Pcubed Works With Microsoft to Successfully Launch Office, Visio, Project, and SharePoint

The Microsoft Wave 14 Launch team is tasked to coordinate and execute a successful launch of Office, Visio, Project, and SharePoint within the United States. The expectation is to do more with less, driving launch activities through existing operating models and marketing engines -- balancing the independent needs of a broad group of stakeholders, addressing increased competition, and ensuring alignment and synchronization with world-wide strategies.

To address these challenges, the Information Worker (IW) Business and Marketing Organization (BMO) identified an experienced Product Manager to lead the launch and engaged Pcubed(R) to set up a Launch Program Management Office (PMO) to guide planning and execution of launch activities. This Launch team is leveraging the following approach to drive a successful launch.

"The ability to successfully manage a complex set of activities under tight deadlines and a constraint budget has never been more important than today. As Microsoft is readying the most significant version of Microsoft Project in a decade together with the Office 2010 release, it is exciting to see Pcubed lend its expertise to help plan and execute the Office launch effort using Project," Ludovic Hauduc, General Manager for Microsoft Office Project.

Building a Comprehensive Launch Plan

A marketing-focused program and project management framework is in place and guiding launch plan definition across the three launch work streams. This consistent framework enables integration across launch plans and effective communications across all stakeholders.

Targeting Business-focused Results

Clearly defined business-focused objectives are in place to drive overall launch delivery effectiveness. This enables definition of a portfolio that represents marketing activities across the three launch work streams. Portfolio visibility is supported through an integrated master schedule in Microsoft Project Server. The Launch team guides optimization of the marketing mix during launch - identifying gaps, overlaps, conflicts, etc., and answering the question: Are we doing the right things?

Driving Effective Delivery

With a significantly smaller budget than past launches, launch execution is dependent on coordinating efforts across stakeholders and leveraging existing operating model and engines. Key activities are infused from a limited launch budget to optimize marketing impact. Execution timing is critical - launch activities must be in market at a certain time for them to drive maximum results. The Launch team will guide oversight of launch delivery execution, answering the question: Are we doing things right?

"This launch is a large complex business initiative with a finite set of deliverables requiring collaboration with a vast number of people across the organization. We are excited to be taking a project management focused approach and using Microsoft Project technology to help deliver a successful launch and achieve our business objectives." Julie Sanford, US Launch Program Manager, Microsoft US IW BMO Group.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

About Pcubed

Pcubed (Program Planning Professionals Inc.) is the global specialist in portfolio, program and enterprise project management, we partner with top organizations delivering results through tailor-made solutions to fit each enterprise culture and individual need.

For more information, visit www.pcubed.com.

Carl Dalby, Vice President - Marketing of Pcubed, +44(0)207-462-0100,
carl.dalby@pcubed.com

Related terms: budget, business, communications, market, marketing, nasdaq, schedule, software, technology