Gaining Control Starts with Clarity: Why Maturity in Project Controls Matters

You can’t improve what you can’t see. In many organisations, projects appear to be under control: milestones are set, tools are in place, and teams are busy. But beneath the surface, a lack of alignment between people, processes, and systems often leads to delays, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities. Even strong project controls can fall short if the organisation behind them lacks cohesion. Without a shared approach, standardised processes, and strategic oversight, project data becomes fragmented - and decisions lose their impact. That’s why assessing project controls maturity is a strategic step for any organisation looking to improve how it delivers projects.

Understanding Maturity in Project Controls

Project controls maturity reflects how well an organisation has defined, embedded, and aligned its project processes. It’s not about how long you’ve been managing projects - it’s about how effectively your teams work together within a shared framework.

Have you sometimes encountered challenges like these?

• Inconsistent reporting formats across departments
• Heavy reliance on individual project managers' experience
• Lack of alignment between tools, teams, and strategy
• Critical data spread across spreadsheets, systems, and inboxes

These are clear indicators of low project controls maturity. When such issues go unaddressed, project outcomes become unpredictable. Scaling becomes difficult. And new tools or processes often fail to deliver real improvement - because the foundations aren’t in place.

The Project Controls Scan: From Complexity to Clarity

Many organisations begin their improvement efforts by seeking out new software, expecting it to resolve challenges with control, visibility, or reporting. However, meaningful progress starts with clarity: a structured understanding of where processes, data, or decision-making are falling short - and why that happens. Only with that insight can the right solutions be identified and implemented effectively.

Primaned’s Project Controls Scan offers a structured way to find that answer.

The scan analyses the current state of your project controls across key dimensions - such as planning, cost control, risk management, scheduling, resource allocation, tool usage, governance, and reporting. It includes stakeholder interviews, document analysis, and benchmarking against more than 200 maturity indicators to give a complete view of your organisation’s project control environment. Whether you're setting up a PMO, improving resource planning, or evaluating software options, the scan is tailored to your specific goals and challenges.

By comparing the current state (IST) to your desired future state (SOLL), the scan delivers:

• A clear overview of strengths, weaknesses, and improvement opportunities
• A prioritised roadmap for action based on what will have the most strategic impact
• Independent, expert recommendations supported by industry benchmarks and proven best practices

It’s not about applying a generic framework. It’s about asking the right questions, focusing on what matters most, and delivering targeted, actionable insights.

Software Isn’t Always the Starting Point

Many organisations approach Primaned looking for a specific software solution. But software alone does not solve underlying structural issues. In fact, selecting a tool without understanding internal maturity often leads to poor adoption or misalignment.

The Project Controls Scan helps ensure software decisions are based on what your organisation truly needs. In some cases, clients discover that their intended tool isn’t the best fit. In others, they gain clarity on how to utilise their current tools more effectively.

The outcome? Confident, evidence-based decisions that support long-term strategy, not just short-term fixes.

Real Value, Measurable Progress

The scan often leads to more than just insight, it sets change in motion. Clients have used the results to:

• Launch targeted training on key planning metrics like total float
• Restructure reporting to support cross-project alignment
• Establish a centralised planning methodology across teams
• Clarify whether a system upgrade is necessary - or if process improvements can deliver more value

While the scan itself doesn’t implement change, it gives leaders a clear starting point: a structured, unbiased view of where they are now and how they can move forward.

Improve Your Project Outcomes with Primaned

With over 40 years of experience in project controls, Primaned brings practical insight and deep expertise. Our consultants combine knowledge of tools like Oracle Primavera and PMWeb and Safran with hands-on understanding of complex project environments.

The Project Controls Scan is:

• Confidential and objective
• Tailored to your specific challenges
• Based on best practices proven across industries

It provides clarity in complexity by turning data and observations into concrete, strategic recommendations. Whether you need stronger control, better tools, or a clear path forward, meaningful progress starts with understanding. The Project Controls Scan delivers insight, direction, and the foundation for long-term improvement.

Ready to strengthen how your projects are delivered? Start here.