Can Project Management Be a Competitive Advantage?

In this powerful episode of the 4PM Podcast, Mounir Ajam explores a question every organization should be asking:
Is project management just a support function—or can it drive real competitive edge?

When organizations mature their project management capabilities, the benefits go far beyond checklists and timelines. Project management becomes faster, leaner, more consistent—and ultimately, more strategic.

Mounir dives into how smart investment in PM maturity transforms the way businesses operate.

✅ Understand the real cost of managing projects
✅ See how PM maturity reduces waste and inefficiencies
✅ Learn how reusable knowledge improves quality and speed
✅ Discover how to align execution with strategic goals
✅ Explore how mature PM practices lead to predictable, successful delivery
✅ See why organizations with strong PM systems outperform others in the market

Whether you're leading projects or shaping strategy, this episode offers valuable insights into turning your PM function into a long-term advantage.

🔗 Read the full article at urukpm.com under the Knowledge tab.

Explore more project management insights at www.urukpm.com

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the 4PM podcast, where ideas take shape
and strategies find purpose.
I am Mounir Ajam, founder andCEO of Uruk Project Management,
and I have a deep-seated passionfor project management and
community development, growingon decades of global experience

(00:24):
across diverse industries androles.
I am here to guide you throughthe transformative power of the
4PMs project program, productand portfolio management and our
focus on business integratedproject management.
Let's explore how integrationunlocks unparalleled value for
you and your organization.
Good day, my friends.

(00:50):
Welcome back to the 4PM podcast.
I'm Munir Ajam, your host, and,as always, it's a pleasure to
be here with you.
Over the years, I've oftendiscussed how organizations
treat project management.
Sometimes it's embraced,sometimes it's misunderstood and
often it's undervalued.

(01:10):
So here is a question I'd likeyou to reflect on as we begin
this episode Can projectmanagement, beyond process and
paperwork, become a competitiveadvantage?
It's a powerful question andone that goes far deeper than
just certifications ormethodology.
In today's episode, we'rediving into how project

(01:34):
management, when elevated andmatured across the organization,
can do much more than just helpget things done.
It can help organizations excel, outperform and differentiate
themselves in highly competitivemarkets.
Let's explore what it means toevolve project management from a

(01:54):
supporting function into a corebusiness enabler.
Let's start higher.
Managing projects comes with acost.
The budget of the project mustinclude the cost of managing

(02:19):
that project.
It's a cost many organizationsunderestimate, but it's there
project managers and teams, inthe hours spent on planning and
reporting, in the tools andsystem we use and the meeting we
hold to coordinate everything.
Now, that's not to say thesecosts are bad.
They're necessary.
But here's the insight I wantto share with you.
These costs change depending onhow mature your organization's

(02:43):
project management capability is.
The more mature an organizationbecomes, the more efficient and
less costly it is to manageprojects.
There are two key variables tounderstand here.
First, we have what we callVariable A.
This represents the cost ofproject management execution.

(03:05):
Think of it as the effort,resources and time needed to
manage a project from start tofinish.
For the organization, it is thecost to manage all projects and
programs, the entire portfolio.
Second, we have variable B.
This one's different.
It's the investment yourorganization makes to improve

(03:26):
its project management maturity,including governance frameworks
, training programs,standardized systems and
continuous improvement efforts.
Now, early on in the maturityjourney, variable B is high.
You're putting in that effortto build the foundation
designing templates,establishing guidelines,

(03:48):
training your teams,implementing the project
management system and methods,etc.
But here's where the magichappens as you mature variable A
the cost of managing project,goes down.
You become more efficient, moreconsistent, less reactive.
The article on our blog on thistopic presents a beautiful

(04:11):
curve, a visual red line thatshows how both A and B evolve
over time.
At first costs are high.
You're investing, but graduallyyou cross that break-even point
.
You've built the engine andfrom that point on, managing
project becomes faster, leanerand more successful.

(04:31):
This is not just theory.
It's what real organizationsexperience when they commit to
building an integrated projectmanagement system.
Now let's move from cost tovalue.
You might wonder okay, munir, Iunderstand that as maturity

(04:52):
increases, cost goes down.
But what else do we gain?
Well, the answer is a lot.
Let's look at an everydayexample.
Imagine a new project managerstarting at an organization with
low maturity no templates, noguidance, no knowledge base.
They're asked to draft aproject charter.

(05:15):
But where do they begin?
They might search online, lookthrough old folders or ask
colleagues.
They spend hours trying topiece it together, unsure of
expectations.
Now fast forward to ahigh-maturity organization.
That same project manageropened a well-organized portal.
They find clear templates, pastexamples, detailed guidance and

(05:40):
even notes from previouslessons learned.
In no time they draft a strong,aligned charter, confident that
they're following bestpractices.
Multiply that kind ofefficiency across hundreds of
project tasks, from scopeplanning to stakeholder
engagement, and the valuebecomes obvious.

(06:01):
And it's not just about speed.
With maturity, project outcomesimprove, you reduce, rework,
you align better with strategy,you build trust with
stakeholders.
That's the hidden power.
The organization gain not justefficiency, but reliability,

(06:22):
predictability and consistency.
These are not soft benefits,they are measurable.
They impact your ability todeliver projects on time, within
budget and with expectedresults.
The article notes somethingvery insightful At lower
maturity very insightful Atlower maturity, the cost of

(06:47):
managing a project can reach upto 15% of its total budget.
A disclaimer this 15% might bedifferent in your organization
and industry.
However, with maturity this candrop to below 10% and in some
cases it might even be less than5%.
That's a significant difference, especially across large
portfolios.
So maturity isn't just aboutdoing things by the book.

(07:10):
It's about delivering more withless and doing it again and
again.
There's something I find trulypowerful and that's the concept
of knowledge reuse.
In mature organization, projectknowledge doesn't get buried in

(07:34):
email threads or forgottenfolders.
It becomes part of a livingsystem.
It's accessible, it's valuedand, most importantly, it's used
.
Let's return to our earlierexample the project charter.
In a low maturity organization,every new charter is created

(07:55):
from scratch.
There's uncertainty,duplication, inconsistency.
In contrast, a high maturityorganization provides its teams
with curated tools examplecharters, completed templates,
annotated lessons, even videosor guidance on how to complete
each section.
The result Time is saved,confidence increases, quality

(08:19):
improves.
And this isn't just aboutcharters, it applies across.
Hard-earned experience isn'tlost when someone changes roles

(08:47):
or leaves the company.
It turned project managementinto a continuous learning
engine and that, my friend, is acompetitive advantage.
Let's tie it all together.
Too often, often, organizationshesitate to invest in project
management maturity.

(09:07):
They see it as overhead, extrawork, something to implement
later.
But here's the reality thosewho invest in maturity are not
just improving processes, theyare positioning themselves to
win.
Why?
Because mature projectorganizations move faster, they
deliver better, they retainknowledge, they create alignment

(09:31):
between vision and execution.
But let me be clear this isn'ta quick fix.
It's a journey.
It starts with leadership, itrequires commitment and it
involves change andtransformation, not just in
tools, but in culture.
You need a governance model.

(09:52):
You need people who understandthe value of consistency and you
need mechanisms to capture,review and refine your practices
over time.
Capture, review and refine yourpractices over time.
The article says it well.
The break-even point will vary.
It depends on how much youinvest, how many projects you
run and how you embed the change.
But once you get past thatpoint, you unlock a system that

(10:15):
accelerates performance, projectafter project, project after
project.
All right, my friends, thatbrings us to the end of today's
episode.
We explored a critical questionCan project management be a

(10:36):
competitive advantage?
And we answered it not withwishful thinking, but with
practical insight.
We looked at the cost ofexecution, the impact of
maturity, the power of reusableknowledge and the long-term
return on investment.
If your organization is lookingfor ways to strengthen

(10:56):
performance, reduce waste andalign better with strategic
goals, investing in projectmanagement, maturity is not
optional.
It's essential To read the fullarticle we discussed today.
Head over to urukpmcom andcheck our knowledge tab.
It's a powerful read, filledwith models and examples that

(11:18):
can help you map your next steps.
That can help you map your nextsteps.
I'm Munir Ajam and I thank you,as always, for your time, your
attention and your commitment totransforming project management
.
Until next time, staypurposeful, stay focused and let

(11:40):
your project deliver real,visible value.