In the project portfolio management (PPM) world, the salami-slicing problem is sadly common. This tendency to break down larger projects into smaller topics, or slices, makes it challenging to see the whole picture. The difficulty with this approach is that it can lead to you only being able to react to individual, separate pieces rather than knowing how it will affect the entire project.
One of the reasons this problem arises in PPM is that revenue streams and budgets are often dealt with separately. Also, getting budgets for more extensive projects can be challenging, which can encourage people to break them down into smaller topics.
See the whole picture, not just a part
This is where Uffective comes in. Uffective enables users to view all their PPM data in one system, eliminating the need for controllers to manually track and approve each project slice. By forecasting what happens if a request is approved, Uffective can also show what effect this will have on other projects and even what other projects will no longer be possible. This allows users to gain full transparency over their decisions and make better informed strategic choices.
Better data quality, educated decisions
A core part of what we focus on at Uffective is data quality. When a request for approval is sent to a manager, they automatically receive notice of all of the other projects that will need budget to be assigned in the near future, enabling them to make better informed decisions about how to allocate the budget. The project’s planning budget requests are based on data from other projects in our system and are automatically presented as part of their key plan data (planned budgets, planned gates).
This also means that the person submitting the budget, and those who also need to receive budget in the future, are incentivised to ensure that all of their data is correct. This both keeps data up to date and eliminates the sliced salami problem.
Want to stop working with small slices and get the whole picture of how you spend your budget and how effective it is? Contact us today for a commitment-free demo of how we can help you to improve your PPM and boost your business.
