Kapcsolat
When a company decides to establish a professional Project Management Office (PMO), it embarks on a complex project in its own right. At Praktiker, this journey began in January 2024 under the leadership of Anita Horváth (Boni). The initial challenge was clear: the organization had no formal project management framework in place.
Key recommendations for the early stages of PMO setup:
Conduct an audit: Identify stakeholders, existing project structures, resources, and competencies.
Apply a 30-60-90 day roadmap: Focus on mapping the current state, conducting stakeholder interviews, and delivering the first quick wins.
Assess how different units define “project”: This helps create a common language across the organization.
In this first phase, the goal is not intervention, but observant understanding and building trust.
Following the initial assessment, a unified project management framework was developed. This was based on a simplified version of the PMI methodology, including a tailored set of templates, forms, and a governance structure.
One of the greatest challenges was gaining acceptance of the new processes across various business units. Changes like transforming the meeting culture, introducing agendas and memos, and creating transparent task and responsibility structures all aimed to enhance transparency and efficiency.
The rollout of the methodology was gradual. Internal training, mini-workshops, and individual mentoring supported the teams’ development. Company-wide training sessions also ensured that all departments became familiar with the new operating model.
One of the most visible improvements was the increased efficiency of meetings. Standardized agendas, consistent memos, and a culture of feedback led to rapid progress — not only in project management, but in overall organizational communication.
A successful PMO framework is more than a collection of documents — it sets behavioral expectations. At Praktiker, the PMI methodology was implemented in a hybrid, practical form with targeted templates and a simplified governance model.
Strategic advice for introducing the structure:
Avoid overly complex approaches — aim for gradual implementation.
Standardize every project lifecycle phase: initiation, planning, execution, closure.
Encourage feedback — templates are starting points, not rigid rules.
Key elements in transforming meeting culture:
Every meeting should have a pre-defined agenda.
Ensure clear ownership and deadlines for all action items.
Document outcomes in a structured memo and share with all relevant parties.
Change acceptance is best supported by consistent role modelling and integration into daily operations.
Leadership backing was a key success factor. The PMO reported directly to the CEO, ensuring independence and cross-functional alignment across the executive team.
Regular Strategic Board meetings provided visibility of the project portfolio and enabled swift decision-making. Customized communication of expectations and frequent sponsor meetings further promoted transparency.
Practical stakeholder management tools:
Regular stakeholder interviews at all levels (executive, middle, and operational management)
Introduction of expectation-based communication channels
Creation of two-way feedback forums
Use of prioritization maps and stakeholder matrices
Such openness and feedback mechanisms made it easier to drive change acceptance and reduced organizational resistance.
One of the biggest challenges in building the PMO was the need to simultaneously validate the new leader, the operational model, and the very legitimacy of the new organization. This called for intensive communication and support efforts during the early stages.
Employee turnover posed another risk. Several colleagues left during the change period, complicating the stabilization process that had just begun.
Key measures to address these challenges:
Regular one-on-one meetings with team members
Thematic knowledge-sharing workshops to strengthen critical competencies
Soft skill development (e.g. communication, conflict management)
Transparent KPI tracking and soft feedback systems
A key takeaway: when introducing a new organization, personal competencies and change management capabilities are as vital as professional expertise. Boosting acceptance and engagement also required targeted development of the project managers themselves.
By August, the PMO had reached its first stable state. Project managers were working independently and consistently, with templates and processes embedded in daily operations.
The year-end review made it possible to compare the current state with the past — and both objective and subjective indicators confirmed the PMO’s success. Future plans focus on solidifying stability, developing talent pipelines, and integrating AI tools.
Potential AI applications:
Automated generation of meeting agendas and memos
Creation and population of project documentation and templates
Analysis of project data for decision support
Predictive resource planning and capacity optimization
This experience highlights that setting up a PMO is not just a professional exercise — it is an organizational and human one. Transparent operations, stakeholder-oriented communication, and continuous measurability provide the solid foundation needed to build a successful PMO.
