Project Management and Customer Service

This presentation will focus on the development of the Project Management Office at Georgia State University and discuss how a PMO can improve customer communication and the success rate of project completion in an organization.

Every IT organization must manage projects. In fact, our clients (customers) base much of their evaluation of IT on how well projects are managed. In this seminar, we will address managing single projects of all sizes, as well as how the IT organization can better manage its slate of projects. We will interactively discuss project management concepts and techniques, emphasizing practical solutions to the most common reasons given for project failures. Our exercises will provide an immediate opportunity to put what we discuss into practice, to experience first-hand well-managed projects and learn to use each project to improve the next one. This project management approach is grounded in theory that emphasizes both research and practice. Project management sites at the University of Memphis will illustrate how these basic principles can be applied in ways that help organizations plan and execute projects to ensure their success for the entire enterprise.

This research bulletin is the work of a strategic project team participating in the IT Leaders Program, a leadership development initiative facilitated by MOR Associates of Watertown, Massachusetts. It strives to answer the question, What must a central IT organization in an academic environment do to increase its value to its clients and its institution? It is not a cookbook for how to create a successful IT organization but rather a discussion of considerations for increasing value.

A four-directional guide to reaching goals and focusing achievement can help an IT department tackle change successfully and reach performance excellence.