Welcome / Project Management at IMC 1 / 27 · Section 01

A Field Guide · IMC · 2026

Project management at IMC.

Connect YOUR context with PROVEN standards.
Pick helpful tools to USE next Monday.

3 sessions  ·  3 hours each  ·  onsite at IMC

Anh Vu  ·  devops4pm

Welcome / About Trainer 2 / 27 · Section 01

About Trainer

Anh Vu  ·  PMP Trainer · Senior PM · devops4pm

  • 10 years of project management experience.
  • Digital transformation projects in finance & banking for UK, US, Singapore companies.
  • My purpose: help YOU equip standard knowledge & practical tools to solve real project management problems.
How we work
Start from the foundation. Connect to YOUR context.
Try tools & methods you can USE next Monday.
Welcome / About PMI 3 / 27 · Section 01

About PMI

PMI (Project Management Institute) is the global professional body for project management: it publishes the PMBOK® Guide (now 8th Edition) and administers the PMP® credential.

  • More than 1.6 million people hold the PMP worldwide, across 200+ countries — a shared language used the world over.
  • In Vietnam, it is still growing — an estimated ~6,000 PMP holders.
  • We use this global standard as a map and common language, not as exam prep — so every function can describe the same things the same way.
How we use it
A map and common language — not exam prep. Anyone can go deeper at the source after the course.
Welcome / About PMI / PMBOK & PMP 4 / 27 · Section 01

PMBOK® & PMP®

PMBOK Guide 8th Edition PMP credential
Welcome / Connecting 5 / 27 · Section 01

Quick game — PM fun facts

Phones out. 8 fast questions about projects.

Join the game · app.sli.do
Game PIN: shown on screen  ·  pick nickname  ·  ~20 seconds per question  ·  top 3 on the leaderboard
Connection
Every question connects to something we'll explore together.
Welcome / The Flow 6 / 27 · Section 01

Three sessions, Project Operating System

See the holistic system. Zoom in components. Continuous improvement.

Session 1 · Foundation
WHY projects?
WHAT a project is?
HOW IMC governs them?
Takeaway: See the big picture.
You are here
Session 2 · The Toolkit
PM Map.
PM Knowledge.
Practical toolkit.
Takeaway: Manage 1 project right.
Session 3 · Continuous Improvement
Mindset & Practices.
Find bottlenecks.
PDCA loops.
Takeaway: Start next Monday & keep iterating.
AI Brief Sharing
Why it matter?
1 AI-for-PMs roadmap
Takeaway: Biggest shift in PM work!!
Session 1 / Foundation 7 / 27 · Section 01

Session 1 — Foundation

  • 01WHY organizations need projects?
  • 02WHAT a project is?
  • 03HOW IMC governs projects?
  • 04See the big picture. IMC Project Portfolio Dashboard.
Connection
Projects are NOT running in isolation. They are part of the bigger system.
Connect YOUR project with IMC Org structure & strategy.
Session 1 / WHY projects? 8 / 27 · Section 01

WHY projects?

Organizations need a vehicle to turn ideas into realities.

Nokia
Would still be a wood mill in Finland — without projects to build the mobile division.
McDonald's
Would still be a single restaurant in California — without projects to scale the franchise model.
Starbucks
Would still be a small coffee store in Seattle — without projects to expand globally.
Connection Activity
Every systematic changes: new product, global expansion, digital transformation... or small initiatives: solve 1 problem, win 1 customer... starts as a project.

YOUR project: Write down the purpose/ goal. Why does it exist?
Session 1 / WHY projects? / From today to a better state 9 / 27 · Section 01

How organizations change reality

Organization Business Value Time Current State Future State PROJECT Project Activities • Activity A • Activity B • Activity C • Etc.
A project is the vehicle from today's state to a higher-value future state.
Session 1 / WHAT is a project? 10 / 27 · Section 01

WHAT is a project?

A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique outcome.

Characteristic What it means in practice
Temporary Defined start and defined end. A project that never closes has become an operation — or a symptom.
Unique No two projects are identical. Copying last year's approach without adapting it is a leading cause of failure.
Outcome The goal is a result the organization can use — not the activity itself.
New factory M 500 new restaurants

Each started as a project

Session 1 / WHAT is a project? / Project vs. operations 11 / 27 · Section 01

Project vs. operations

Both are work. Both consume resources. The difference is in the shape of the work — and what management it needs.

Project Operations
Goal Deliver a unique outcome Sustain a steady output
Lifespan Has a beginning and an end Continuous
Team Cross-functional, temporary Usually within one function
Success Outcome delivered, project closes Stable outputs
At IMC OEM project, factory build, market entry QA testing, production runs, monthly close
Why this matters
Projects fail when managed like operations. The work needs explicit scope, named cross-functional owners, risk anticipation, and a clear close — not just operational rhythms.
Session 1 / WHAT is a project? / The bigger picture 12 / 27 · Section 01

Project & operations in the bigger picture

Organizational hierarchy: Senior Leadership sets strategy through Portfolios to Programs and Projects to Operations and Products, with performance feedback returning to leadership.
Source: PMBOK® 8th — Projects & operations deliver org outcomes, benefits, value.
Session 1 / WHAT is a project? / System for Delivery 13 / 27 · Section 01

System for Delivery

Project is part of the bigger system
Project is part of the bigger system
Session 1 / WHAT is a project? / Org structures — Functional 14 / 27 · Section 01

Org structure — Functional

The big picture also includes how the organization is wired — because structure decides how much authority a project leader really has.

CEO Functional Mgr Functional Mgr Functional Mgr Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Borrowed part-time for a project — no single project owner
PM authority: little or none
People stay under their functional manager. Projects compete for part-time people, and handoffs between departments are where days get lost.
Session 1 / WHAT is a project? / Org structures — Projectized 15 / 27 · Section 01

Org structure — Project-oriented

The organization is built around projects. People report to a project manager who owns the budget and the team.

CEO Project Mgr Project Mgr Project Mgr Team member Team member Team member Team member Team member Team member Team member Team member Team member PM owns budget & team Full-time, dedicated team
PM authority: high to almost total
Fast decisions and strong focus — but people can sit idle (and expensive) between projects, and need a "home" when the project ends.
Session 1 / WHAT is a project? / Org structures — Strong Matrix 16 / 27 · Section 01

Org structure — Strong Matrix

A dedicated Manager of Project Managers sits alongside the functional managers. PMs pull specialists across functions for the life of a project.

CEO Functional Mgr Functional Mgr Functional Mgr Mgr of Project Mgrs Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Project Mgr Project Mgr Project Mgr Project authority (dotted) — staff serve a project & their function at once
PM authority: moderate to high
The PM is a real, full-time role and specialists are shared efficiently — but people answer to two bosses, so it only works with clear governance and priority-setting.
Session 1 / WHAT is a project? / Org structures — Compare 17 / 27 · Section 01

Group discussion — compare the structures

In your table, fill the boxes — advantages and disadvantages of each structure. Then: which one is IMC, really?

Project-oriented Functional Strong Matrix
Advantages
Disadvantages
Session 1 / WHAT is a project? / What the survey told us 18 / 27 · Section 01

What the survey told us

Common challenges when delivering projects.

  • 01Scope creep — requirements shift mid-project without a formal change process.
  • 02Insufficient resources — same people spread across too many projects at once.
  • 03Cross-dept coordination gaps — handoffs between functions lose days, sometimes weeks.
  • 04Unclear decision ownership — no single named owner when conflict or ambiguity arises.
  • 05Info silos — project status is invisible to leadership and adjacent teams.
They're universal challenges
Every matrix organization faces similar challenges. IMC is not an exception.

Group Discussion: Pick the most painful one. What're you doing with it? Any wish/ suggestion to solve it?
Session 1 / HOW — IMC governs projects? 19 / 27 · Section 01

HOW — IMC governs projects?

Governance answers: who decides what, when & how do we know things are on track?

InitiateAuthorize & name an owner
→
PlanScope, plan, risks
→
ExecuteDeliver & track status
→
CloseHand off & capture lessons
Governance element At IMC today
Project authorization How is a project formally approved to start?
Roles & accountability Who owns delivery? Who sponsors it? Who is consulted?
Communication model How does leadership see status across all projects?
Workflow / approach How & when things will be planned, delivered, verified, changed.
Closure & lessons How does IMC formally close a project and capture what it learned?
From the survey: IMC participants flagged unclear ownership and lack of status visibility as top pain points.
Both are governance problems — not execution problems.
Session 1 / HOW — IMC governs projects? / Project canvas 20 / 27 · Section 01

Activity — Fill YOUR Project Canvas

Project Canvas — a one-page template capturing the 5 things every project needs: goal, scope, owner, plan, and heartbeat.
1-pager to reflect YOUR project from kick-off to on-going Governance.
Session 1 / HOW — IMC governs projects? / IMC's project types 21 / 27 · Section 01

IMC's project types & tailored governance

Each project type brings different constraints, challenges, and governance NEEDS — but the key questions and areas to manage remain the same.

Customer OEM/ODM
Customer-specified scope; IMC formulates, tests, delivers. Main risk: scope creep.
Internal new product
IMC-initiated, no external deadline. Main risk: prioritization.
New-field exploration
Fundamental risk: feasibility may be unknown until we're deep in the work.
Capability projects
Output is a capability (factory, system), not a product. Different success criteria.
Market entry
Existing product, new geography or channel. Led by BD / Int'l Market Dev.
Session 1 / HOW — IMC governs projects? / Stacey Matrix 22 / 27 · Section 01

Stacey Matrix

Stacey Matrix — when to use what approach?
When to use what approach?
Session 1 / HOW — IMC governs projects? / Predictive vs Adaptive 23 / 27 · Section 01

Predictive vs Adaptive

Predictive (Waterfall) vs Adaptive (Agile) approaches
1 short sentence share about how they're different
Session 1 / HOW — IMC governs projects? / Predictive vs Adaptive 24 / 27 · Section 01

Group discussion — What are the different characteristics?

Waterfall vs Agile metrics comparison
Session 1 / HOW — IMC governs projects? / Project Portfolio Dashboard 25 / 27 · Section 01

IMC Project Portfolio Dashboard

No project runs alone. Senior leadership reads them together — as bets on IMC's strategy. One view connects every project to the bigger picture and the strategic changes it drives.

Project Strategic bet Status Next milestone Decision needed
Customer OEM/ODM line Grow OEM revenue ● On track Pilot batch · Jun —
New own-brand product Own-brand portfolio ● At risk Formula sign-off Approve marketing budget
New production line Capacity & capability ● On track Equipment install —
Market entry — new region New markets ● Blocked Product registration Choose local partner
How PMs talk to senior leadership
· Lead with the headline — status + the one decision you need, not an activity log.
· Speak in outcomes & value ("we'll hit the Jun launch"), tied to the strategic bet.
· Report by exception — flag red/amber and the ask; don't narrate what's green.
· Surface bad news early: an early red is governance, a late red is failure.
Session 1 / Activity — IMC Project Dashboard 26 / 27 · Section 01

Activity — IMC Project Dashboard

In your department group, list the projects your department is involved in. Capture each project's highlights on the dashboard — status, owner, next milestone, the decision you need.

By department5–6 members per group
15 minList your projects · capture highlights on the dashboard
Share-backBuild the holistic view — together
One servant leader per group
Not the manager — a peer who draws out every voice, keeps the list moving, and speaks for the group at share-back.
Watch for — the holistic view
When the groups combine their dashboards, does the same project show up differently across departments? That gap is the portfolio problem — and why no one department sees the whole board.
Session 1 / Wrap 27 / 27 · Section 01

Wrap & what comes next

You now have a shared language for projects at IMC. Session 2 gives you the toolkit to run them.

Next Monday
Take the dashboard you built today. Reflect it with your TEAM about all running projects.
Do you have a bigger picture of how the whole system is moving?
Next session — Session 2
PM toolkit. PM map, mindset, approaches, knowledge. Lightweight tools to manage 1 project well.

Session 2 · June 2026  ·  3 hours  ·  onsite at IMC