Project Environment Interface Concepts

The project manager has inherent responsibility for managing the customer relationship for the duration of the project. The PMO can lead development of the preferred approach that project managers can use to properly represent the relevant organization to the customer. The PMO can further examine opportunities and develop the means to maintain a business relationship with customers after the project is completed. This can be reflected in follow-up customer contact to evaluate customer satisfaction with the completed project, explore new project and business opportunities, or just extend appreciation for recent business. This type of follow-up activity is essential for external customer business relationships. It would enhance project management professionalism if similar considerations could be extended to internal customers as well.

Managing the customer relationship relative to the project effort presents a range of interactions that can be adequately conducted only by those directly involved in the project management effort. Therefore, the PMO and project manager are ideally suited to fulfill such customer interactions. The project manager certainly can convey insight and information related to technical performance and project management performance, and the PMO can prominently contribute to the third dimension, business performance. This approach will keep the customer appropriately informed and involved in the project while also ensuring that business performance aspects of the project — particularly contract administration — are accomplished as routine activities of project management. Moreover, the customer's project and business experience can be enhanced when the customer has ongoing access to qualified professionals in project management who can answer technical questions as well as resolve business issues solely within the project management environment.