Outsourcing project management is nothing new. Consulting firms have offered project management services for quite some time. What is comparatively new is the emerging idea of project management as a service (PMaaS). Perhaps you’ve heard of it. If so, maybe you’re wondering why it matters. Why would a company like Janiko offer PMaaS?
First thing’s first. Outsourcing project management under the traditional model involves a pretty clear separation of responsibilities. The consulting firm provides the resources and personnel to complete assigned projects. The client maintains control over the project management office (PMO) and its direct responsibilities. The two hopefully work well together.
In a PMaaS scenario, everything is up for grabs. The project management firm can handle as little or as much as you want them to. Here at Janiko, we can take on project management and coordination, budget analysis, vendor management, quality management, and even administrative support. We can handle just a portion of your project or take over the entire PMO.
PMaaS Saves Money
The whole concept behind ‘something-as-a-service’ is to save money on what are often complex tasks involving specialized skills. Take software as a service (SaaS). Rather than spending a lot of money on in-house software developers or a proprietary software package developed by a third-party contractor, it is often more cost-effective to meet software needs through SaaS. PMaaS is very similar in that respect.
Project management requires a certain skill set that is hard to come by. It doesn’t make sense for some types of companies to keep a full-time project manager on staff. Nor does it make sense to hire a traditional consulting firm and still attempt to manage PMO in-house. Outsourcing the entire thing to a PMaaS firm ensures the job gets done without putting too much pressure on the budget.
PMaaS Is Scalable
The service model is attractive to a lot of companies because it is highly scalable. Again, consider software as a service. Nearly every SaaS platform is based on a subscription model. Companies pay a monthly or annual subscription based on their needs. Should those needs increase, they simply scale up. They can scale back down as required. Costs adjust accordingly.
Being able to scale project management is a big deal. Maybe your company only has one or two projects per year that require highly skilled management services. But what if there is a third project thrown into the mix? Just scale up your service. When that third project is complete, scale back down.
Scalability gives companies access to the project management professionals and resources they need, as they need them. Money is not wasted keeping in-house sources on hand when they aren’t being used.
PMaaS Offers Consistency
Traditional project management consulting generally involves contacting a consulting firm on an as-needed basis. If that firm cannot fit you into their schedule, you are left looking elsewhere. This can lead to inconsistent management from one project to another. On the other hand, PMaaS offers consistency through stability.
Because your company is subscribing to a service, that service is always available when there is a project to be handled. Your consulting firm maintains consistency and stability from one project to the next, month after month and year after year. For companies with a heavy project load, such consistency can prove invaluable.
The fact is that good project management involves a set of core competencies that companies may not possess. In such cases, they can hire skilled project management staff, work with a traditional consulting firm, or go with the PMaaS model. You know which one the Janiko Group prefers.