This document summarizes the implementation of PowerSteering, a project portfolio management software, at Texas A&M University. It describes how PowerSteering was initially piloted by a few groups, but faced challenges in adoption. Over time, as more training was provided and uses cases developed, additional groups began using PowerSteering for functions like IT governance, portfolio tracking, and project planning. The university aims to expand PowerSteering's use across more of IT and eventually the entire university system. Lessons learned included taking a slow, incremental approach to implementation and ensuring adequate training and support.

1. A Big School
in the Valley
HOW POWERSTEERING ADAPTED TO AN OLD SCHOOL
ORGANIZATION AND HOW IT IS POISED TO HELP IT LEAP
FORWARD.

2. Outline
Introduction
Before PowerSteering
Acquisition/Initial Deployment
Present
Future
Lessons Learned
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3. LAWYER’S SLIDE
The following reflects the presenter’s observations,
experiences, and assumptions.
It does not represent the University’s policy, position,
or plans in any way.
This presentation is not an endorsement.
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4. Introduction
Before PowerSteering
Acquisition/Initial Deployment
Present
Future
Lessons Learned
Introduction
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5. The Place
Texas A&M University is part of a 22 member
System
90 miles from Austin and Houston
Established 1876
Land, Sea and Space Grant designation
56,000 students
5,500 acre campus
$700 million in research
Rich in Tradition…..
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6. A School of Tradition…
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7. The Context
New System Chancellor, System CIO
Changes started almost immediately
The Flagship is Texas A&M
System level IT assessments by Deloitte & Touche
Deloitte delivered 29 recommendations
PPM was addressed in three of the 29
Several existing activities were lauded
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8. Introduction
Before PowerSteering
Acquisition/Initial Deployment
Present
Future
Lessons Learned
Before PowerSteering
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9. Pre-2011 Environment
Deans and VPs hold the money and the power
IT had consolidated into “super silos”
“Central” IT exists
Minimal governance
Minimal PPM Methodologies
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10. Pre-2011 People Status
CompSci/Engineering <> IT effectiveness
Estimated 30% of IT staff graduated from the
school – in Engineering and Computer Science
Longevity of 20-30 years is very common
No mandated PPM training
Minimal exposure to the commercial world
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11. The Seeds of PPM
TAMU IT PMO was created in 2010
Three other silos created PMOs
These four formed the PPM pilot team
Pilot team wrote the RFP
PM Training was still minimal with < 10 PMPs at
TAMU and maybe 10 more across the entire System
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12. Introduction
Before PowerSteering
Acquisition/Initial Deployment
Present
Future
Lessons Learned
Acquisition/Initial
Deployment
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13. Key RFP Attributes
Configurable at the group level
Security to protect group information
Cloud based, SaaS
OpSec and AppSec approved by our CISO
Data interfaces for time and costs
Ability to roll up information at the Enterprise level
Price
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14. Pilot Groups
International Ocean Discovery Program
• Drills ocean cores around the world
College of Veterinary Medicine
• Largest research and teaching Veterinary school.
Division of Student Affairs
• Supports all aspects of student life except academics
Project Management Office + IT Risk Management
• Project Management education/tools + IT policy/risk
management
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15. Features Used During Pilot
TURNED OFF
TURNED ON
Measures
Custom fields, tags, metrics
Budgeting
Minimal reports
Timesheets
Scheduling*
Resource Management
Custom work templates
Advanced Reports
Group security
Work trees by group
Custom Permissions
Non-Gated Projects
Status Reporting
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16. PPM Applications during Pilot
Maintenance (not effective)
IT Governance (success)
Project planning (mixed)
Portfolio tracking (success)
Reporting (success)
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17. Pilot Results
Vet School – opted out
IODP – opted out
IT Risk Management & PMO - continued
Division of Student Affairs - continued
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18. Reboot
Figured out that Crawl, Walk, Run was reality.
Utilized PS Consulting services via WebEx (and
recorded these for future playback).
Received help from Miami University (Linda!)
Realized that our distributed
configuration was going to be
a huge “Acme Rubber Band”
and was going to cause this
Coyote to snap back - hard
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19. Introduction
Before PowerSteering
Acquisition/Initial Deployment
Present
Future
Lessons Learned
Present
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20. Present Environment
IT PMO conducts
•
•
•
•
•
three rounds of five day PM training per year
executes an annual conference
sponsors a PMP boot camp
provides templates and
PowerSteering
Number of PM trained staff increasing by 50
people per year, number of PMP’s increasing by
about 8 per year
New System CIO is a big PPM supporter
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21. Governance in our PS Instance
Permissions
Naming Conventions
Re-use of CI assets
Liaison Structure
Licensing (Project Manager/Team Member)
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22. PMO Location
Future?
Future?
Present
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23. Admin Support
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24. CMDB
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25. Features Online Nov 2013
Rolling Out Nov 2013
In Production
Resource Management (Roles/Project)
Measures
Time Sheet Import
Executive Review
Metric Import
Status Report Templates
MS Project Import/Export
Permissions rationalization
Sub-Admin
Import of Tags/Users
Better use of Portfolios
Visual Portals
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26. PPM Applications
IT Governance - Division of Student Affairs.
Portfolio Tracking - Network and Information
Security, Computing and Information Services,
Galveston Campus*
Almost Everything – Instructional Media Services,
Provost’s IT Office*
PPM – IT Risk Management and PMO
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27. Present - SAMPLES
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28. Division of Student Affairs (DSA)
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29. DSA Request Portfolio
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30. DSA Requests
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31. DSA Request Metrics
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32. Instructional Media Services (IMS)
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33. IMS Portfolio
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34. IMS Metrics and Measures
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35. IMS Project Template
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36. IMS Metric Detail
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37. IMS Visual Portal
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38. IMS Executive Review
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39. PMO Project Status Snapshots
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40. Introduction
Before PowerSteering
Acquisition/Initial Deployment
Present
Future
Lessons Learned
Future
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41. Organizational Changes
Driven by the consultants’ reports – the intention is to
create improved efficiency through consolidation
and cooperation
Management is clear about transparency through IT
Governance and PPM
A key word being used is STEWARDSHIP
Expected that our office will be moved “up”
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42. Future –
IMS Leads
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43. Future PowerSteering
Functionality
Integration with time sheet, budget reports and MS
project data will be essential
More consistent permissions and customizations to
allow scaling w/o massive babysitting
Staging site
All PMO features will be needed
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44. Timesheet and Budget
Functionality
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45. Issues to be Resolved
Mastering Resource Management
Mastering Costing
Gated vs Non-Gated projects
System Dates on the top level displays
GANTT reporting from within a project
Import of basic projects from spreadsheets
Scheduling (re reduce need for MS Project)
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46. Future –
Central IT PPM
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47. Future System IT PPM needs:
There is an identified need for selection, planning,
execution and reporting of projects by category
and budget across Texas A&M, if not the System
itself.
There is a need for consistent PPM methodologies to
be applied across the System.
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48. Central IT PPM
Program
ANNOUNCED THIS MORNING TO ~240 STAFF
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49. CIS PPM – Starting State
Siloed organization
Groups were very autonomous
Work was not prioritized consistently
Work was owned by the subject matter experts
within each silo
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50. CIS PPM Methodology
Organizational Change Management
Project Review Board
Processes
Project Coordinators
Portfolio Manager
Portfolio Spreadsheet
Project Tracker Spreadsheet
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51. What is a CIS Project?
Meets the definition of a Major Application
Involves work by more than one functional group
within central IT.
Designated by Executive Director as a central IT
project
Selected by the Project Review Board
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52. PPM Gates
Four Phases
IT Governance
Group Actors
Project Review Board
Gated at the Top
Start
Project Charter
(Start Tab)
Initiate
Gate
Initiate
With Changes
Functional
Group
Manages
Project
No
Does Project
Meet CIS Project
Definition?
Yes
Charter
Approved?
Room for Lean/Agile in the EMC
No
Built in Feedback
Yes
Terminate
Project Plan
(Group materials,
Commo tab, other tabs)
Submit/
Revise
Plan Approved?
Plan
Manage Project
Using CIS Project
Management
Methodology
Plan
Gate
Yes
E/M&C
Project Status
Report
Continue
Project?
Monitor &
Control
Gate
Failed or
Complete
Close
Close
Rejected
Yes
Project Closing
Report, with Lessons
Learned (Finish Tab)
Close
Gate
Review by any of:
VP APIT, Exec
Director
PMOT, or PRB
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53. Portfolio Ranking
Value
Risk Score
Urgency
5
Health, Safety and
Welfare
<116 Minimal Risk
University or System
CIO Priority
4
Teaching, Research
and Outreach
117-162 Low Risk
CIS Priority (Exec
Director/ PRB)
3
Fiduciary
163 - 222 Medium
Risk
Group Priority
2
Mission Critical
Infrastructure
223 - 254 High Risk
PRB Important
1
Administrative
Efficiency
255 - 300 CAREER AT Group Important
RISK!
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54. Portfolio “Tool”
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55. Project Tracker “Tool”
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56. Initial Risk and Complexity
Assessment (IRACA) Tool
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57. PS Inspired
Project Status
PRB is our Governance within
central IT.
Proposed
PRB
Needs new money
Unknown
PRB
Groups are the functional groups,
networking, servers, business,
communications.
While we can configure
PowerSteering to handle our other
fields, we wanted our tools to use
the same status and transitions from
day one.
BSS
Approved
Chartered
New Funds
Approved
Not Approved
PRB
PRB
Planned
Cancel
PRB
PRB Cancels
Not Started
PRB/Groups
Groups
PRB
On Hold
Groups
On Track
Delayed
PRB Puts on Hold
Groups
Off Track
Customer/
PRB Accepts
PRB
Completed
Closed
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58. Introduction
Before PowerSteering
Acquisition/Initial Deployment
Present
Future
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned
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59. Lessons Learned:
Crawl, Walk, Run
Get more implementation assistance
Simple
Deep
Slow
Train informally
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60. Questions?
Don Gilman, PE, PMP, ITIL-F
Project Management Consultant/Coach
TXAggiePM@outlook.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/TXAggieSE
979.229.1053 cell
IMPACT 2013