Tech Talk: Managing the Business Process

At West, we have adopted the philosophy that there are no IT projects, only business projects.  Even business projects with a high dependence on IT are still business projects that require a business case with a measurable return on the investment.  During the past year, West has been working to develop a unified project and portfolio management process.  The initiative’s main goal is to ensure that we derive the full value from all business investments, including those that require IT enablement.

We expect that the project and portfolio management will help us focus on the most important improvements needed for West’s ongoing success.  Another key expected result is faster project delivery and management of the risk associated with business change.  Finally, we expect to manage costs better as we strive to be a more efficient partner.

Portfolio management also  ensures that investments are linked to West’s strategic goals.  This is crucial as we enable global business processes and a more agile enterprise in support of our One West – Customer First strategy.  In the coming months, we will share more information on specific initiatives designed to improve West’s responsiveness to meeting our customers’ needs.