PMO Transformation, 2026

From MS Project Online to Strategic Portfolio Management

2026 is forcing many organizations to rethink their project stack. The retirement of Microsoft Project Online is not the main topic, but it is the trigger: it puts a date on the need to move from “managing plans” to managing the portfolio based on business criteria. The goal is not to migrate for the sake of it, but to implement a discipline that connects strategy, capacity and financials, with fast, low-risk adoption.

What changes (and why it matters)

  • Context: Project Online has a retirement date, so it makes sense to plan an orderly transition. Keeping useful habits (WBS, MPP) is fully compatible with gaining portfolio, capacity and integrated financial governance.
  • Approach: lead with PMO value (decision and prioritization), not with the sunset. The move from MS Project to ITM Platform should be a functional upgrade, not a like-for-like replacement.

The pillars of a modern PMO with ITM Platform

1) Strategy → Portfolio (for real) Define objectives, evaluate initiatives and build what-if scenarios; prioritize by value and budget constraints.

2) Portfolio and program management A single view that unifies projects, services and programs; track milestones, progress and dependencies at portfolio level.

3) Actionable capacity (without parallel Excel files) Workload vs capacity by person or role, with overallocation alerts and quick adjustments so you can commit to realistic dates.

4) Tracking and earned value Performance metrics, projections and variance alerts embedded in regular reports.

5) Integrated financials Planned and actual costs and revenues, margins by project/client and revenue recognition models (PoC, milestone-based, fixed per period, rate on estimated hours or direct).

6) Hybrid work: Gantt + Kanban Plan with baselines and critical path; execute on boards with custom columns; always synchronized with the portfolio. MPP compatibility so you don’t lose the effort already invested.

7) Governance and compliance Risks, issues, status workflows and approvals; custom fields to adapt the model to your organization.

8) Operations and reliable data Usable timesheets, contextual collaboration, customizable dashboards, multi-language/multi-currency and exportable reporting.

How it improves on “just staying with Project”

  • From isolated projects to portfolio economics: a conversation with executives based on value, cost and revenue/margin by client.
  • Capacity as a lever for commitments: scenarios by role/person and hard evidence of overallocation in one click.
  • Auditable financials without side systems: consistent recognition models.
  • Configurable governance: clear rules and approvals without endless consulting.
  • Frictionless hybrid: plan in Gantt, execute in Kanban, both governed from the portfolio; import MPP whenever needed.

Adoption and migration path (without redoing everything)

Migration Lite (focused scope)

  • Key parameters and user onboarding.
  • Project creation/import via API.
  • Manual MPP upload supported by the importer.
  • The complex parts (very specific calendars, deep permissions, long histories) are archived or addressed in later phases.

Repoint Power BI

  • Reconnect existing dashboards to ITM Platform data so you can preserve your KPIs.

Quick deliverables

  • Validation with sample projects, counts (projects/tasks/hours) and first portfolio views for management.

AI that speeds up decisions (and reinforces governance)

  • Summaries and variance signals embedded in progress reports.
  • PMPilot (conversational assistant) to answer operational questions and navigate portfolio data without building ad-hoc reports. AI doesn’t replace processes: it speeds them up and makes them more consistent.

30-day roadmap

  • Week 1 – Preparation: objectives and criteria, basic parameters, users and roles; pilot portfolio (10–20 initiatives).
  • Week 2 – Minimum data: API/MPP import, time-tracking rules, first capacity and progress metrics.
  • Week 3 – Financials & reporting: costs/revenues and margins; repointing of critical dashboards.
  • Week 4 – Governance & go-live: workflows and approvals, risk review, weekly closing cycle and scaling plan.

Decision checklist for your 2026 PMO

Do workflows reinforce governance without blocking delivery?

Do I have explicit prioritization criteria and a portfolio health board?

Can I see in a single view progress, milestones, capacity and margin?

Does my revenue recognition reflect real contracts (PoC, milestones, etc.)?

Are risks/issues connected to tasks, costs and deadlines?

Sign up for a 14-day ITM Platform (with PMPilot) free trial

Frequently asked questions about ITM Platform vs MS Project Online (FAQ)

Does ITM Platform cover classic planning (WBS, Gantt, dependencies, calendars) like MS Project Online? Yes. ITM Platform provides planning with Gantt, dependencies, milestones, calendars, multiple baselines and critical path. It also supports importing .MPP files and creating/updating plans via API to speed up the transition.

How does ITM Platform manage resources compared to MS Project Online? It covers task assignments and, in addition, provides capacity planning by roles and individuals at portfolio level (demand vs capacity, overallocations, “what-if” scenarios). This reduces the need for parallel spreadsheets and improves reliability of date commitments.

Are timesheets and approvals integrated like in Project Online? Yes. ITM Platform includes timesheets with approval workflows and direct connection to costs/revenues and budgets. On top of that, it adds:

  • Integrated financial management for projects, programs and services
  • Purchasing and vendor control linked to the budget
  • Revenues and margins by client/project
  • Revenue recognition (PoC, milestone-based, fixed per period, etc.)
  • Multi-currency and financial consolidation at portfolio level
  • Period closing to ensure consistent accounting cut-offs

Portfolio and prioritization: does ITM Platform offer the same as MS Project Online? It covers portfolio management for programs, projects, services and assets, and adds:

  • Prioritization based on business criteria
  • “What-if” scenarios for selection and loading
  • Consolidated tracking of health (schedule, cost, capacity, value and consolidated financials at portfolio level)

Governance, risks and issues? Yes. ITM Platform provides risks/issues linked to tasks, costs and plans, configurable status workflows and approvals, and custom fields. Everything is configured from a single admin interface, so you can adapt processes and forms without depending on SharePoint. In addition, extensions let you automate processes and connect to other systems (ERP, ticketing, etc.) when you need to go beyond the standard.

Collaboration, team members and external users? ITM Platform includes:

  • Chat and contextual conversations on projects, tasks and services
  • A simplified team member model, easy to maintain
  • Unlimited team members without complex licensing structures
  • External users (customers, suppliers, partners) with controlled access to relevant information
  • Customer and supplier management linked both to projects and to purchases/revenues

This makes it easier to collaborate with the whole project ecosystem without leaving the platform.

Reporting and Power BI: can I keep my existing dashboards? Yes. In most cases, a simple repoint of Power BI to ITM Platform APIs/data is enough. There are starter templates and a unified data model (portfolio, capacity, time, financials, risks) that reduces ad-hoc ETL and simplifies dashboard maintenance.

Agile/Kanban and hybrid projects (waterfall + agile)? Yes. ITM Platform combines Gantt for planning with Kanban (configurable states, optional sprints) for day-to-day execution, all synchronized with the portfolio. This supports agile project management, continuous services and hybrid models.

How do I migrate my .MPP files and my projects in Project Online? ITM Platform supports MPP import (best-effort), creation via API and a Migration Lite approach: key parameters, users, representative projects/services and critical reporting first; complex elements (very fine-grained calendars, long histories) are tackled in phases.

Does ITM Platform replicate 100% of every detail of Project Online and its SharePoint workflows? It does not aim for a 1:1 replica of the whole ecosystem. In practice, it covers the key functional areas (planning, portfolio, resources, time, reporting, financials) and replaces workflows with native workflows that are simpler and easier to maintain. Extensions and APIs cover the cases that previously depended on SharePoint development or ad-hoc integrations.

Are permissions and security at enterprise level? Yes. Granular roles and permissions, optional SSO, and access control by organization/portfolio/project. Multi-tenant SaaS model with data isolation, audit trail for relevant changes and restricted-access options for external users.

What does ITM Platform add “on top of” what MS Project Online did?

Among other things:

  • Resource capacity at portfolio level with scenarios and visible overallocations
  • Integrated financials: purchases, revenues, margins, revenue recognition, multi-currency, consolidation and period closing
  • Configurable governance and processes without depending on SharePoint
  • True hybrid: Gantt + Kanban on a single platform, for projects and services
  • Integrated collaboration: contextual chat, customers/suppliers, external users and unlimited team members
  • Unified data for BI (less ETL), APIs and report templates
  • Applied AI (summaries, variance signals) and the PMPilot assistant to navigate data in natural language
  • Extensions to automate and integrate without breaking the standard

Will we still be able to use the Project desktop client? Yes, if you need it for local edits. MPP import/export makes it easy to coexist and gradually move towards an operation centered on portfolio and services.

How do I move my Project Online OData reports? These are usually handled with a Power BI repoint to ITM Platform APIs, mapping equivalent measures and adding new ones (capacity, margins, risks, portfolio financials).

What adoption timelines are realistic? With a focused scope, it is common to get portfolio visibility within weeks: parameters, users, 10–20 representative projects/services, repoint of 2–3 critical dashboards and a basic review cycle. From there, you progressively add advanced financials, services, assets, processes and extensions.

Implementation of a PMO: people, organization and documentation

 

The users are the ones that bring a project management system to life, either as collaborators or external consultants. It is imperative that the PMO believes, manages and offers support to all of them.

 

Collaborators or suppliers, everyone is a source of talent.

 

Responsibilities  

A good PMO provides a framework that helps project managers allocate resources correctly because:

  • Projects frequently borrow resources from other business units.
  • Assigning responsibilities haphazardly normally leads to management problems down the line.

A PPM software tool offers various options to help you define the roles in each project from configuring access permissions to the specific function of every project member. You can also assign a ‘task manager’ to each task. This task is now converted into a sub-project and the assigned task manager can follow up on it.

 

Organization

Integrating the company org chart into a PMO tool is a useful way to classify and identify projects/people/activities etc. within the functional hierarchy. Later on, you can also use it to analyze outcomes.

 

Capacity: Planning and Follow-up

Managing capacity is a task requiring the utmost efficiency. It is crucial for the PMO to find the balance between:

  • Efficient management that avoids both over-allocation of resources and non-productive time.
  • The competing demands of business units and cross-unit projects vying for a limited pool of resources.

Managing capacity should be linked to demand management. Frequently, over-allocation of resources is a sign that you cannot keep up with demand. The PMO should have the means to identify this situation and the power to fix it.

The following example offers an excellent module that allows the PMO to plan globally, while analyzing individual capacity and availability.

Whatever its responsibilities are, at the very least the PMO should offer a long-term view of the demand on resources and raise a red flag when imbalances are detected.

 

Communication

If people are the beating heart of project management then communication between them makes project management possible.

 

The PMO’s role is to set up formal communication channels, and to promote and facilitate informal communication between collaborators.

 

Formal communication is related to following up on tasks; it involves specific channels to help team members learn the status of projects and tasks.

The PMO must define key moments when relevant information will be delivered to stakeholders, with the PPM system as the backbone of this process.

  • Formal communication ensures that the required information is delivered to the relevant people in a timely fashion.
  • Informal communication enhances efficiency, enabling team members to discuss and deliver information with all the background at their fingertips.

 

Documentation

Whether it is a task, risk or purchase, every element of every project can generate its own support documentation.

The PMO has several roles when it comes to documentation. The main priority is to reinforce clear management, standardize procedures and ensure that information is properly used.

  • Defining which documents are indispensable, when they should be created and to what entity they should be assigned.
  • Defining documentation formats, in coordination with other business units.
  • Offering an access system to templates and supporting documents, as well as the procedures to use them.

Depending on the responsibilities, the PMO may use some features or other benefits of its PPM tool. For example, the role of project templates can associate documentation models in the different sections of the project.

How much are we investing? Financial factors to consider in project and portfolio management

Tracking expenditure and revenue flows answers one of the burning ques­tions of every board: “How much are we actually investing in our projects?”. This question often crops up when we are talking about internal, IT or transforma­tive projects. The planning and follow-up model should be agreed with the finance di­rectorate and business units, so that project managers understand the pa­rameters for action, how they should monitor budgets and use of resources.

The PMO should issue clear instruc­tions on:

  1. Which cost elements to monitor, especially in terms of hours and pur­chasing.
  2. How to incorporate external su­ppliers: hours or deliverables.
  3. Which metrics to use: hours, cost, profit, earned value, progress etc.
  4. How frequently to measure each parameter.
  5. Standardized periods for reporting working hours.
  6. Measuring income and profit mar­gins.

In the following sections we analyze these topics in greater depth, highli­ghting their integration into ITM Plat­form whenever possible.


Cost of working hours

If you require oversight of the esti­mated hours, actual hours worked and their cost, the module of stan­dard costs and provider rates must be defined. Carrying out the definition in collaboration with the finance and HR departments will ensure that the project’s financial management is line with the organization’s policies and procedures. ITM Platform offers a module to establi­sh the standard cost from an abstract level down to the most detailed one:

      • General: hourly cost of any task. Useful in the conceptual phase of the project.
      • Internal and external: whether you use your own people or out­side contractors this allows you to define the hourly cost in a generic fashion.
      • Cost per professional profile: allows you to define the standard cost of the internal personnel for each profile, within different time­frame.
      • Provider rates: similarly, provider rates can be fed into the system, allowing you to compare costs per person and per provider.


Purchases and acquisitions

Purchasing is one of the key activities in any company. When managed properly it enables easier planning and follow up of cash flow. Normally, purchase management is in­corporated in the early stages of matu­rity, typically before monitoring working hours. Nonetheless, it is important that projects synchronize their purchasing with the organization’s financial mana­gement, so that both are in agreement. The purchase flow is a kind of workflow and it must be linked to a procedure pre­viously agreed with the financial and purchasing directorates, ensuring that each project’s purchasing is in line with purchasing practices in general.In addition, budget accounts grouping purchases must be used homoge­neously.


Revenue

Similarly to purchasing, the classification and time management of the project revenues should be synchronized with the organization´s regular financial procedures. The system will then be able to create reliable margins and client profitablity.

6 elements to consider when defining a PMO framework

Everyone´s starting point is different, but we can all agree you need a steady foundation when building anything and your PMO´s framework is no exception. It should be clear and shared by the entire organization. We’ll guide you through planning, implementing and disseminating your PMO. Whether you´re familiar with ITM Platform or not, our examples are a ¨one-size-fits-all¨. This design assists in  highlighting situations that you may encounter along the way and applicable to most cases.

So, let´s dive in to the 6 essential elements you need to consider in order launch your PMO framework.

 

Download the eBook: How to set up a sustainable PMO with ITM Platform

 

1. Project types

First, decide what kind of projects you’re running; the type of project will also govern its lifespan.
As you implement (or relaunch) the PMO it’s a good moment to reflect on the variety of projects in the portfolio and possibly take time to redesign them. A PMO can also manage operations if they consist of specific tasks that are assigned to different teams. Managing projects and operations together from the PMO is especially useful when the resources and clients involved are the same.

This is the case with software development projects, or products that require maintenance by the same team that developed the original project. The Kanban methodology is useful for managing services because it offers an organized structure in which you can see the status of tasks at a glance. More importantly it allows you to limit the flow of work according to your resources.

The service concept is also incorporated into ITM Platform – you can create entities for the sole purpose of managing operations.

 

2. Workflows

A workflow allows you to map out all the possible statuses that a project goes through. Make sure it is based on the business’s procedures – don’t be tempted to invent statuses that do not reflect the reality of the company.
The workflow is defined by two main components:

  1. The changing status of a project
    For example, we can decide that when the status of a project is designated as ‘draft’ that can only be changed to ‘started’ or ‘discarded’.
  2. The conditions for changing the status and who is authorized to grant permission for that change.
    Make the conditions for changing statuses as simple as possible; you can always increase the complexity later, and you may even find that there is no need to do so.

A word of advice: do not replace the work of defining organizational procedures with a workflow. The workflow should be a conveyor belt, not a control mechanism.

 

3. Priorities

It's very easy to configure the different degrees of priority, but the work of a PMO starts way before this: you have to agree what each priority means. It should be extremely clear what “high priority” or “medium priority” means. Obviously, medium is higher than high, but does that mean that you shouldn’t start with the medium priority ones until the high priority ones are finished? Should we put twice as many resources into high priority versus medium priority?

The PMO should know the actions associated with each priority and make this clear to everyone else so that the organization makes homogenous decisions.

 

4. Risks

Good project management is in essence risk management and a PMO ensures that this function happens consistently throughout the decision-making process.
The formula impact x probability = exposure level is only useful if it leads to consistent decisions by project managers.

Identifying risks is a tricky business as it’s often subjective and affected by personal bias. The PMO standardizes procedures using criteria and tools approved by the board, backed by the project managers.

 

5. Waterfall or agile methodologies?

Both of these methodologies can co-exist in one integrated portfolio as long as the PMO establishes criteria to decide on the appropriate methodology for each project.
Some organizations make all decisions – waterfall or agile – based on politics. This kind of decision making can lead to patchy results.
If your organization decides on agile methodologies for all projects – while at the same time demanding medium and long-term deadlines – the methodology probably hasn't been chosen on the basis of solid criteria.

To determine which methodology to use the PMO should ask:

  •  Is the result of the project relatively uncertain or are we well aware of the outcomes?
  •  Is the project subject to deadlines which govern the date of deliverables or is a short-term vision of all the tasks enough?
  • Are sponsors and clients willing to have continual involvement in the project without knowing the final outcome? Or will they happy to be less involved and just accept the final outcome?

 

If your organization decides on agile methodologies for all projects – while at the same time demanding medium and long-term deadlines – the methodology probably hasn’t been chosen based on solid criteria.

 

6. Project templates

One of the major benefits of a PMO is that it allows you to capitalize on knowledge accumulated from previous projects. Be sure to put mechanisms in place to recover the lessons that have been learned. That way the know how isn’t lost when the project ends but can be applied later on.
Creating project-specific templates means the contents can be re-used in future projects. Another benefit of templates is to re-use frequently used structures just by changing dates and figures. It’s similar to those cooking programs when the chef says ‘here’s one I prepared earlier’.

A good PMO ensures that the knowledge stays within an organization, and not only at the level of the individuals involved.

This online PMO & Organization Self-Assessment can help you get started and analyze your organization.

The 10 areas of knowledge. 10: Stakeholders management

team, puzzle, star, bubbles, conversation, chessThis article is part of a series on the PMBOK areas of knowledge. You can read the previous articles here:

The last area of knowledge of the PMBOK (Project Management Book of Knowledge) covers the best practices to manage the relationship with stakeholders.

Specifically, this area of knowledge focuses on identifying people, groups or organizations that may affect or may be affected by the project and analyze their expectations and its impact on the plan.

Manage project stakeholders in a collaborative environment

It is essential to keep in mind that clients too are stakeholders, as their satisfaction is crucial to the success of a project. This means that projects could re-start from 0 if the client’ expectations are not taken into account early enough.
This problem was so frequent in software development that led to the development of agile methodologies, which seek a fluid communication with customers.

 

Advice for Stakeholders Management

 

1. Identify the parties or public interested in the project

In this phase of project management, it is important to focus on identifying the stakeholder from the very beginning, since this will allow us to obtain an overview of the stakeholders map and the problems that some actors may pose at a later moment.

2. Make sure that all interested parties agree and know their roles or responsibilities

Before starting the development of a project, it is essential that all the actors involved know the rules and assume the commitment and responsibility expected of their functions. From the beginning, we will identify team leaders, work teams, and their roles.
Good pre-planning facilitates a smooth development and helps to avoid conflicts in the future. If everyone agrees with the requirements and objectives, he or she will work to keep pace with the events and avoid delays; delays that only will be translated into extra costs and unwanted results.
On the other hand, rules must also ensure fluid communication with customers, so that they have sufficient information to evaluate the project development and express their point of view. If necessary, the circumstances under which a client’s opinions may involve changes in the project can be agreed upon.

3. Get consensus on the application of changes to the project

Changes in a project are inevitable since contingencies always arise that require the modification of some criteria or change in scope. The more complex a plan is, the more susceptible it is of being changed during its development. Therefore, it is important that all participants agree on how to handle the changes.

4. Favor communication

Establishing communication guidelines at the beginning of the project will improve the flow of the same. The team will be able to determine, since the beginning, the frequency of the communication and its content, that should preferably be concise and focused on the progress or issues that affect the project.

5. Give permanent visibility to the project teams

Transparency is a fundamental virtue in all project communication. It does not make sense for a project manager to have secrets.

It is important to define and communicate the vision of the project early on, as teams become more involved and the risk of losing focus on the project is mitigated. This way you make sure that any decision is coherent with the vision and objectives of the project. This point is very important because it helps reduce risks, errors or loss of focus.

6. Involve interested parties in the entire process

Although we assigned functions and teams from the very beginning, interested parties (stakeholders) should be always involved, so that they can participate in the problem solving or the revision of the requirements.

7. Reach an agreement with what has been done

In order to avoid entering a circle of changes and stagnation that could jeopardize the development of the project, it is important to reach agreements on the work done.
In an organization that manages strategic projects and internal transformation, Stakeholders Management goes beyond the project closure, since its delivery enables capacities that could benefit other levels of the organization. Otherwise, the value delivered is not internalized and won’t become a competitive advantage sustainable over time. This approach has been called Benefits Realization Management (BRM) or Benefit Management.

8. Empathize with the other interested parties

All project participants are stakeholders, but the stakeholder map also includes parties that do not actively participate in the development of the project. You should take them into account and empathize with them as the capacity for empathy is a crucial skill for the success or failure of a project.
The analysis of a project should not be limited to the interests and influence of stakeholders but should include how to identify their objectives, circumstances and the way they perceive the project.
Empathic analysis helps us to discover hidden variables that show us the way to solve problems or overcome obstacles that we may encounter.

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