Foreword

No matter where I go in the world today, I find companies that are launching a variety of development efforts to capture and apply knowledge that is unique to their business. Their goal—regardless of their industry or region—is to increase innovation and make better use of limited resources.

These efforts can face several challenges, including the following:

• Helping business managers understand how they contribute to achieving corporate goals
• Launching only the projects the organization can handle effectively
• Setting project priorities based on business objectives
• Analyzing the need and appropriate resources for each project
• Achieving the efficiencies that lead to real cost savings

To address these challenges, organizations need a thorough process for selecting the right product and portfolio management (PPM) solution. But that's just the start. Once the solution is in place, they need highly skilled administrators who understand the business as well as the technical configuration necessary to keep the lights on and delight their end users.