2M-IT Oy’s Project Office: ‘We are here for you’
2M-IT has had its own project office since the company was founded in 2018. In the new company, projects were immediately started in a defined format, according to the project model. The development of ICT change management for the welfare regions in 2021 was the impetus for the growth of the project office. Tia Melava is team leader of the project office, which has grown to seven people.
Today, the PMO team is Tia’s pride and that is where the strength of the team lies.
– 2M-IT’s project office is built on a multi-disciplinary model, allowing us to maintain, develop and provide service in a wide range of areas. We offer services in areas such as project management tools, reporting, competence development, project process, communication and facilitation,” says Melava.
2M-IT’s PMO team provides service at three different levels:
1. At the portfolio management level, programmes and projects are made visible in a coherent way and a wide range of reporting is produced to support decision-making by both management and customers. Support will be provided, for example, for projecting and prioritising project ideas. The programme and project portfolio will also be developed and maintained.
2. At the programme and project management level, maintain and develop the programme and project model and provide model bases for documentation. In addition, reporting will be supported, project management skills development will be organised and quality requirements will be monitored.
3. Maintain and develop project management tools at the project implementation level. The project manager will be supported in day-to-day tasks such as induction, timesheets, resource management, risk management, updating project status information, project phased activities such as project initiation, implementation and closure. “I am super grateful for your help, time and support. It is invaluable. If there is anxiety, the anxiety is dispelled after dealing with you. You are gold.” commented one project manager on our PMO activities.
Project office brings transparency and support to change
From the PMO’s perspective, change is seen first and foremost as a change in operations, as processes and ways of doing things change. With the help of a programme and sub-programme model developed for ICT change management in welfare areas, the 2M-IT project office supports welfare area actors in adapting to change. The project office brings transparency and efficiency to the change process by making its activities transparent. This enables actors to monitor changes and progress of projects and thus lead better.
The project world is also constantly evolving and changing. Trends in project delivery, such as agility, are closely monitored and taken into account at 2M-IT. Project managers are offered various opportunities to adapt to changes. A wide range of training opportunities and the possibility to participate in professional events every year help to adapt to a changing environment.
The project office acts as a collaboration builder within the company
In line with 2M-IT’s strategy, project service is one of the company’s quality services.2M-IT invests in the quality of project expertise and has enabled the building and continuous development of project activities.
– The Project Office is and will be the driver of our project culture. The maturity level has been continuously raised and one of the great achievements of the last year is the development of the project management model as an auditable process in its own right. I am happy and proud of our team,” says Melava.
The 2M-IT Project Office is also much more than tools, snapshots, prioritisation and process development. It also acts as a messenger and a connector among a wide range of project managers. The PMO brings the organisation’s project managers together on a weekly basis for joint online meetings for information, familiarisation and training. Wellbeing is also important in a changing environment and the PMO needs to be alert. This year, the first 2M-IT Project Manager Days will take place to learn good practices from colleagues and to increase the sense of community among project managers in the midst of change.
Tia Melava is the PMO team leader at 2M-IT. She has long experience in IT project management, process development, product development and leadership.
Building the 2M-IT PMO to its current state has taken a lot of perseverance and patience. Things don’t change overnight and I always try to think about the benefits of change because it engages and motivates others to join in. Our PMO primarily aims to support the various stakeholders and develop the quality of project activities, both within the framework of the project and portfolio management model. “We are here for you” is a slogan jointly created by our team, which we constantly strive to implement in our daily work and in all our encounters.
Author
Heli Tertsunen is a PMO expert at 2M-IT. She enjoys meeting the people at the heart of projects, developing training, communication and facilitation.
