Controlling and monitoring project performance is one of the main functions of project managers to ensure that the project is progressing based on the plan. In addition, enterprise-level project management—as experienced in program management, portfolio project management (PPM), and in the context of the project management office (PMO)—requires additional considerations for enterprise and beyond stakeholder communication and reporting. In this project framework, enterprise executives, customers, vendors, partners, and regulatory agencies may stipulate specific project-related performance information requirements that are typically disseminated in the form of project metrics.

The PMBOK® Guide (PMI, 2017a) described metrics as measures that demonstrate benefits realized; traditional project metrics emphasize time, cost, scope, and quality for determining project success.

The metrics used for enterprise-level project management are primarily focused on the alignment of the project objectives and performances with the business strategy and are concerned with both financial and non-financial business value impact.

dashboard on a phone screen

To timely assess the project critical performance and success, the project metrics such as key performance indicators (KPIs) should be identified early in the project and captured in the project charter. Metrics should be defined based on stakeholders' requirements and project’s objectives to be able to measure the project variations against the plan. The KPIs and other project metrics are also used at the enterprise level to designated stakeholders.

PMSs should have the capability to facilitate the project performance monitoring from different aspects. PMS’ project dashboards facilitate disseminating project performance information at the project- and enterprise-levels and to all designated stakeholders. Providing a specialized subset of the PMS’ functionally, the monitoring and controlling functionality, the project dashboard displays, often in a graphical format, consolidated critical project-related performance insights. The PMS’s project performance displays can be quickly and easily analyzed to identify problems or looming issues while offering the capability to drill down and around for further information and decision-making understanding as well as for related reporting as needed (Kerzner, 2017). The project dashboard’s decision-making or business intelligence support relies on the PMS’ knowledge management capabilities based on its repository of archived project performance metrics and project lessons learned.

Although many project management software applications offer basic project dashboard capabilities, specialized software such as Tableau is often integrated into the PMS for more robust reporting capabilities.

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Additionally, more common desktop software such as Microsoft Excel® can be used to create a basic project dashboard portal.

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