Behind every Engen Petroleum forecourt in South and sub Saharan Africa, lies a business planning process which must select which capital projects should be undertaken to provide the facilities on offer; and develop the supply chain, distribution network and manufacturing to support this.

With finite capital available Engen needed to select those capital investments which are most in line with its strategic objectives. The complexity in doing this lies in the large number of capital projects which are put forward for funding. These projects range from small-scale capital investments to maintain its facilities or supply chain through to large and complex engineering projects. Requirements arise from all the major centres in South Africa where Engen has its headquarters, through to the many countries in Africa in which it operates.

The challenge is not only in selecting the right projects. Engen must ensure it remains agile with its capital investments, responding efficiently and effectively to strategy changes, by changing its mix of projects, should this be required; and ensuring that once selected, capital projects are tracked and the intended benefits derived.

This led to the introduction of the SAP Project Portfolio Management (PPM) programme at Engen. Project Portfolio Management can deliver a positive impact to an organisation, providing senior management with reliable information to assist in the decision making process and enabling operational transparency thereby empowering management to respond effectively and efficiently to rapidly changing circumstances.

It aligns projects with corporate strategy, assisting organisations with prioritising their projects, and through this enabling the effective allocation of resources with the result evidenced in improved project delivery.

• Finish Date: April 2010
• ConsultingPPMSAP