The Power of Smart Portfolio Decisions

INDUSTRY
COMPANY SIZE
PROJECT TYPE
6k+
Project Portfolio Prioritization

A key product division of a global chemical manufacturer had a problem. Rapid growth had caused their $1B product portfolio to grow faster than their ability to manage it.

Like many companies in their position, resources were spread thin across too many projects.

Some projects consumed significant time and money without a clear ROI. Others were technically promising but not strategically aligned. Leadership saw that progress was stalling—even on their most important initiatives.

The division needed a more disciplined way to decide which projects to pursue—and how to deliver them more effectively.

Understanding The challenge

Harnessing Innovation to Drive Strategic Impact

Our discovery process surfaced several familiar challenges for organizations of this size and complexity:

  • Too many active projects competing for limited resources
  • A lack of consistent criteria for evaluating products as they developed
  • Limited visibility into which initiatives contributed most to strategic goals
  • Brilliant subject matter experts leading projects without a project management toolkit to help realize results

Taken together, these issues left the division with a portfolio that was overextended and underperforming.

When we first stepped in, their teams were stretched thin and struggling to prioritize. By aligning strategy with execution and focusing on what truly mattered, we took them from overwhelmed to optimized—in under a year.
— Sara Gallagher, President, The Persimmon Group

THe persimmon approach

quick wins with long-term sustainability

We partnered with leadership and project teams in a phased approach that balanced quick wins with long-term sustainability:

Quick Wins
Defined decision criteria to identify which projects to accelerate, pause, rescope, or sunset. This framework gave leaders and teams a common language for prioritization.

Portfolio Assessment
Applied these criteria across dozens of initiatives, working collaboratively with teams to focus resources on the most strategic projects.

Process Improvements
Introduced lean, structured delivery practices that improved predictability without stifling innovation.

Sustainability
Rolled out real-time dashboards and provided targeted training to build internal project management capability, embedding the improvements into day-to-day operations.

results & impact

Unlocking New Levels of Impact

The impact was both immediate and sustainable:

  • Product counts were reduced by 17%, allowing resources to be allocated more strategically.
  • In nine months, the division achieved 10% cost savings in its largest product division.
  • Project delivery timelines shortened, and budgets became more predictable.
  • Through focused training to complement the portfolio changes, subject matter experts gained practical project management skills, increasing their effectiveness.
  • Leadership gained clearer visibility into the portfolio, enabling faster and more confident decisions.

 

The Persimmon Difference for Our Client

Why it Matters

This case shows that even the largest, well-resourced organizations face familiar challenges: too many priorities, too few resources, and difficulty connecting strategy to execution.

But with the right portfolio framework and delivery discipline, it is possible to cut waste, accelerate innovation, and build confidence across the enterprise.

 

 

 Are you ready to drive strategic impact and sustainable success for your organization?

We Can Help.

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