Organizations are always looking to advance their project management maturity levels, but sometimes the mindset is one of “We are already behind, and since systems are not already in place, we’re too late.” While many organizations have learned that it is often far easier to start a new project with a robust project management software from the beginning, many have also learned that it is never too late to implement a solution that will not only help throughout the remaining lifecycle of the project, but will also help them reach the next levels of project management maturity.
Simply stated, a company does not need to reach a certain level of project management or project controls maturity in order to implement a more robust project controls software. In fact, the introduction of a sophisticated dynamic system has been shown to help drive organizational maturity. With the right software and a proper implementation plan, the system can act as a catalyst to drive the organization and its employees to greater maturity.
There are 5 major levels of project management maturity that we reference based on a combination of SEI’s Capability Maturity Model and Thomas & Mullaly’s assessed levels of project management maturity:
- Initial Processes: Lowest level of maturity where processes are poorly defined, reactive, and ad hoc.
- Structured Processes & Standards: Processes begin to be documented and structured but still primarily reactive in nature.
- Organizational Standards & Institutionalized Processes: Organizational Standards & Institutional Processes: Company-wide processes and standards are being implemented and are repeatable.
- Managed Processes: Companies integrate their project management and project controls processes with overall corporate processes.
- Optimized Processes: Greatest level of maturity in which processes have achieved standardization throughout organization and are focused on continual processes improvement and using industry best practices to enhance project performance.
We break these project maturity levels down further in our Project Management Maturity white paper so that organizations can assess which maturity level they are current at. It also discusses the challenges organizations face when they have immature project management processes, and the various goals they must reach to proceed to the next levels of maturity.
Our white paper also details the benefits of driving maturity through software adoption, and later how to use proven, ready-made software as a solution to not only make project management more efficient and accurate within an organization, but to also drive project management maturity.
We outline the four key features and capabilities that are essential in selecting a robust project management software that can help organizations reach the next level(s) in maturity, as well as what steps to plan for after selecting a project controls software.
At Contruent, we have nearly 25 years of experience using and implementing industry-leading project management software. Contruent project management software started out as an internal solutions for our own project management team, afterall! Read our white paper to learn more about how to choose a project management software solution that will help advance your organization’s project maturity.