Project Management Services - CPC Unternehmensmanagement AG

Project Management
Services
PM in practice

»
The foundation of successful projects lies in the
choice of a suitable project management method as
well as in PM trainings. Simply, the key to successful
projects are PM services.
«
Bruno Knoblich, Partner at CPC AG

What makes project management successful?
More and more employees in large companies work on ever
more complex projects. And more and more companies
depend on the successful conclusion of projects. But what
makes project management (PM) truly successful? Our
experience with more than 500 clients’ projects has shown
us that there are three key elements to successful project
management:
� The Project Management Method – by providing a
common language, approach and role model – has proven
itself to be an essential tool in steering joint projects
successfully. Moreover, the PM method has to be flexible in
design so that it can be adjusted to different situations in
order to meet individual project requirements.
� Project management trainings are used to impart knowledge
about the method's possible applications. However,
trainings don’t necessarily enable you to successfully apply
the method in practice by yourself.
� Project Services offer tangible aid for implementing the
PM method in practice. This allows us to generate added
value on the operative level and create confidence in
applying the method.
Successful combination of all three elements –
with the focus on Project Services
Choosing the right PM method and PM trainings is the basis
for successfully managing projects in large companies.
PM Services are the key factor to success when it comes to
sustainably establishing a PM method within the company,
while ensuring its correct application in practice. Therefore,
we would like to introduce selected PM Services to you on
the following pages.

»
Insufficient project planning takes its toll in the
course of the project and can only be corrected by
factor »X«.
«
Torsten Peis, Partner at CPC AG

Project Starter Service
The »Project Starter Service« deals with the professional
planning – in terms of content, structure and processes. In
order to complete projects within time, budget and scope,
it is crucial to provide the best possible environment and
start.
At the beginning of a project, phrasing the project proposition
and answering the following questions frequently
pose a significant challenge: What exactly are the project’s
elements? At what level of detail should these elements
be described? Based on these facts, how do we define the
scope?
Our »Project Starter Service« helps finding the answers and
thus shortens the initiation phase. The result is a project
proposal which is as specific as possible and helps to
quickly receive a formal project launch approval and gets
the actual project started.
Mistakes made during the initial phase of a project can
cost a lot during the project. Topics like cost, time and
resource planning can be implemented relatively easily into
project planning at the beginning of a project. During the
later stages of a project this is only manageable with much
higher effort. This is why investing in a »Project Starter
Service« really pays off over the project life cycle.
There is no way to predict the »Project Starter Services«
exact accelerative impact on the project. Yet, there is always
such an effect. The more complex the project, the more
positive are the effects of the »Project Starter Services«.
In addition, the Service helps making statements about
important aspects of the project, even at this early stage.

»
When projects have reached an impasse, project
freeze is often the only way out. Project Turn Around
Services help to get the project back on track.
Kristina Bossen, Manager at CPC AG
«

Project Turn Around
The PM Service called »Project Turn Around« focuses on
projects in a more mature phase of the project lifecycle that
meet serious difficulties. There are many reasons for such
difficulties: budget overruns, milestones that have not been
met, loss of key players (e.g. project leaders or sub-project
leaders). In consequence, these projects run the risk of not
accomplishing their original task.
»Project Turn Around« systematically follows the principles
of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBok®)
as defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI®). We
analyze those projects by employing this globally leading
PM standard.
A project review, which analyzes the project's progress
and reveals the causes for the project's difficulties, is the
starting point. Subsequently, we conduct an assessment
and evaluate how the causes of these difficulties affect the
project’s chances of success.
This provides the basis for determining all necessary steps,
which are then co-ordinated and implemented in
co-operation with the parties responsible. Often, corrective
measures involve specifying the project’s objectives,
creating higher transparency within the project, improving
co-operation and optimising project control.
By eliminating the problems’ roots, »Project Turn Around«
makes it possible to steer complicated or even critical
projects back on track and meet their project’s goals in
the end.

»
Project lead takes over completely the role of the project
manager. Furthermore, the customer's employees
benefit from our extensive PM experience.
Jan Philipp Hölz, Senior Consultant at CPC AG
«

Project Lead / Sub-Project Lead
Our »Project Lead / Sub-Project Lead« service is best suited
to support companies in launching projects that are either
fraught with a certain sensitivity, complexity and visibility
or that have difficulties in finding a suitable project leader
or sub-project manager. In these circumstances we provide
a project leader and enable the customer’s project staff to
benefit from our extensive project management knowledge
gained in our day-to-day project management business.
The »Project Lead / Sub-Project Lead« position places high
demands on the person providing the service. The challenges
are not primarily professional in nature. They rather result
from the unique characteristics of project management.
Every project is about accomplishing a defined task within
a certain amount of time and budget while employing
a similar methodology. Furthermore, almost all projects
depend on the relationships between the members of
the project team as well as the relationship between the
project team and the stakeholders.
Our service provides a high added value in case of staff
shortages and ongoing projects facing difficulties. We
recommend applying »Project Lead« particularly in the
initial phase of a project. This allows the project leader to
prepare him- or herself as thoroughly as possible for the
requirements of the customer organisation and plan the
project accordingly. From the very beginning, he or she will
be able to do everything necessary to successfully conduct
the project while being virtually indistinguishable from
any other of the client’s employees.
One unique aspect of »Project Lead / Sub Project Lead« is
that this service can also take the form of coaching lessons.
We assign one of our project experts to our customer’s
less-experienced project leader. He or she will guide the
project leader methodologically as well as personally
through the project to ensure that it will be conducted
smoothly and that the project leader will benefit from
educational effects.

»
Programme and multi-project management represent
the future challenges and next level of development
for executives and companies that have been successfully
realising projects for years.
«
Steffen Siebert, Manager at CPC AG

Multi-Project Management and Programme Management
»Multi-project management« comprises the simultaneous
planning and steering of several – not necessarily interdependent
– projects.
»Programme management« comprises planning, leading
and steering of projects associated by content. The programme
aims at strategic goals which are reflected in all
projects included in the programme.
Multi-project and programme management represent
both highly complex challenges due to the various
interfaces and the large number of people involved. For
the people in charge it is therefore important to recognise
unwelcome developments at an early stage and to be
able to counteract them. This is exactly where we have
the necessary expertise. By being involved at an early
stage we are able to actively shape the structure of such
programmes and advance their implementation. We
help our clients with the methodological and practial
aspects of an installation of multi-project and programme
management in their companies.
From our experience with multi-project and programme
management we know that each case is unique and cannot
be successfully carried out with a standard approach.
We pursue a clear goal and we have an exact idea about
how a programme has to be shaped and steered. To ensure
the programme’s sustainable implementation, we develop
the means as well as the approach in co-operation with
all people involved. This way all parties develop a sense
of ownership from the very beginning.

»
A Project Review provides project lead and project
members with impulses for operative improvement
and ensures transparency.
«
Jördis Schmidt, Manager at CPC AG

Project Review
The »Project Review« comes into play whenever there is
uncertainty about the current project status. Consider a
project in which there are unexpected,
inexplicable delays and the project’s sponsors want
reassurance about the project status and the profitability
of their investments.
In situations like this, it makes sense to get a project
management expert on board who will screen the whole
project following a structured approach and who will point
out areas for improvement. Furthermore, this approach
offers the opportunity of obtaining an objective opinion
and thus exposing mismanagement in the
planning process or structural weaknesses of the project.
The »Project Review« can be conducted in different
project phases, since each project phase has its unique
challenges. Project Review provides impulses for operative
improvements in each and every project phase. The greater
transparency within the project benefits everyone involved,
not only the client.

»
Project Planning & Steering Support services ranges
from leading the project management office to the
substitution of the project leader.
Michael Teubenbacher, Manager at CPC AG
«

Project Planning & Steering Support
Typically, the project lead faces several different challenges:
management wants to be informed about the project, time
schedules and budget plans have to be maintained and
co-ordination with sub projects and suppliers has to be
ensured. At this point, »Project Planning & Steering Support«
steps in to take the pressure of the project lead. This way,
a project leader can focus on his or her core tasks and gains
additional time for project control.
The service is fully scalable to the project requirements
and ranges from establishing and operating a project
management office (PMO) to personal support for the
project lead. Typically, young well-trained consultants take
over the PMO roles and, among other tasks, prepare team
meetings, write the minutes and management documents
– thereby reducing the project lead’s workload.
If a project leader requires personal assistance with
planning and steering a project, we offer experienced
consultants as support, which can, if necessary, even
temporarily substitute the project lead. »Project Planning &
Steering Support« enables the project lead to focus on the
urgent problems with the current project and to intervene
when necessary – thus successfully completing the project
in the end.

Our Project Services are as diverse as the challenges
our clients face in their projects and exclusively
aim at generating added value for our clients in
co-operation with our clients.
If we have caught your interest, please contact us!
Torsten Peis
Mobile: +49 (0) 171 - 4 20 49 87
E-mail: t.peis@cpc-ag.de
CPC Unternehmensmanagement AG
Dreieichstraße 59
60594 Frankfurt
Tel.: +49 (0) 69 56 03 03 03
www.cpc-ag.de