Complete Collection of Project Management Statistics 2015

Need up-to-date facts and figures for a project management report, article, or infographic? Browse this collection of project management statistics collected from studies and reports from the past five years.

The data and statistics below are sorted into categories so you can quickly skim to find the information you need. Simply grab the stats you want and find the corresponding original source information at the bottom of this page.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Benefits of Project Management
—1A. Project Management Methodologies
—1B. Project Management Best Practices
—1C. Agile Project Management
2. Project Management Salaries
3. Project Management Training & Certification
4. Project Management Software & Tools
5. Project Management Industry Growth
6. IT Project Management Challenges
7. Portfolio Project Management (PPM) and Project Management Offices (PMOs)
8. Project Failure

1. Benefits of Project Management

80% of “high-performing” projects are led by a certified project manager. [4]

ROI of project managers (including average salary and training costs):

[8]

89% of high-performing organizations value project management, 81% actively engage sponsors, 57% align projects with business strategy. [6]

46% of organizations admit to not fully understanding the value of project management, even though that understanding boosts the success rate of strategic initiatives by 16%. [12]

—1A. Project Management Methodologies

59% say either most departments or their entire organization uses standard project management practices. [6]

Organizations that use a methodology:

38%  meet budget
28% stay on schedule
71%  meet scope
68% meet quality standards
60% meet expected benefits
[4]

VS.

Organizations that don’t use a methodology:

31% meet budget
21% stay on schedule
61% meet scope
60% meet quality standards
51% meet expected benefits
[4]

Popular Methodologies:

41% use PMBoK
26% do not use a standard methodology
9% use an IT methodology
9% use another approach
8% use a combination of methods
4% use an in-house method to manage projects
3% use PRINCE2
[4]

—1B. Project Management Best Practices

Having a knowledge transfer process in place boosts the chance of project success by over 20%. [6]

More than 90% of organizations perform some type of project postmortem or closeout retrospective. [9]

64% of organizations say they frequently conduct risk management. [6]

30% of project managers break up large projects into smaller segments, with deliverables and evaluations at the end of each segment. [5]

How Project Success is Measured:

20% — Satisfied stakeholders
19% — Delivered on time
18% — Delivered within budget
17% — Achieves target benefits
15% — Produces high-quality deliverables
9% — Achieves acceptable ROI
2% — Other
[6]

Keys to Project Success:

48%  say the team’s technical skills
41%  say executive support
26%  say effective team communication
19% say Agile techniques
17%  say the leadership of certified Project Managers
12%  say effective soft skills among staff
[5]

—1C. Agile Project Management

38% of organizations report using agile frequently. [6]

75% of highly agile organizations met their goals/business intent, 65% finished on time, and 67% finished within budget. Compared to organizations with low agility, where only 56% met their business goals, 40% finished on time, and 45% finished within budget. [6]

Agile organizations successfully complete more of their strategic initiatives than less agile organizations. (69% to 45%). [12]

Agile organizations grow revenue 37% faster and generate 30% higher profits than non-agile companies. [6]

Most Popular Agile Tools and Processes:
Scrum – 43%
Lean & Test Driven Development (TDD) – 11%
eXtreme Programming – 10%
Feature Development Driven – 9%
Complex Adaptive System – 4%
Crystal – 3%
Dynamic Systems Development Method – 3%
Other – 6%
None – 10%
[4]

2. Project Management Salaries

Average Project Manager Salaries:

[7]

On average, it takes 7 years in the profession to go from entry-level to managing large, complex projects. [7]

Average Salary of Senior-Level PM by Region:

[7]

Average Salary of Senior-Level PM by Industry:

[7]

According to respondents, five days per year of project-focused training reduced the amount of time it took to advance from an entry-level project manager to a senior project manager by 12.6 months. [7]

How much do project managers make? In the U.S, Project Management Professional (PMP)® certified project managers make an average of 16% more (approximately $14,500) than their non-credentialed peers in 2011. [6]

3. Project Management Training & Certification

61% of project management practitioners say their organization currently offers ongoing project management training for staff. [6]

PM Certification by Department:
37%  say their entire IT department is certified.
33%  say IT department managers are certified.
26%  say Business managers are certified.
25%  say Business staff is certified (both managers and non-managers).
10%  say Executive managers are certified.
29%  say no one on staff is certified.
[5]

Types of Project Management Training Offered by Organizations:
Classroom setting – 28%
Online self-paced course – 24%
Online situational sessions – 18%
Paper-based self-studies – 16%
All of the above – 13%
Other – 1%
[4]

Number of PMI Certified Project Managers:
Total Number of PMP credential holders: 607,128
# of CAPM certification holders: 25,060
Program Management Professional credential holders: 1,027
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner holders: 5,265
[14]

4. Project Management Software & Tools

77% of companies use project management software, and 87% of high-performing companies use project management software. [5]

Top Business Challenges that Lead People to Project Management Software:
Capturing time/cost of projects: 62%
Approvals are paper-based: 55%
Re-entering lost data: 45%
Lack of integration between tools: 38%
No central source of project information: 35%
Poor visibility & resource management: 31%
Poor purchasing processes: 23%
Lack of visibility into work in progress: 21%
[10]

Most-Wanted Features in Project Management Software:

1. Reliability
2. Ease of integration
3. Ease of use
[10]

66% said they choose a project management software based on level of support available. [10]

Popular Tools for Managing IT Projects:
70%  use status reports
68%  use the project plan documentation
63%  use spreadsheets
53%  use project management software
45%  use help desk tickets, work orders, or a task tracking system
36%  use time reporting at the project level
31%  use communication templates
25%  use quality assessments
21%  use real-time status dashboards
20%  use a homegrown/in-house solution
18%  use word processing documents
10%  use earned value management reports
[5]

The most important factor in choosing which software to purchase was functionality (40%), followed by ease of use (24%). [17]

Most-used features include file sharing, time tracking, email integration, and Gantt charts. [17]

Business aspects significantly improved by PM software:
Team communication – 52%
Quality of final product – 44%
Number of projects completed on budget – 44%
Number of projects completed on time – 44%
Customer satisfaction – 38%
[17]

66% of organizations use PM software to communicate with clients. [17]

76% of respondents said they are either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their PM software. [17]

5. Project Management Industry Growth

Between 2010 and 2020, 15.7 million new project management roles will be created globally, and the project management industry is slated to grow by $6.61 trillion. [11]

An expected 12% growth in demand for project management professionals will result in almost 6.2 million jobs by 2020. [11]

Business services (2 million jobs) and Manufacturing (630,000 jobs) supported the greatest number of project management roles in 2010. Business services and healthcare are expected to lead job growth between 2010 and 2020. [11]

The healthcare industry is projected to increase project management roles by 30% — a higher growth rate than any current project intensive industry. [11]

Estimated Project-Oriented Job Openings 2010-2020:

[11]

83% of project organizations reported that they were understaffed at some level. 44% of the reported shortages were for senior-level project managers. 89.4% report that it is either very difficult or somewhat difficult to find senior-level talent. [7]

6. IT Project Management Challenges

The average large IT project runs 45% over budget, 7% over time, and delivers 56% less value than expected. [6]

One in six IT projects has an average cost overrun of 200% and a schedule overrun of 70%. [1]

Nearly 45% admit they’re unclear on the business objectives of their IT projects. [3]

Only 34% of respondents say IT projects almost always deliver value to the business. 21% say they sometimes deliver value, and 41% say results are mixed. [5]

78% said their project requirements are usually or always out of sync with the business. Depending on the situation, this may include technical requirements as well. [3]

75% of IT project leaders believe their projects are “doomed from the start.” [3]

17% of large IT projects (budgets $15M+) go so badly they threaten the existence of the company.[2]

Top Contributors to Large IT Project Failure:
Unclear objectives/lack of business focus
Unrealistic schedule/reactive planning
Shifting requirements/technical complexity
Unaligned team/missing skills
Unexplained causes
[6]

Only 47% say their teams achieve 70-89% of their goals. Nearly 20% say they only achieve 50-69% of their goals. [3]

80% of teams say they spend at least half their time reworking completed tasks. [3]

Barriers to Success:
38% cite confusion around team roles and responsibilities.
31% point to being unclear or disagreeing on what constitutes project success.
77% say they don’t always agree on when a project is done, leaving the door open for ongoing rework and scope creep.
[3]

7. Portfolio Project Management and Project Management Offices

Portfolio Project Management (PPM)

53% of respondents say they have a project portfolio management process in place. [6]

The number of firms with a PPM process in place grew from 64% in 2003 to 71% in 2013. [13]

Popularity by Industry:
Finance – 87%
Healthcare – 76%
Retail/Consumer – 72%
Insurance – 71%
Information/Technology – 67%
Manufacturing – 66%
Automotive – 65%
Banking & Capital Marketing – 60%
Telecommunications – 55%
Energy – 52%
Defense – 51%
Construction – 34%
Other – 51%
[13]

26% of firms say they get a 25% or greater ROI from implementing PPM processes. [13]

How Companies Prioritize Projects:
18% say strategic alignment
14% say expected benefits
14% say ROI
[6]

Top 5 PPM Functions:
Portfolio tracking & performance monitoring – 75%
Portfolio oversight – 68%
Portfolio planning, resource allocation, and schedule – 66%
Portfolio analysis, project selection, & prioritization – 65%
PPM process implementation & management – 61%
[13]

Top 5 PPM Priorities:
Improve resource planning & forecasting – 65%
Implement/enhance reporting, analytics, & dashboard tools – 62%
Implement/enhance PPM processes – 53%
Implement demand management/capacity planning processes – 42%
Implement/enhance performance measurement process – 39%
[13]

Top 5 PPM Challenges:
Organization has silo mentality 49%
Consistent application of defined processes – 44%
Getting reliable/accurate project info – 42%
Lack of info on resources- 40%
Inadequate PPM skills- 39%
[13]

42% of portfolios are comprised of more than 100 projects, while 25% of portfolios have fewer than 20 projects. [4]

55% of organizations surveyed review project portfolios monthly, 23% review them quarterly. [13]

Project Management Offices (PMOs)

PMO Popularity by Company Size:
61%  of small organizations (88%  of mid-size companies ($100M-$1B) have a PMO
90%  of large enterprises (>$1B) have a PMO
[16]

Number of companies with a PMO has grown from 47% to 80% from 2000-2012. 30% of companies currently without a PMO plan to start one in the coming year. [16]

PMO Popularity by Industry:
Healthcare – 93%
Finance – 93%
Information Technology – 85%
Manufacturing – 78%
Professional Services – 60%
[16]

Benefits of High-Performing PMOs:
45% more projects aligned with business objectives
28% increase in # of projects delivered under budget
$101,000 cost savings per project
27% decrease in # of failed projects
18% improvement in productivity
31% improvement in customer satisfaction
[16]

49% of PMOs provide project management training. [16]

Top 5 PMO Challenges:
Resistance to change within the organization
PMO is perceived as unnecessary overhead
Not enough time/resources for strategic activities
Value added by PMO is difficult to prove
Poor resource management capabilities
[13]

In Organizations Without a PMO, Projects are Managed by:
IT managers or business execs – 38%
Non-management IT staff – 26%
Project managers within IT department – 22%
Project managers outside IT department – 9%
Outsourced project managers – 1%
[13]

8. Project Failure

Only 64% of projects meet their goals. [6]

70% of companies report having at least one failed project in the last year. [15]

Organizations lose $109 million for every $1 billion invested in projects and programs. [12]

High-performing organizations successfully complete 89% of projects, while low performers only complete 36% successfully. Low performers waste nearly 12 times more resources than high-performing organizations. [12]

Only one-third of companies always prepare a business case for new projects. [15]

60% of companies don’t measure ROI on projects. [15]

Average Project Success Rates:
39% of all projects succeed (delivered on time, on budget, and with required features and functions)
43% are challenged (late, over budget, and/or with fewer than the required features and functions) 18% fail (either cancelled prior to completion or delivered and never used).
[9]

Average % of features delivered – 69%
Average cost overrun – 59%
Average time overrun – 74%
[9]

Small Projects (less than $1 million) VS. Large Projects (more than $10 million)

Small Projects (less than $1 million)

76%  are successful
20%  are challenged
4%  fail
[9]

VS.

Large Projects (more than $10 million)

10% are successful
52% are challenged
38% fail
[9]

Large projects are twice as likely to be late, over budget, and missing critical features than small projects. A large project is more than 10 times more likely to fail outright, meaning it will be cancelled or will not be used because it outlived its usefulness prior to implementation. [9]

Most Common Causes of Project Failure:
Changing priorities within organization – 40%
Inaccurate requirements – 38%
Change in project objectives – 35%
Undefined risks/opportunities – 30%
Poor communication – 30%
Undefined project goals – 30%
Inadequate sponsor support – 29%
Inadequate cost estimation – 29%
Inaccurate task time estimate – 27%
Resource dependency – 25%
Poor change management – 25%
Inadequate resource forecasting – 23%
Inexperienced project manager – 20%
Limited resources – 20%
Procrastination within team – 13%
Task dependency – 11%
Other – 9%
[6]

Despite being the top driver of project success, fewer than 2 in 3 projects had actively engaged project sponsors. [12]

68% of projects don’t have an effective project sponsor to provide clear direction or help address problems. [15]

Projects Completed in the Last Year:

64% successfully met original goals/business objectives
62% were supported by active project sponsors
55% finished within budget
50% finished on time
44% experienced scope creep
15% were considered failures
[6]

Strategic Initiatives:
Organizations report that an average of 3 out of 5 projects are not aligned with business strategy.[12]

Only 56% of strategic initiatives meet their original goals and business intent. [12]

44% of strategic initiatives were reported as unsuccessful. Top causes:
-Lack of executive support
-Lack of focus on key initiatives & projects that are strategically relevant
-Lack of skills and/or personnel for effective strategy implementation
[12]

Over 25% of companies don’t conduct a strategic review to identify how a proposed project will benefit the business. [15]

60% of companies don’t consistently align projects with business strategy. [15]

Want More Project Management Resources?

Check out our collection of articles, free downloadable resources, and interviews with leading project managers for more tips and advice.

Sources:

1. Harvard Business Review: “Why Your IT Project May Be Riskier Than You Think”
2. McKinsey & Company: Delivering Large-Scale IT Projects On Time, On Budget, and On Value
3. Geneca: Doomed from the Start? Why a Majority of Business and IT Teams Anticipate Their Software Development Projects Will Fail
4. PricewaterhouseCoopers: Insights and Trends: Current Programme and Project Management Practices 2012
5. InformationWeek: Enterprise Project Management Survey 2014
6. Project Management Institute: Pulse of the Profession 2015: Capturing the Value of Project Management 2015
7. ESI International: Annual Salary Survey 2013
8. ESI International: Talent Drain Fact Sheet 2013
9. The Standish Group: CHAOS Research Report 2013
10. The Access Group: Inbox Insight Survey 2013
11. Project Management Institute: Industry Growth Forecast – Project Management Between 2010 + 2020
12. Project Management Institute: Pulse of the Profession 2014 – The High Cost of Low Performance
13. PM Solutions: The State of Project Portfolio Management (PPM) 2013
14. Project Management Institute Certification Registry, via LinkedIn Pulse. March, 2014.
15. KPMG New Zealand: Project Management Survey 2010
16. PM Solutions: The State of the Project Management Office (PMO) in 2014
17. Capterra Project Management User Research Report 2015

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