A Practical Checklist: Are You Ready for a PPM Tool?

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) tools are designed for organisations that want better structure, visibility, and control across multiple projects and programmes.

From our experience, organisations that get the most value from a PPM tool usually want clear portfolio oversight, consistent ways of working, reliable reporting, and better visibility of resources. This checklist isn’t about what you currently have—it’s about what your organisation wants to achieve. Thinking through these points will help you decide if a PPM tool aligns with your goals and priorities.

Here’s a practical checklist to help you assess your readiness.

If projects are planned and executed in isolation, a PPM tool can feel overwhelming.

But if initiatives compete for the same people, budget, or attention, having a clear portfolio view is essential.

Ask yourself:

• Do we regularly prioritise or deprioritise initiatives?
• Do we know which projects deliver the most value?

PPM tools work best when someone owns the “how” of project delivery. That doesn’t mean everything has to be perfect, but clear ownership of standards and processes makes adoption smoother.

Ask yourself:

• Do we have agreed project stages and approval points?
• Is governance applied consistently?

If reporting currently relies on spreadsheets, last-minute updates, or chasing people for information, a PPM tool can bring clarity and structure.

Ask yourself:

• What decisions are our leaders trying to make?
• What information do we need today that’s missing?

Resource conflicts are one of the strongest reasons to adopt a PPM solution. If the same people are needed on multiple initiatives, or delivery depends on a small group of specialists, visibility matters.

PPM tools introduce standards and processes, and that’s often where the real value comes in. But adoption depends on buy-in.

Ask yourself:

• Are teams open to common processes?
• Is there support for training and adoption?

A PPM tool works best when an organisation is ready to move from reactive delivery to intentional portfolio management. If some areas need improvement first, that’s okay, building the right foundations with CPS Consulting will make any future tool far more effective.

Even if your organisation isn’t ready yet, it’s not the end of the road. We help a lot of organisations prepare for a new PPM tool, guiding them through the foundations so they can be successful when the time is right.

• Experienced in helping organisations adopt PPM practices
• Structured delivery approach to maximise value
• Accelerators to reduce time to impact
• Ongoing support and optimisation