Should we focus on a PMO or Product Value Delivery?

Inspired by Thomas Steinmetz old post on “The death of the PMO as we know it”, (read it here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/death-pmo-we-know-thomas-steinmetz) I did a short recap of what capabilities differentiates a successful Project driven organization from unsuccessful ones.

The unscientific survey I did was to list the orgs and PMOs  that we have worked with for the past two and a half decade and listed the three main capabilities driven by the PMO/Project Org when they were as most successful. Also we tried to list for how long this success lasted.

My conclusion is that the single most important differentiating capability in a successful project driven organization/PMO is product delivery focus.
Irrespectively if it is Design To Cost or New Product/Service Development. Irrespective of good times or bad times. Irrespective of industry, governance, methodologies or means of delivery (iterative, concurrent, agile etc).

PMOs that have managed to engage in a product driven focus has delivered capabilities that have made them endure and catch the moment with management. They have also managed to engage the people in the organization in their cause. Analysis capabilities and decision making have been expressed to be of value to the bottom line of their business as well as in the daily delivery in different teams across different organizational types and competence delivery areas.

Also, focus on measurement, benchmarking, quality assurance of as well as a strong focus on the end customer value have a greater role in these businesses.

My conclusion is therefore that PMOs will be replaced with PVDs, Project Management Offices are shortly replaced with Product Value Delivery.

Will the PMOs of today be up to this change? Or will this require a need for a completely new way-of-work?

Magnus Holmlid