The 5 benefits are as follows;
1. When a programme is in place with multiple projects, the ability to initiate, define, accelerate or terminate projects in a programme is a massive benefit. This is beneficial because certain projects may not be required at a single point in time and would be beneficial to start a year later than if the project was outside the programme and didn’t have this top down view. Projects may also benefit from acceleration is deemed necessary to benefit following projects.
2. Projects can and will be interdependent upon each other when managed through a programme and this has specific benefits. It can be down to resourcing, the output, the programme length or purely as a milestone management tool where one project is unable to start as it may be on an inter-project critical path for a certain activity.
3. You can manage the available resources and demands from the business more efficiently. Resource management at a programme level will allow for individual programmes to benefit from intelligent programming where specific activities are only undertaken when resources are available. This will also help if a project is suffering from specific demands or lack of resources, and projects that may not be using the resources of a critical path activity can be taken off and used on the lagging project.
4. There is the ability to manage risk issues and mitigation between projects as well as changes across the programme. This means links (synergy) can be made where risks may involve two or more projects and can be managed/mitigated through the programme. Changes can also be managed more efficiently through one point instead of for each project concerned.
5. You are able to focus on strategic benefits of specific projects which benefit and compliment the programme and manage these to ensure the output and benefits are realised at the correct time. This may be a time of year that a project is required to handover so that the output of the project is realised and beneficial to the programme. This will then allow other projects to fall into place around a key project to have a strategic and beneficial programme.
