In project and portfolio management, transformation is often framed as a technology problem. New tools, new dashboards, new platforms are all promising clarity, control, and better outcomes. But as many organisations discover, transformation rarely fails because of the technology itself. It fails because of how people and processes interact with it.
That tension sat at the heart of a recent conversation on the PPM Playbook podcast, where IT consultant Cristina Nicolescu shared reflections from over two decades working across development, programme delivery, and PMO leadership.
Her message was a grounded one: meaningful change starts long before a tool is selected.
Cristina’s early career as a developer continues to shape how she approaches transformation today. With a strong technical foundation, she’s seen first-hand how tempting it is to jump straight to solutions. But technology, she argues, should never be the starting point.
Before introducing new platforms or systems, organisations need a clear understanding of how work actually gets done today, not how it looks in a process diagram, but how people really interact with processes under pressure. When those realities are ignored, technology ends up amplifying existing problems rather than fixing them.
When people and processes are aligned first, technology becomes an enabler rather than a constraint, supporting delivery instead of dictating it.
One of the strongest themes in the conversation was visibility. Not visibility for its own sake, but visibility that genuinely supports decision-making.
Many leaders operate with fragmented information: disconnected reports, inconsistent status updates, and dashboards that don’t quite tell the same story. The result is hesitation, delayed decisions, or a false sense of confidence.
Cristina described the value of creating a clear hierarchy of visibility, from strategic portfolio objectives, through programmes, down to individual projects. When leaders can see risks, dependencies, and patterns across the whole landscape, decisions become less reactive and more intentional. Problems surface earlier, trade-offs are clearer, and confidence improves.
Of course, visibility only works if the data behind it is meaningful. Cristina outlined a practical way to think about data as an asset rather than a burden.
First comes data quality. Without it, everything else falls apart. Then comes alignment: bringing different data sources together so everyone is working from the same version of the truth. Finally, there’s relevance. Not every metric matters, and flooding leaders with data often obscures what’s important. The most effective organisations focus on a small number of indicators that genuinely reflect progress and value.
When those building blocks are in place, data stops being something teams “feed” into systems and starts becoming something leaders actually trust.
One subtle but powerful shift Cristina described was the move away from status-driven conversations. Instead of repeatedly asking whether projects are on track, organisations can begin asking a more important question: Is this still worth doing?
When portfolio information is presented consistently and clearly, leadership discussions evolve. They become less about defending individual projects and more about strategic prioritisation. That change — from reactive reporting to proactive decision-making — is where portfolio management really earns its place.
Perhaps the most overlooked part of transformation is culture. Tools can be implemented quickly; mindsets cannot.
Cristina stressed the importance of helping people understand why tools exist, not just how to use them. When teams see platforms as bureaucratic overheads rather than decision-support tools, adoption suffers and value evaporates. When they understand the purpose (how the tool helps them do their job better) behaviour changes.
Transformation only sticks when people feel part of it, not managed by it.
Taken together, Cristina’s insights point to a simple but often neglected truth: portfolio management is as much about people as it is about plans and platforms.
Organisations that invest time in aligning processes, improving data quality, and building shared understanding are far better placed to deliver change that lasts. Technology plays an important role, but only when it’s grounded in how people actually work.
If you’re navigating transformation, scaling delivery, or rethinking how your PMO adds value, this conversation offers a thoughtful reminder: progress doesn’t start with tools. It starts with clarity, trust, and a willingness to look honestly at how work gets done.
🎧 You can listen to the full episode of the P3M Playbook podcast with Cristina Nicolescu [here].