Trans­form­ing a Util­i­ty PMO for Scal­able Growth and Efficiency

The Problem

# Lack of PMO Standards Undermined Delivery and Stakeholder Trust

A regional utility company faced challenges managing its rapidly expanding portfolio of projects across multiple departments, including facilities, engineering, business, and IT. The PMO lacked a clearly defined project lifecycle, resulting in frequent delays, budget overruns, and disengagement from stakeholders. Projects were managed using traditional desktop tools with no integration to enterprise systems, making coordination difficult and undermining confidence across the organization. The organization needed a full-scale PMO redesign to establish process discipline, repair organizational partnerships, and implement an integrated project portfolio management (PPM) system to ensure future success.

Our Approach

# Driving PMO Maturity Through Governance, Tools, and Engagement

Propeller began with an in-depth assessment of the PMO’s structure, processes, and technology environment. We partnered with stakeholders across departments to identify priority gaps and co-create solutions. Key elements of our approach included:

• Implementing a fully integrated project portfolio management (PPM) system that integrates with enterprise systems
• Redesigning critical workflows and project intake processes, standardizing the lifecycle
• Clarifying roles and responsibilities within the PMO
• Leading change management workshops and engagement efforts to ensure buy-in
• Developing a metrics framework to monitor project health and PMO performance

This structured transformation aligned teams on how projects should be planned, managed, and delivered, while building the trust needed for sustainable adoption.

# Services Provided

• Business + Operating Model Strategy
• Change Management Strategy
• Process Optimization
• Business Infrastructure & Tools
• Tech Implementation & Integration
• Actionable Recommendations

Value Delivered

# Integrated PMO Infrastructure Set the Stage for 5x Portfolio Growth

Propeller’s redesign improved speed, efficiency, and confidence in project execution. By delivering a comprehensive improvement plan that spanned people, processes, and technology, the company was equipped with the foundational infrastructure needed to sustain a 5x growth in its project portfolio. Propeller's implementation of the PPM system and process optimizations led to a 29% reduction in projects over budget and a 68% reduction in projects delivered late. Through strategic stakeholder engagement and change management, the broader organization was actively involved in the PMO overhaul, ensuring long-term success.