In an effort to keep up with the changing requirements of an increasingly digital world, organizations of all shapes and sizes have been advancing digitization across their processes. However, many are now also understanding that effective digital transformation involves the changing of underlying cultures, structures, and methods and not just the adoption of digital tools. Organizations need to adopt the PMO’s characteristics, as businesses continue to adapt to this shift.

The idea of digital transformation is not new. Businesses have always been on the lookout for new ways to utilize emerging sciences and adapt to them in order to improve their operational procedures. Transformations dependent on technology are more common right now as our world becomes more digital, in fact, PTC research has revealed that 70% of organizations had a digital transition strategy in place prior to the pandemic.

This should not come as a surprise. When executed correctly, digital transformation can yield a wide variety of advantages from increased operational effectiveness and product quality to increased customer satisfaction and decreased enhancement costs. It’s just that the approaching wave of digital change was accelerated by the pandemic, forcing businesses to quickly adjust to newly employed technology due to the shift to remote work and the growing consumer demand for online services. Now many of these changes have become permanent with IMF predicting that soon 65% of Global Income will be digital.

That said, we have to recognize that digital change calls for more than the installation of modern technology.

Many of our traditional, long-standing workplace practices, corporate cultures, strategies, and attitudes cannot be carried ‘as is’ into the digital space. In an increasingly fast-paced and unstable market, adapting to flexible work hours, distributed teams, and 24/7 demand necessitates a profound alteration in the organization’s practices, culture, and structure.

Role of the PMO

The PMO serves as the strategic pillar and backbone of an organization. It is essential to accomplish the company’s strategic objectives by ensuring that the right systems, procedures, and cultures are in place to foster favorable conditions and fulfill project requirements. This has historically involved onerous reporting requirements and overbearing methods, giving the PMO the moniker of “Project Police.”

Traditional PMOs have come to be associated with excessive paperwork and bureaucratic procedures which not only burden businesses with pointless tasks but also make the implementation of any new alternatives a laborious and sluggish process. Today, PMOs must take advantage of changes in the digital realm if they are to move beyond the traditional boundaries of “requirements enforcers” and become the strategic drivers of an organization.

The question is: can PMOs fall behind if digital is the future? The answer is a resounding No. PMOs need to be at the forefront of emerging technologies, constantly assessing new opportunities and presenting strategies to help the organization make the most of those technologies even though sudden transformation is not that simple. Many businesses are struggling to make the switch to environments that are digitally optimized because of their profoundly ingrained cultures and practices. The increase in remote work and the pandemic confirmed this beyond a doubt. The pandemic also taught us that the traditional 9 to 5 workday may not be the best or most efficient method to work anymore.

So, PMOs need to acknowledge that, in light of all these adjustments, insights, and fresh experiences, they cannot merely introduce even more procedures that will provide copious data for decision-making. Instead, today’s PMO needs to ensure that the ideal culture, procedures, and environment are established in such a way as to encourage greater adoption and funding of the organization’s digital strategy.