The Challenge: Innovation Outpacing Structure

As the company’s innovation pipeline expanded, execution gaps began to slow progress.

• Each business unit managed projects differently, using a mix of Excel, Compass, and Smartsheet.
• Brand and product managers acted as ad hoc project leads (“accidental PMs”), leading to inconsistent timelines and unclear accountability.
• Leadership lacked reliable, consolidated reporting and visibility into project health.
• Launches across flagship brands were delayed as teams struggled to coordinate priorities and make timely decisions.

Project management existed only in pockets. Leadership recognized that to sustain growth, the business needed a formal PMO framework to deliver consistency, speed, and confidence across its innovation programs.

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The Solution: A Scalable PMO Framework for Measurable Results

MustardSeed partnered with the company to formalize, train, and scale project management practices, creating a model that balanced structure with innovation agility.

PMO Infrastructure & Enablement

• Conducted a full PMO Landscape Assessment to benchmark maturity and define a roadmap.
• Designed and delivered an 8-module PM Academy for both formal project managers and cross-functional “accidental PMs.”
• Created standardized governance templates for risk, decision, change, and schedule management.
• Unified daily project tracking in Smartsheet, while retaining Compass as the official system of record.
• Established internal PM “Captains” to sustain adoption and mentor peers.

Change Management & Integration

• Secured strong executive sponsorship to ensure alignment and adoption.
• Embedded MustardSeed PMs directly into two active innovation projects to model best practices in real time.
• Partnered with internal project leads to co-develop and tailor training content for the organization’s culture and workflows.
• Combined live training with on-demand modules for scalability across multiple business segments.

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The Outcomes: Measurable Speed and Structure

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Strategic Takeaway

This engagement proved that disciplined project management doesn’t slow innovation; it accelerates it. By embedding governance, structure, and scalable tools, MustardSeed helped a global manufacturer achieve measurable speed-to-market gains while building internal capability and confidence. The PMO framework established through this partnership now serves as the model for enterprise-wide adoption.

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