Harbor Foods PMO: Winning Executive Buy-in Through Prioritization
Harbor Foods’ PMO leader, Anette Smith, was facing 134 unprioritized project requests—some dating back to 2017—and limited executive understanding of the PMO’s role. Using TransparentChoice, she introduced a clear, business-driven prioritization process that shifted decisions from IT preferences to strategic value, improving visibility and earning executive buy-in.
The Challenge
Harbor Foods faced an overwhelming backlog of 134 project requests, some dating back to 2017. With no structured way to prioritize, the list had grown into a pile of competing demands with no clear path forward.
Without visibility into project value, decisions were often driven by the loudest voice or by IT choosing the “cool” projects. As a result, business-critical initiatives could be sidelined, and confidence in what to do next was low.
At the same time, the PMO was still in its formative stages. Executives didn’t understand the PMO, and there was limited staffing support. What was needed wasn’t just a tool, but a transparent, strategic process that aligned work to business goals and made prioritization visible to leadership.
"I have currently 134 projects lined up in a big bucket pile and they’re like, oh, they’re from 2017, five years old." 1:37
"We have no idea what we need to work on next because we don’t have the prioritization." 1:52
"It really used to be, um, the loudest voice, the squeaky wheel… or the IT people would just grab the project because it was cool to work on that one... We never really looked at what is most valuable for the business, what aligns with the strategic goals of the business this year." 2:24
Our Approach
Harbor Foods adopted TransparentChoice to evaluate the entire backlog against business-driven criteria, turning a bucket of requests into a portfolio that leaders could see, discuss, and act on: “Here’s all the projects… Which one would you like us to work on next?”
Crucially, ownership shifted to the business. Business leaders set the weights for the year and answered the evaluation questions, which reduced bias and ensured selections aligned to current strategic goals, not IT preferences.
To build understanding and trust, the PMO leader used simple communication tactics (e.g., newsletters) and was supported by the IMPACT Engine System from PMO Strategies. The outcome was a lightweight PMO framework that leaders could understand and engage with.
"Here’s all the projects, this is the value we have up here. Which one would you like us to work on next?" 2:14
"Once we showed that they [executives] have this visibility into what it is we’re working on, and how we are now aligning with the business needs and not the IT needs, the PMO is working for the business with the business, not for the IT team." 7:27
"[Business leaders] are the ones that set the weights for this year. They are the ones that decided, okay, this is important… and now the business are gonna answer the questions, and the whole bias comes out of it." 8:17
The Results
With a clear, defensible prioritization in place, Harbor Foods moved from politics and guesswork to business-value-led decisions. Leaders could see the full portfolio, weigh options, and agree on what should come next.
That visibility translated into stronger executive buy-in. Executives became excited about the process, referenced the PMO in meetings, and increasingly viewed it as working for the business, with the business.
Within three months, the PMO was up and running with a two-document toolkit—and the change was felt personally: “I love coming to work now… I love what I do… because I now have the knowledge to do it.”
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