Chaired by Alex Raby-Bennett, Deputy Lead of APM’s Built Environment Interest Network, the panel brought together Gavin Gleave, Founder and CEO of fu3e; Todd Gleave, Head of Sales at fu3e; and Mike Chavez, Portfolio Director at the Environment Agency and a member of APM’s Portfolio Management Interest Network.
The discussion centred on a familiar challenge: organisations do not lack data. They lack timely, consistent and trusted information that can support confident decisions across complex portfolios.
Start with the operating problem, not the AI feature
Todd Gleave outlined the limitations of the traditional PMO model, where spreadsheets, email chains, schedules, finance systems and periodic reports all hold parts of the picture. The challenge is not simply gathering information, but reconciling it and making it available when decisions need to be made.
The opportunity is to create a connected operating model: structured source data for cost, risk and schedule; governed workflows, permissions and approval routes; and live reporting that reflects approved information as it changes.
This makes it possible to shift from static reporting cycles towards more continuous assurance, with leaders able to focus on material exceptions, trends and decisions rather than the manual production of reports.
Digital transformation must fit the organisation
Drawing on experience across project management, project controls and the built environment, Alex Raby-Bennett highlighted that organisations begin their digital journey from very different places. Legacy information management, established governance processes and sector-specific constraints all affect the pace and shape of change.
A connected delivery model should therefore be adaptable, rather than a fixed template imposed on every organisation. The goal is not simply to digitise existing activity, but to create a practical way for teams to capture, govern and use information in line with how they operate.
That also means being selective. As data volumes grow, organisations need to distinguish meaningful insight from unnecessary noise. More information is not automatically better information.
Structured data is the foundation for useful AI
Gavin Gleave stressed that AI can be a valuable assistant, but only when it is built on reliable foundations. Many organisations carry years of unstructured information and technical debt, which limits what automation or AI can safely achieve.
The starting point is to standardise data definitions and capture information consistently at source. From there, workflows and approvals can be connected, allowing AI to assist with repeatable tasks such as extracting information from documents, identifying anomalies and surfacing potential risks.
The panel’s message was clear: transformation should be deliberate and phased. Organisations should solve a defined operational problem, test the approach, retain control, then extend it.
Keep people accountable for decisions
AI does not remove the need for professional judgement. Mike Chavez reflected on the reality of decision-making at portfolio level, where data informs leaders but does not replace the human context behind strategic, political, social and commercial choices.
Alex also noted that real-time information can support faster decisions, but data alone does not remove complexity. Teams must still interpret changing conditions, weigh consequences and act with appropriate judgement.
A risk-based approach is key. Lower-risk, routine activities may be suitable for greater automation, while high-consequence decisions require robust human assurance. In this model, AI supports the work between the initial input and the final decision, rather than taking ownership of either.
A single source of truth enables faster action
The discussion also explored the practical impact of connected information. Todd Gleave used invoice processing as an example: when teams manually transfer the same information between email, spreadsheets, shared folders and finance systems, delays, duplication and reconciliation issues are inevitable.
In a connected environment, information can be captured once, routed through the right approvals and made visible to project and finance teams from the same source. That creates a clearer audit trail, reduces unnecessary administration and gives decision-makers a more current view of portfolio performance.
For PMOs, the value lies in moving effort away from chasing and reconciling information, and towards assurance, insight and earlier intervention.
The digital future is governed, connected and practical
The webinar reinforced that digital PMO is not about adding another tool or automating every decision. It is about connecting data, workflows and accountability so that organisations can respond to change with greater control and confidence.
The path forward starts with the fundamentals: understand the operational problem, improve data quality, connect the process, introduce automation where it adds value, and keep people accountable for the decisions that matter.
Discover how fu3e’s integrated digital PMO connects project information, workflows and reporting in one governed environment.
