Effective project management is crucial for organisations to drive success and achieve their strategic objectives. One essential aspect of project management is portfolio management, which involves overseeing and optimising a collection of projects to align with organisational goals. 

What is portfolio management?

Portfolio management refers to the systematic approach of managing a collection of projects or programs to maximise their overall value and align them with an organisation's strategic objectives. It involves selecting, prioritising, and optimising projects based on their potential benefits, risks, resource availability, and alignment with the organisation's goals. Portfolio management aims to ensure that the organisation invests its resources in the most effective and efficient manner to achieve the desired outcomes.

What is a project portfolio?

A project portfolio represents the complete set of projects or programs that an organisation undertakes. It includes all current and proposed projects, regardless of their size, complexity, or interdependencies. A project portfolio can span multiple departments or business units and may consist of a diverse range of projects, such as product development, process improvement initiatives, or strategic initiatives.

Who handles a project portfolio?

The responsibility of handling a project portfolio typically lies with senior executives, such as the Chief Project Officer (CPO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), or the Project Management Office (PMO). These stakeholders are accountable for overseeing the portfolio, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives, allocating resources appropriately, and monitoring project performance. However, project managers play a vital role in supporting portfolio management by providing project-level insights, managing individual projects, and contributing to the overall portfolio success.

What's the difference between Project Management and Project Portfolio Management?

Project management and project portfolio management are related but distinct disciplines. Project management focuses on the successful delivery of individual projects, including defining objectives, managing resources, and meeting project-specific goals and milestones. Whereas project portfolio management takes a broader view by considering the entire portfolio of projects, balancing priorities, optimising resource allocation, and aligning projects with organisational strategies. While project management focuses on execution, project portfolio management focuses on strategic decision-making and portfolio-level oversight.

How does a PM approach Portfolio Management?

For project managers, embracing portfolio management involves adopting a strategic mindset and considering the broader context of their projects. They should actively collaborate with senior management and the PMO to align their projects with the organisation's objectives, contribute to portfolio prioritisation discussions, and provide accurate project status updates and performance metrics. Project managers should also proactively identify risks, dependencies, and resource constraints that could impact the overall portfolio. By adopting a portfolio-centric approach, project managers can contribute to effective portfolio management and support the organisation in achieving its strategic goals.

Fluid and Portfolio Management

Fluid provides robust features and functionalities to support organisations in their portfolio management efforts. With Fluid's all-in-one intuitive interface and comprehensive capabilities, project managers can streamline project intake processes, prioritise projects based on strategic alignment, optimise resource allocation, and track portfolio performance.

The software enables real-time visibility into project statuses, resource utilisation, and financials, empowering project managers to make informed decisions and contribute to the success of the project portfolio. With Fluid's support, organisations can enhance their portfolio management practices, drive efficiency, and achieve their strategic objectives.

Start your free trial today to find out how Fluid can take an effective approach to PPM, or book a demo with our team.