Taking Projects to the Next Level

Client

F5 is a successful and growing provider of networking software and appliances.

Situation

The company’s recent networking solutions have gained wide acceptance in the enterprise, moving beyond early adopters.  However, these new enterprise customers bring increased expectations for product quality, responsive technical support, and a rich long-term product roadmap.  The senior VP of product development knew that satisfied customers and increased market share would be the payoff if he invested wisely to increase development capacity and predictability.  But where should he focus to get the most bang for his investment buck?

Solution

Synergy provided a comprehensive, unbiased assessment of the company’s project management practices.  Current practices were benchmarked against known best practices, including eleven areas aligned with the Project Management Institute’s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide).  Drawing on years of experience managing complex projects and PMO’s, Synergy performed deep analysis of the survey and interview data.  Working with the development team, Synergy identified opportunities, then facilitated a discussion among the development management team to agree on an action plan and ownership. 

Result

The assessment gave the company clear and detailed information on the current level of the organization’s project management maturity.  It showed clear steps forward, so the development management knew where to target future efforts for the highest return.  The project built momentum for change, and created an effective action plan with ownership from the engineering directors.

Contact

Jeff Oltmann, Synergy Professional Services, LLC, jeff@spspro.com