Tailoring is performed to better suit the organization, operating environment, and project needs. Many variables factor into the tailoring process, including the criticality of the project and the number of stakeholders involved. Using these variables as an example, it is evident that the rigor, checks and balances, and reporting required for a critical project (e.g., building a nuclear reactor) are much greater than those for building a new office building.
Likewise, the communication and coordination of work necessary for a project team of 10 people is insufficient for a project team of 200 people. Too few processes can omit key activities that support effective project management, while employing more processes than required is costly and wasteful. Thus, tailoring facilitates appropriate management for the operating environment and the project needs.
The structure used to deliver projects can be extensive or minimal, rigorous or lightweight, robust or simple. There is no single approach that can be applied to all projects all of the time. Instead, tailoring should reflect the size, duration, and complexity of each individual project and should be adapted to the industry, organizational culture, and level of project management maturity of the organization.
Tailoring produces direct and indirect benefits to organizations. These include, but are not limited to:
- More commitment from project team members who helped to tailor the approach,
- Customer-oriented focus, as the needs of the customer are an important influencing factor in its development, and
- More efficient use of project resources.
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