The client background

The client is a not-for-profit news organization that supports independent media across the world.

The business challenge

The client needed help establishing a project management office (PMO) and documenting processes to help transition from an outdated enterprise resource planning (ERP) system and disconnected processes to an improved system that would provide a better view into financials across their business regions. Their multiple undocumented processes had varying complexity that needed to be organized to help maintain compliance of their not-for-profit status. Due to their offices being run in multiple countries, they also needed assistance managing all the various international laws regarding accounting and finance in each country.

Strategy and solution

Baker Tilly created a work plan to help the client create the project management structure needed to transition to the new ERP system. We developed and recommended a PMO approach and updated their existing transformation plan to better align resources and timing for projects.

Baker Tilly provided the following recommendations to structure the PMO:

• Define roles and responsibilities
• Prioritize individual projects within workstreams
• Establish the governance surrounding the PMO
• Enhance communication flow and change procedures to improve connectivity between teams
• Confirm priority of projects and a communications approach to enable consistency
• Ensure connectivity for branding across different entities
• Establish a reliable repository for prior projects and communication plans
• Identify current and future state success measures

As a result, the client’s application of these processes would allow them to better manage the variety of transformation projects and set a better foundation for future projects. They would be able to accurately communicate the PMO structure to leadership and support outputs of their decision-making processes, in conjunction with their new ERP system.