Case Study

Enterprise PMO Implementation for an International Defence and Aerospace Organisation

Enterprise PMO Implementation for an International Defence and Aerospace Organisation

Sunfish designed and implemented a scalable Project Management Office capability for an international defence and aerospace organisation, improving portfolio visibility, strengthening governance, and increasing delivery confidence across complex programmes.

Overview

Sunfish was engaged by a global leader operating across the Aerospace, Defence and Security sectors, with international operations spanning the USA, UK, Italy and Poland. The organisation manages a diverse portfolio of strategic programmes delivered by a mix of specialist partners, varying significantly in size, complexity and budget.

As a trusted technology partner to governments and defence agencies, the organisation required greater control and transparency across its project portfolio to support strategic decision-making and ensure alignment with business objectives.

Sunfish was contracted to assess PMO maturity and implement a structured, scalable PMO framework aligned to enterprise strategy.

The Challenge

The organisation did not have a dedicated PMO function, resulting in inconsistent project management practices and limited portfolio oversight.

Without a centralised PMO:

  • There was no clear lifecycle process for project initiation, management and closure
  • Visibility of active projects, delivery status and budgets was limited
  • Portfolio work stacks and resource allocation lacked transparency
  • Senior stakeholders lacked consolidated reporting and assurance

The absence of structured governance created inefficiencies and reduced confidence in portfolio-level decision-making.

The organisation required a framework that would introduce standardisation, improve reporting clarity, and strengthen governance without over-engineering processes or disrupting ongoing programmes.

The Approach

Sunfish conducted an initial PMO maturity assessment, identifying that the organisation was operating at Level 1 maturity.

To accelerate improvement, Sunfish recommended the implementation of gradual and scalable PMO services, structured through a formal Service Catalogue outlining the foundational capabilities required to deliver rapid impact.

Core services introduced included:

  • Portfolio Reporting, including project categorisation, prioritisation and structured workbooks
  • Governance, incorporating formal project lifecycle stage gate reviews
  • User Training to embed quality delivery standards across teams
  • Quality Assurance to maintain consistency and continuous improvement

The Service Catalogue approach ensured that PMO services were clearly defined, measurable and aligned to business outcomes, while remaining adaptable to programme scale and complexity.

The Outcome

The introduction of the PMO Service Catalogue established a definitive and structured project portfolio view for the organisation.

Senior stakeholders gained confidence through consolidated reporting, improved data analysis and enhanced visibility of active projects, delivery status, and budget alignment.

The organisation was able to identify critical projects requiring prioritisation of resources and better understand lifecycle positioning across the portfolio.

Training and quality assurance measures ensured that the new standards were embedded within the organisation and could be sustained by current and future employees.

Impact

  • Improved portfolio visibility
    Clear reporting and structured categorisation provided leadership with real-time insight into active projects and delivery status.
  • Strengthened governance
    Formal lifecycle stage gates and quality assurance improved oversight and accountability.
  • Enhanced decision-making
    Senior stakeholders gained greater confidence through accurate data analysis and portfolio transparency.
  • Operational efficiency
    Standardised processes reduced ambiguity and improved resource prioritisation across programmes.
  • Scalable PMO foundation
    The Service Catalogue framework now provides a sustainable and adaptable model for continued PMO maturity growth.

Client Testimonial

“Working with Sunfish Online has fundamentally strengthened our project capability and improved how we manage complex, high-value programmes. Their professionalism and technical expertise made a measurable difference to our organisation, both operationally and strategically.”

Written by Aman Chipalkatty

Aman a good overview of businesses operations through work experiences and projects through university coursework; now looking forward to working on business projects in his first graduate role. He brings high energy and a fresh perspective to the everything he does.​

Written by Aman Chipalkatty

Aman a good overview of businesses operations through work experiences and projects through university coursework; now looking forward to working on business projects in his first graduate role. He brings high energy and a fresh perspective to the everything he does.​

At a glance

Client:
UK defence organisation operating across Defence, Security, Cyber and Aerospace sectors

Engagement:
Design and implementation of an Enterprise Ideation framework and specialist team

Services:
Ideation framework design
Demand governance model
Enterprise architecture alignment
Cost estimation and funding validation
Procurement and vendor alignment
Project brief and transition planning

Contact Sunfish