Project management and PMO are often used interchangeably, but they are actually two different fields. While project managers focus on completing individual projects, PMOs focus on improving processes and helping organizations achieve their business goals.
Although both roles require leadership skills, they also require different skill sets in order to be successful.
So, what’s the difference between these two areas of expertise? Let’s break it down:
The Differences That Set Them Apart
Project management is a course that teaches students how to manage projects in a professional setting. Project managers have the responsibility of ensuring that their projects stay on schedule, on budget and meet their required quality standards.
Project management courses generally take place during the first year of college or university, but you can also take these courses later in life from HotPMO if you want to change careers and get into project management.
The PMO (Project Management Office) is an organization created by companies so they can efficiently manage all of their ongoing projects at once. PMOs are typically made up of experienced project managers who have been promoted from within the company itself; however, some organizations prefer hiring externally instead because it allows them more freedom with their hires’ qualifications.
PMO Focuses on More than Individual Projects
Traditional project managers focus on completing projects and working with clients. The project manager is a client-facing role, meaning that you’ll be responsible for delivering the project to the client. Your responsibilities will include managing the project team, managing the budget, and ensuring that all deliverables are met within budget and on time.
PMOs are more than just a group of project teams. They exist to improve the organization as a whole, not just individual projects.
The main difference between PMO and project management is that PMO focuses on improving processes and the organization as a whole, while project management focuses on completing projects (or parts of larger projects).
PMO Focuses on Improving Processes
In order to improve the processes of your organization, you need someone who can coordinate all projects and ensure that they get done according to plan. A Project Management Office (PMO) is responsible for finding patterns in project success or failure and recommending changes to make sure that all future projects are successful.
The most important thing about a PMO is that it should be focused on making sure projects come in on time, within budget, and in accordance with company policies. This means that there will always be some kind of documentation available describing how each project was managed so as not to repeat mistakes made during previous endeavors.
In Conclusion
PMO courses tend to focus on improving processes and the big picture of a company, whereas project management courses tend to be more narrowly focused. A course in project management will provide you with tools to improve your individual projects and get them completed faster.
A PMO course would be designed for someone who wants to improve the entire organization, not just one or two projects. These courses will typically have a longer time frame than their project management counterparts as well because they are looking at improving a company’s processes instead of merely completing individual tasks within that process as quickly as possible.
