What it is
A portfolio groups projects so somebody can see them together — a client with four projects running, a programme of internal work, everything one team owns. It rolls up progress, dates and overdue counts. It contains no tasks itself, which is the distinction that keeps it a reporting object rather than a fifth place work can hide.
Client delivery — Q2
6 projects · 2 at risk
| Project | Owner | Progress | Ends | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website rebuild | Dana | 26% | 30 Apr | At risk |
| Meridian onboarding | Sam | 78% | 18 Apr | On track |
| Coastline migration | Priya | 54% | 2 May | On track |
| Acme integration | Tom | 12% | 15 Apr | At risk |
| Fielding rollout | Sam | 91% | 11 Apr | On track |
When to use one
- Yes when somebody regularly asks "how is all of X going" and X is more than one project.
- Yes when a client has several concurrent pieces of work and wants one status conversation.
- No when you have three projects. Three projects is a list.
- No as a substitute for a project. A portfolio with one project in it is a project with extra clicks.
A project can belong to more than one portfolio, which is useful when a piece of work is both "client delivery" and "the platform programme". The roll-up is computed rather than stored, so nothing needs keeping in step.
What this does not do
Work lives in projects. A portfolio holds none.
No cost, budget or margin. That is Accounting and CFO.
At risk is derived from dates and progress; you cannot define your own formula.
Portfolios do not contain portfolios.
Questions
Can a project be in two portfolios?
Yes.
Do archived projects show?
No, they drop out of the roll-up.
Who can create one?
Any member of the module.