The introduction of professional portfolio management is a journey that begins with an honest assessment of the current situation. Our approach is structured into four clear phases:
Phase 1: The Current-State Analysis – Where do we stand today?
Bevor wir Prozesse oder Tools einführen, müssen wir die aktuelle Realität des Projektmanagements im Unternehmen verstehen. Die Antworten auf diese Fragen bilden die Basis für alle weiteren Schritte.
| Focus | Key Questions for the Current-State Analysis | Goal |
| Transparency & Repository Structure | Where do you currently maintain an overview of your projects? (Excel spreadsheets, whiteboards, ERP systems, dedicated PM tools, handwritten notes, emails, etc.) | Standort und Format der aktuellen Portfoliodaten identifizieren. |
| Prodect Definition | At what point does something become a project in your organization? (For example: from the proposal stage, after approval, once it reaches a certain size or duration, or when it exceeds a specific budget threshold?) | Define the threshold at which an initiative becomes part of the portfolio. |
| Governance & Prioritization | Which key metrics do you use to compare and prioritize projects? (Financial profit, strategic value, ROI, customer satisfaction, regulatory requirements, etc.) | Identify the current decision-making criteria — even when they are implicit rather than formally defined. |
| Resources | How are resources currently assigned, and how do you identify resource overloads or bottlenecks? | Document the existing resource management processes — or identify where no structured resource management currently exists. |
📝 Ergebnis: Ein klares Verständnis des aktuellen Projekt-Inventars und der tatsächlichen Steuerungskriterien.
Phase 2: Structuring with p5.express – The “Why” and the “How”
Sobald die Basisdaten erhoben sind, führen wir einen minimalistischen Rahmen für die Steuerung ein. Hier kommt P5.express ins Spiel.
- Introduction to the p5.express methodology:
- Philosophie: P5.express ist ein schlankes, minimalistisches System. Es konzentriert sich auf das „WAS“ (die richtigen Dinge tun) und das „WANN“ (den richtigen Zeitpunkt wählen), ohne die Flexibilität der operativen Projektteams einzuschränken.
- Schwerpunkt: Wir stellen die zentralen Zyklen (Strategisch, Monatlich, Operativ) und die Kernrollen (Portfolio Board & Portfolio Manager) vor, um eine feste Taktung für Entscheidungen zu etablieren.
- Das Herzstück: Wir definieren gemeinsam die Value Generation Matrix (Wertschöpfungsmatrix) – die offiziellen Kriterien, nach denen Projekte priorisiert und bewertet werden. Dies schafft Transparenz und ersetzt die oft impliziten oder emotionalen Entscheidungsgrundlagen.
📝Result: A simple and easy-to-understand process framework with clearly defined decision-making criteria for the portfolio.
Phase 3: The Technical Implementation – The “Where”
Efficient portfolio management requires a centralized and reliable data foundation.
- Introduction to the saprima tool (or a comparable solution):
- The challenge: Excel quickly reaches its limits. A dedicated tool is necessary to ensure data consistency, enable realistic resource planning, and provide real-time transparency for the portfolio board.
- Functionality: We demonstrate how saprima (or the selected tool) maps and supports the roles, cycles, and documents defined by p5.express.
- Capturing and managing projects within the tool:
- Data migration: The current-state data collected during Phase 1 is transferred into the structure of the tool.
- Standardization: All new and existing projects are consistently captured according to the project definition established in Phase 2 and the criteria of the value creation matrix.
- Baseline: The portfolio register is now digital, centralized, and populated with standardized metadata.
Professional Guidance: Ensuring Success from the Very Beginning
Die Umstellung auf ein strukturiertes Portfoliomanagement ist auch ein kultureller Wandel. Um sicherzustellen, dass die neuen Prozesse und Rollen schnell greifen und effektiv funktionieren, bieten wir Ihnen aktive Unterstützung an.
- Support and facilitation of key meetings:
- If desired, we support and facilitate your first strategic portfolio reviews (X-cycle) as well as your monthly portfolio meetings (Y-cycle).
- This ensures that the discipline of the p5.express cycles is maintained, the right questions are asked, and decisions are made based on the newly defined criteria of the Value Generation Matrix.
- Knowledge transfer: We act as coaches for the Portfolio Manager and the Portfolio Board to ensure a smooth transition and to build internal capabilities quickly and effectively.
- Focus on results: Our support helps the team stay focused on strategic value creation instead of getting lost in tool-related or process-related discussions.
Your benefit: With our experienced facilitation, the onboarding phase is accelerated and the foundation for sustainable and successful portfolio management is established.
Conclusion and Next Steps
Are you ready to take the management of your company’s projects to the next level?
Contact us for a non-binding current-state assessment and start your journey toward transparent, value-driven portfolio management with p5.express and saprima.