From Training to Transformation

Building a Project-Driven Powerhouse at IMP Promont

With growth came a new challenge: projects became larger, more complex and increasingly interconnected. What had worked well for smaller projects was no longer sufficient in an environment where planning, engineering and implementation often had to run in parallel and customer requirements changed rapidly. The initial idea was straightforward – strengthen project management capabilities through a Project Management (PM) Academy.

However, the journey quickly revealed a much bigger opportunity.

Learning Through Practice

In 2025, IMP Promont and next level consulting launched a Project Management Academy built around real projects and practical application.

Three groups participated during the year, including experienced and newer project managers, technical experts as well as program leaders. Participants applied new tools directly to their projects, completed assignments between training sessions and openly discussed challenges they faced in their daily work.

The academy delivered immediate value. Project managers started using more structured planning approaches, stakeholder management improved and several common templates and standards were developed and tested.

At the same time, a broader picture began to emerge.

The challenges were not limited to project managers. Rapid growth had created new demands for leadership, collaboration, resource management and organizational alignment.

From Project Management to Organizational Transformation

One of the most important insights was that training alone does not transform an organization.

To achieve sustainable improvement, project management practices must be supported by leadership, governance, processes and clear responsibilities.

Through workshops, coaching sessions and pilot activities, several priorities were identified:

• establishing a common project management system,
• improving collaboration between planning and implementation teams,
• strengthening resource and portfolio management,
• improving knowledge transfer,
• and creating a stronger connection between business decisions and project delivery.

The focus gradually shifted from developing individual project managers to developing the entire project organization.

The Powerhouse Vision

For IMP Promont, project management is no longer viewed simply as a set of tools used by project managers.

It is becoming a strategic capability that connects sales, engineering, implementation, quality and leadership.

As the company continues its journey towards becoming a true "Powerhouse", project management professionalization provides an important foundation for future growth.

The most important lesson so far?

Successful projects require capable project managers. Successful organizations require a system that enables them to succeed.

Voices Behind the PM Professionalization Programme

Mr. Ujčič, you have a very long and successful career and a lot of experience with managing fast-growing companies. Looking back, what was the key realization that convinced you IMP Promont needed more than project management training?

Throughout my career, I have learned that growth itself is rarely the biggest challenge. The real challenge is maintaining alignment, quality and execution excellence while complexity increases.

At IMP Promont, our growth over the last few years has been extraordinary. We expanded rapidly, entered larger and more demanding projects, and significantly increased organizational complexity. What I observed was that our challenges were not primarily caused by a lack of individual competence. We had capable and highly committed people.

The key realization was this: project performance is not determined only by the capabilities of project managers. It is determined by the maturity of the entire system around them.

Even the best project manager struggles if priorities are unclear, resources are overloaded, governance is inconsistent, or decisions are delayed. Training can improve skills, but skills alone cannot compensate for systemic weaknesses.

That was the turning point for me. I realized we did not simply need better project managers — we needed a better project organization.

This meant moving beyond education toward professionalization: establishing clear roles, common standards, stronger cross-functional collaboration, better portfolio visibility and improved decision-making. In other words, building an environment where project managers can truly succeed.

What does becoming a true "Powerhouse" mean for IMP Promont and its customers?

For me, becoming a true “Powerhouse” means much more than growth in revenue or company size.

A Powerhouse is an organization that combines deep technical expertise, strong execution capability and organizational maturity. It is able to deliver highly complex projects reliably, repeatedly and with high quality — even in demanding and fast-changing environments.

At IMP Promont, this means becoming a company where sales, engineering, procurement, manufacturing, site execution, quality and project management operate as one integrated system rather than separate functions.

For our customers — especially in highly regulated industries such as pharmaceutical and advanced process industries — this creates enormous value.

Customers need more than technical solutions. They need a partner they can trust with critical projects where timelines, compliance, quality and risk management matter tremendously.

Being a Powerhouse means our customers experience IMP Promont as:

• highly competent,
• predictable,
• agile when change occurs,
• and reliable in execution.

Ultimately, our ambition is clear: we want customers to see IMP Promont not only as a contractor or supplier, but as a strategic partner capable of delivering mission-critical solutions with confidence.

In a world of increasing complexity, trust is built through execution excellence. That is what the Powerhouse vision is about.

Mr. Porenta, why is professional project delivery becoming a strategic differentiator for IMP Promont?

Professional project delivery is becoming an increasingly important strategic differentiator for IMP Promont because it directly influences how we compete, grow, and deliver value in a market where technical expertise alone is no longer enough.

Today, customers expect reliability and effective risk management from the very beginning of a project through to its successful completion. They are no longer buying just equipment or engineering solutions—they are buying confidence in the outcome. Professional project delivery ensures that projects are completed on time, within the agreed financial framework, and in line with customer expectations. This reduces risk for our customers and builds trust, which is often the deciding factor when winning new business.

This is how IMP Promont builds long-term relationships with its customers. It differentiates us in a highly competitive market. While competitors may often be able to offer a lower price, they frequently cannot match the quality of our project execution, our project organization, coordination, communication, and above all, the sense of responsibility we demonstrate throughout the entire project lifecycle. Delivering a complete, professionally managed solution creates a competitive advantage that is difficult to replicate. As a result, project delivery itself becomes a powerful non-price differentiator.

Today's projects are also becoming increasingly complex—from technical complexity and the number of stakeholders involved to demanding schedules, frequent changes, and evolving project objectives. Professional project management provides the structured governance, risk management, and clear accountability needed to navigate this complexity successfully. It enables our company to confidently undertake larger and more demanding projects while opening new business opportunities.

At the same time, every successfully delivered project strengthens our reputation and our brand. Well-executed projects lead to repeat business and customer recommendations. Project delivery therefore becomes one of the key drivers of our brand value. Internally, professional project management also brings greater alignment, scalability, standardized processes, and clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

Why did you decide to work with Andreja Križnič and next level consulting, and how does this experience compare with other consulting companies you have worked with in the past?

We decided to work with Andreja Križnič because of her highly practical, results-oriented approach and her deep understanding of real business challenges—not just theoretical project management frameworks.

From the very beginning, Andreja invested significant time and energy in understanding the specifics of our business, our projects, and the way we operate. This allowed her to gain valuable insight into the challenges we face every day. That initial effort, which is essential for any successful transformation, was carried out exceptionally well and laid a solid foundation for everything that followed.

From the outset, the focus was on creating tangible improvements in the way we deliver projects, always tailored to our specific business environment.

Compared with other consulting companies we have worked with in the past, the approach has been far more practical and implementation-oriented. The proposed solutions are tailored to our organization rather than based on generic best practices. There is also a strong emphasis on involving our own people, strengthening internal capabilities, and transferring knowledge, rather than creating long-term dependency on external consultants.

Our experience so far has shown that this collaboration delivers real operational improvements—not just strategies presented on paper.

Mr. Hren, you started your career at IMP Promont in March 2025 and were immediately engaged in the activities for preparation. What surprised you most during the PM Academy and the pilot activities?

After 12 years of working in a large multinational corporation, I was initially surprised to see that many processes were still being developed. I quickly learned that this was a natural response to the company’s significant expansion, so I started getting involved within my first few working days.

At the beginning, especially through the PM Academy and pilot activities, I was truly amazed by how quickly we could agree on new ways of working. The main stakeholders from top management were involved throughout the process, which allowed us—and still allows us—to reach agreements and make decisions very quickly.

What role do you see the PMO playing in helping IMP Promont scale successfully?

There are many activities within our internal PM Professionalization project that are clearly calling for a dedicated person, role, or department to anchor the new ways of working in the organization. Based on our current needs, we believe that establishing a PMO is the right way forward.

Most likely, the PMO will need to develop and adapt over time, in line with the maturity of the organization. In the first stage, it will support Project Managers in applying the new professional approach we are currently rolling out. Many of the tools, processes, and ways of working are still new to the majority of the organization.

Later, the PMO will most likely become the place where lessons learned from projects are proactively collected, developed, and shared for the benefit of the whole organization. At this stage, the PMO will also begin to take on greater strategic importance.

Mr. Hojnik, what are the biggest challenges of managing resources and priorities in a rapidly growing project organization?

The biggest challenge is that our technical experts often work on multiple projects simultaneously, while priorities shift faster than we can coordinate them. Without a shared view of the entire project portfolio, key people can quickly become overloaded on one project, while other projects are delayed because they are waiting for those same experts to become available.

Another challenge is that project requirements frequently change during execution. Customers may adjust the scope, technical specifications are refined, or unforeseen issues arise. Every such change directly affects the project schedule and, consequently, where and when specific resources are required. The availability of our resources therefore depends directly on how stable—or unstable—the requirements of each project are.

That is why it is essential that we can respond quickly and reallocate resources as soon as priorities change—not only after delays have already occurred. This is only possible if close collaboration between planning and technical execution is established from the very beginning, supported by a clear overview of where resources are currently allocated and where they will be needed most in the coming weeks.