Ownership by all Authorizing Sponsors
- Degree of strategic alignment with business strategy and goals
- Business case with ROI and clearly defined business, human, and technical objectives
- Available capability and capacity (for example, IT resourcing)
- Estimated duration and budget
- Feasibility, complexity, and risk (including mitigation plans)
- Dependencies and linkages to other projects
- Opportunity cost and payback period
From there:
- Eliminate projects with questionable business value using consistent, aligned criteria
- Weight criteria so mandatory and regulatory work is automatically included
- Determine what is funded (above the line) vs not funded (below the line)
- Communicate outcomes and Sponsor accountabilities clearly
Step 4: Now implement (not just install)
If you follow the first three steps, you will have more focused projects that use finite resources more wisely. But it also makes sense to apply structure and discipline in the implementation process – not just in selection.
- Ensure projects have a realistic Implementation Plan, not just an Installation Plan
- Make sure executives understand the difference
Remember: this is a change that must be managed on the human side, too
Introducing a new prioritization process is itself a change, and it is subject to the same barriers as any major initiative, including:
- Poor change definition and lack of alignment on scope
- Insufficient and inactive Sponsorship (leaders support prioritization as long as their pet projects are untouched)
- Ineffective communication planning
- No plan for sourcing and managing resistance
- No reinforcement for following the new process (and no consequences for staying with the old ways)
That is why the paper recommends applying AIM as part of the solution. AIM provides a structured and repeatable way to manage the human elements of change so you do not simply “install” a quick fix that fails to stick over time.
Want help creating portfolio discipline that sticks?
If your organization is overwhelmed by too many initiatives and too few resources, we can help you establish a portfolio management approach that creates visibility, applies consistent criteria, and builds the Sponsorship and reinforcement needed for the process to be sustained.
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