Business Environment Interface Concepts

The relevant organization will have an interest in the standards and metrics that the PMO applies. It will collaborate on project management standards and will review and endorse the introduction of cross-functional standards. The relevant organization will therefore both contribute and use many of the metrics applied in the project management environment.

Business units will be able to use the metrics defined and captured in the project management environment in conjunction with analyses of business performance, achievement of strategic objectives, and identification of the organization's competitive position in the marketplace. In many cases, the PMO can provide metrics that are directly applicable and influence business decisions in these and other important business areas.

Today's professional project managers have a broad range of responsibility that extends into the business environment. In many organizations, they fulfill key middle- and senior management roles that direct or guide business affairs. The standards and metrics that they are accustomed to using in the project management environment will also be relevant and influential in the business environment.

Many project managers have financial accountability for their projects; some have business performance responsibility as well. Project management standards help to establish the parameters of their responsibilities, and using project and business metrics provides indicators regarding how well those responsibilities are being fulfilled. The "standards and metrics" function facilitates performance analyses within the project management environment. Individuals within the project management environment need the PMO as a centrally recognized authority to select, implement, and manage the standards and metrics they will use. The relevant organization will rely on the PMO to incorporate business strategy and interests into project management processes and practices through this "standards and metrics" function.