PMO to Drive IT Infrastructure Transformation

Situation

Following a period of business growth and acquisitions, the client’s global IT estate had become fragmented and challenging to manage. Despite IT spend exceeding 10% of annual revenue, the organisation lacked the maturity to fully support its digital and growth ambitions.

To address this, the client launched a company-wide IT transformation programme in partnership with Deloitte. The programme - known as IT Excellence (KITE) - covered strategy, finance, infrastructure, applications, and service desk. As the programme matured, infrastructure emerged as the area with the greatest opportunity for impact.

The infrastructure workstream quickly expanded to include core advisory, data centre consolidation, SD-WAN, Cloud, Microsoft 365, Backup & Recovery, End User Computing, Security, and more.

Approach

To manage this complex portfolio effectively, the client and Deloitte agreed on the need for a dedicated Infrastructure PMO.

Interval was engaged to set up and run the Infrastructure PMO, with a Senior PMO deployed to work directly with the Head of Infrastructure. The first priority was building a robust governance model, aligned to the organisation’s wider project management methodology. This included implementing new processes, tools, and reporting mechanisms.

At the same time, the PMO assumed operational responsibility for managing the infrastructure project portfolio - ensuring adherence to the new standards and driving quality assurance in programme reporting. Steering group meetings with senior stakeholders were introduced to strengthen oversight and decision-making.

The PMO also integrated with PMO teams from other departments, while maintaining a tailored approach to the infrastructure portfolio’s specific needs.

Outcomes

The Infrastructure PMO was up and running within the first month, with iterations and improvements rolled out in the following two months.

Initial goals were achieved quickly: better adherence to PMO standards, improved reporting quality, and enhanced visibility across the project landscape. Previously hidden interdependencies between in-flight projects were identified, enabling stronger alignment and planning.

Project delivery became more predictable, with teams now using a single platform (ServiceNow) to manage resources and timelines. Integration with additional ServiceNow modules is underway.

Due to its success, the PMO model is now being adapted and rolled out across the wider IT organisation.