When Orion Logistics—a global supply chain services firm—found itself managing over 150 concurrent projects across five continents, it became clear their legacy project tools were no longer up to the task. Fragmented reporting, resource conflicts, and poor cross-team visibility were stalling strategic initiatives. Leadership knew it was time for change.
In less than 12 months, Orion implemented a Corporate Project Management System (CPMS) that not only modernized its PMO, but also unlocked measurable business value. This case study details how Orion successfully deployed CPMS to streamline governance, accelerate delivery, and align project execution with corporate strategy.
Company Profile
- Industry: Supply Chain & Logistics
- Headquarters: Chicago, IL
- Global Presence: 48 countries
- Annual Revenue: $7.2 billion
- Employees: 22,000
- PMO Established: 2016
The Challenge
Before CPMS, Orion faced a host of enterprise project management issues:
- No unified system: Teams used a mix of spreadsheets, emails, and outdated software.
- Portfolio overload: Too many projects, few tied to strategic outcomes.
- Inconsistent reporting: Status updates differed by department, with no central visibility.
- Resource chaos: Frequent conflicts and duplications across global teams.
- Delayed decisions: Executives lacked timely, trustworthy data to act on.
PMO Director Lillian Nunez recalled, “We were flying blind. There was no consistency, no control, and no connection to the business objectives.”
Solution: Selecting and Implementing CPMS
After a six-week RFP process, Orion selected Planview Enterprise One as their CPMS. Key selection criteria included:
- Global scalability and multilingual support
- Integrated resource management
- Configurable dashboards and workflows
- Financial controls and benefits realization tracking
Orion launched its CPMS implementation in three phases:
- Foundation Setup — Data migration, role definition, and governance framework
- Pilot Rollout — Targeted deployment in North America and EMEA
- Global Expansion — Rollout across APAC and LATAM with full integration to ERP and HRIS
The company also established a CPMS Governance Committee, including IT, finance, HR, and business unit leaders, to guide change management and adoption.
Key Outcomes Achieved
1. Project Visibility and Control
- Centralized view of all 150+ active projects
- 98% of project managers using standardized templates and workflows
- Custom dashboards for PMs, executives, and sponsors
2. Improved Strategic Alignment
- Project intake now linked to corporate OKRs
- 37% of low-value initiatives de-prioritized or terminated
- All projects now scored by business value, urgency, and resource availability
3. Resource Optimization
- 20% increase in resource utilization
- Reduced cross-project conflicts by 46%
- Real-time capacity planning rolled out across regions
4. Faster Decision-Making
- Status reports automated weekly
- Portfolio reviews now driven by real-time dashboards
- Risk and issue escalation cut response time by 58%
5. Benefits Realization Tracking
- Business case templates embedded into CPMS intake
- Benefit owners assigned at project start
- 72% of completed projects now tracked for realized ROI
Lessons Learned
Orion’s transformation wasn’t without challenges. Early lessons included:
- Overcommunicate: Success hinged on ongoing stakeholder engagement.
- Start simple: The first phase focused on core workflows before adding complexity.
- Train for behavior change: PMs needed to unlearn old habits, not just learn new tools.
According to Nunez, “The CPMS didn’t just change our systems—it changed how we think about project value.”
What’s Next for Orion
Orion plans to expand its CPMS usage into:
- Agile project teams using Jira integrations
- Predictive analytics for delivery risk
- Automated OKR updates through CPMS-ERP sync
- A Center of Excellence to support global PM maturity
Their next goal? Using AI in CPMS to proactively recommend project investments based on past performance and market shifts.
Final Thoughts
Orion Logistics’ CPMS journey is a model for global enterprises seeking to bring structure, speed, and strategy to their project ecosystems. By aligning people, processes, and platforms, they have transformed their PMO from a reporting function to a value-driving engine.
For organizations overwhelmed by project complexity, Orion’s message is clear: Start small, scale smart, and stay strategic.
