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What is project and portfolio management?

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Overview

Project and portfolio management brings clarity, alignment, and smarter decision-making to every level of your organization

Project and portfolio management (PPM) is the discipline of selecting, prioritizing, and managing projects and initiatives aligned to business goals. Project management delivers initiatives on time and on budget, while portfolio management balances investments, manages risk, and maximizes ROI. PPM connects strategy to execution, showing progress, risks, and returns—and answers: Are we doing the right work, doing it well, and delivering with available resources?

Project and portfolio management

Why does project and portfolio management matter?

In an environment of constant change, organizations can’t afford disconnected priorities, wasted resources, or blind bets. PPM gives you a framework to:

  • Prioritize with confidence – Evaluate initiatives based on strategic impact, cost, risk, and capacity.
  • Maximize resource utilization – Balance workloads and assign the right people to the right work.
  • Improve visibility – Track progress, monitor budgets, and measure performance across the entire portfolio.
  • Support agility – Adapt quickly to shifting priorities, market changes, or organizational pivots.

Whether you run traditional projects, agile teams, or hybrid delivery models, project and portfolio management enables smarter, more synchronized execution across DevOps and the business.

What are the benefits of project and portfolio management?

Project and portfolio management isn’t just about keeping projects on track—it’s about making sure your entire organization is working toward what truly matters:

  • Strategic alignment: Tie initiatives to business goals and eliminate busy work.
  • Smarter decision-making: Pivot confidently using real-time data on project impact and ROI.
  • Better resource management: Avoid bottlenecks, skill mismatches, and overcommitment.
  • Transparency and accountability: Real-time dashboards replace endless status meetings.
  • Faster time to value: Reduce inefficiencies, improve collaboration, and deliver results sooner.
  • Scalable resilience: Consistent governance and repeatable processes support growth from a few projects to hundreds.

Who uses project and portfolio management?

From PMOs and IT leaders to finance, marketing, and product teams, everyone uses PPM to stay aligned. If you manage projects (or care how money and people are used), project and portfolio management gives you the structure and insight to drive better outcomes.

  • PMOs and portfolio managers: Centralized hub to manage demand, capacity, and performance.
  • IT and engineering leaders: Align roadmaps to strategic initiatives.
  • Finance teams: Visibility into where money is being spent and ROI.
  • Business leaders: Ensure execution supports growth, innovation, and competitive advantage.

Project and portfolio management for the modern enterprise

Gone are the days of static Gantt charts and siloed spreadsheets. Today’s project and portfolio management tools are collaborative, intelligent, and built for scale to support complex software delivery. Modern platforms are:

  • Collaborative: Centralized updates and team communication.
  • Intelligent: AI-driven forecasting and predictive analytics.
  • Real-time: Dashboards for instant performance visibility.
  • Integrated: Seamless workflows across project management, finance, and resource planning.

AI-enhanced PPM enables faster, smarter decisions while empowering teams to deliver meaningful results.

Common challenges in project and portfolio management

While project and portfolio management (PPM) delivers major value, implementing it successfully comes with challenges—especially for enterprises managing complex, cross-functional work in their SDLC. Organizations often face:

  • Siloed teams and systems: Fragmented data hinders decision-making.
  • Poor strategic alignment: Resources may be wasted on low-value initiatives.
  • Inconsistent processes: Varied workflows reduce efficiency and visibility.
  • Resource constraints: Bottlenecks and overcommitment delay delivery.
  • Resistance to change: Adoption suffers without stakeholder buy-in.
  • Limited insights: Data without analysis doesn’t drive improvement.

Overcoming these requires the right tools, governance, and mindset to move from reactive firefighting to proactive execution.

PPM vs. SPM: what's the difference?

While project and portfolio management focuses on managing and delivering projects effectively, strategic portfolio management (SPM) takes a higher-level, longer-term view. Think of PPM as doing things right—and SPM as doing the right things.

In short, PPM focuses on execution; SPM focuses on strategy.

PPM SPM
Tracks timelines, budgets, and deliverables Tracks timelines, budgets, and deliverables Connects initiatives to business objectives
Focused on how work gets done Focused on why work matters
Ideal for managing delivery Ideal for prioritizing investments

Think of SPM as the GPS guiding your destination, and PPM as the vehicle getting you there efficiently. Most enterprises need both: SPM sets direction, and PPM ensures execution stays on course.

In a modern enterprise, you need both. SPM ensures your investments support long-term value, while PPM ensures your teams can execute those investments with precision.

What should you look for in project and portfolio management tools?

Look for platforms that offer:

  • Centralized visibility: Portfolio-wide dashboards.
  • Strategic alignment: Tie initiatives to objectives and KPIs.
  • Resource optimization: Capacity planning and workload balancing.
  • Risk management: Proactively identify and mitigate risks.
  • Agile and hybrid support: Manage all project types seamlessly.
  • AI-powered insights: Predictive analytics for smarter planning.
  • Collaboration and integration: Unified platform for cross-functional teams.

How does project and portfolio management fit into DevOps or DevSecOps?

In modern software delivery, speed and security must go hand in hand. Project and Portfolio Management is a key enabler of DevOps and DevSecOps, helping organizations plan, prioritize, and track initiatives while embedding security across the software lifecycle.

AI and project and portfolio management

AI-enhanced Project and Portfolio Management automates routine tasks, predicts risks, and optimizes resources. Cloud-based platforms support:

  • Global collaboration: Teams in different regions work in real time.
  • Localization: Compliance, currency, and language support.
  • Intelligent automation: AI recommends resource allocation, prioritizes initiatives, generates reports, automates manual tasks, and monitors portfolio health.

Modern Project and Portfolio Management isn’t just a tracker—it’s a strategic engine that drives outcomes at scale.

Why choose OpenText Project and Portfolio Management?

OpenText™ Project and Portfolio Management isn’t just another project tool—it’s a strategic platform designed to help organizations deliver more value, faster. Built for modern enterprises, it connects strategy to execution, gives real-time visibility, and empowers teams to make smarter decisions.

Key benefits of OpenText PPM:

  • Strategic alignment: Ensure every project and initiative drives business goals.
  • Intelligent resource management: Optimize workloads, balance capacity, and reduce burnout.
  • Real-time visibility: Dashboards and analytics give stakeholders insight into progress, risks, and ROI.
  • Seamless collaboration: Centralized platform for cross-functional teams across locations.
  • Scalable for growth: Supports portfolios of any size—from small teams to enterprise-scale initiatives.
  • FedRAMP Authorized: Meets stringent federal security standards, making it ideal for government agencies and regulated industries.

Whether your organization runs traditional, agile, or hybrid projects, OpenText Project and Portfolio Management provides the structure, insights, and automation to deliver work that matters—on time and on budget.

Project and portfolio management

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Resources

  • Large financial services organization

    Financial services company accelerates decision-making with OpenText™ Core Project and Portfolio Management

  • Kredi Kayıt Bürosu

    KKB helps employees to work more productively with ultra-efficient project management solutions

  • MTN South Africa

    Integrated end-to-end application delivery solution supports digital transformation for optimal customer experience

  • Claro

    OpenText Project and Portfolio Management and OpenText Software Delivery Management combine to secure continued market leadership with value-driven and customer-focused project delivery

  • Leading Telco Operator

    Leading telco operator reduces time-to-market by 40% and stream lines the running of 1,700 projects a year with OpenText™ Project and Portfolio Management

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