Karen Klein of Projects@Work interviewed Daniel Stang, a principle analyst at Gartner, on preparing for Project Portfolio Management (PPM).
Some key lessons are to not expect overnight success, to implement in stages (beginning with automating what is already working), and to engage a good change management team.
Organizations that attempt to go from zero to high level maturity via a big-bang approach run a high risk of failure. Stang also cautions against trying to sell PPM initially on the hard benefits. The benefits at the early stages of maturity tend to be softer, with the tangible benefits coming later.
Here’s the article. Also, see the free PPM Software Evaluation tool offered at the bottom of the article.
Jerry Manas is an internationally best-selling author and researcher, and Senior Writer/Editor at Planview, the leading Enterprise Portfolio Management software company. His books Napoleon on Project Management, cited by management guru Tom Peters for its timeless principles, and Managing the Gray Areas, touted by Orlando Magic founder Pat Williams as "a new path for leaders," were critically acclaimed, with the former being translated into 8 languages. More recently, he co-authored 42 Rules for Creating WE, which was hailed by Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts as "today's greatest guide for team success." His latest book, released January 2010, is Project Lessons from the Roman Empire.
Jerry is a founding member of The Creating We Institute (www.creatingweinstitute.com), an international thought leadership community dedicated to fostering WE-centric practices. He is also co-founder of PMThink! and a founding member of the Project Management Institute's New Media Council. Visit his website at www.jerrymanas.com. 
