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1 - INTRODUCTION

s Manage shared resources;
s Ensure the business value of each software project; 1

s Disseminate trends in factors such as methods, tools and techniques, life cycle management, and
usability patterns and techniques throughout the organization; and
s Provide training for project managers and project teams.

In some organizations, a PMO may also be involved in project management process compliance audits, project
management maturity assessment, and process improvement initiatives. Project management offices, like software
projects, may be subject to organizational constraints. A PMO for software projects may be a stand-alone entity
or an element of a larger organizational PMO. Some IT organizations have an information technology project
management office that handles multiple projects (e.g., infrastructure, telecom, networking, etc.).

1.5 The Relationship Between Project Management, Operations
Management, and Organizational Strategy

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As stated in the PMBOK Guide, operations are an organizational function performing the ongoing execution of
activities that produce the same product or provide a repetitive service. Operations evolve to support the day-to-
day business, and are necessary to achieve strategic and tactical goals of the business. An example of operations
management is software and IT infrastructure support and maintenance.

Software production support may include supporting processes for elements such as software component
integration, software configuration management, software quality assurance, software release management, and
software system testing. Some or all of these supporting processes may be under the control of the software project
manager; however, separate organizational units may provide some or perhaps all of them. When these supporting
processes are provided by separate organizational units, the software project manager provides coordination
across organizational boundaries to ensure the project achieves its goals.

1.5.1 Operational Issues and Project Management

Software project managers are sometimes responsible for sustaining the operation of one or more software
systems while simultaneously developing a new system or a new version of an existing system. Operations personnel
may report defects to be fixed in an existing system or request enhancements to an existing system. Updates in
vendor-supplied software may need to be installed. Fixing defects, providing enhancements, and installing updates
may divert resources from the project at hand and thus disrupt schedules and budgets.

1.5.1.1 Operations Management

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As stated in Section 1.5.1.1 of the PMBOK Guide, operations management is a subject area that is outside the
scope of formal project management. However, estimates of product life cycle sustainment costs may be made
during the initiation and planning phases of a software project.

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©2013 Project Management Institute. Software Extension to the PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition 11