What keeps project and portfolio managers up at night?
According to new research from Smartsheet, it’s not just deadlines or resource constraints. It’s disruption. And plenty of it.
In a survey of over 1,400 PPM professionals, a staggering 97% reported experiencing significant disruption in their work. Even more telling? Over 70% said that change is now negatively impacting productivity, customer outcomes, and team morale.
As a Smartsheet Platinum Partner, we see this story unfold in real time:
Brilliant people stuck in systems that weren’t built to flex.
Teams reacting instead of planning.
Leaders trying to make decisions without the clarity they need.
And while disruption isn’t going anywhere, we believe this:
You can’t control the chaos, but you can build systems that move with it. Let's dive in.
The Top 3 Sources of Disruption
Smartsheet’s research pointed to three key culprits that are holding PMOs back:
- Poor communication and collaboration (45%)
Too many tools, too little visibility. Information is scattered, and so are the people who need it. - Inflexible tools and processes (43%)
Legacy platforms and rigid workflows don’t keep up with real-time shifts. The result? Bottlenecks and burnout. - Manual intake and reporting (39%)
When your most valuable resources are still updating spreadsheets and chasing status reports, you’re leaving opportunity on the table.
How Top Teams Are Adapting
The golden question. How are top teams adapting and how can your team adapt, too? Simply put, the most successful PMOs aren’t hiding from change. Instead, they’re embracing it and building structures to give order to the chaos. They're focusing on three core strategies:
Standardized Intake
Disruption often begins before the work starts. Leading teams use structured intake and prioritization to avoid last-minute surprises and align initiatives with business goals.
Connected Workspaces
Instead of bouncing between disconnected systems, high-performing PMOs are centralizing project execution, collaboration, and documentation into unified platforms.
Automated Reporting
Real-time dashboards and status automation aren’t just time-savers—they’re visibility enablers. When leadership knows what’s happening, teams don’t have to waste time proving it.
A New Way Forward
At Four Score Solutions, we help enterprise teams turn these insights into action. And we do it at record-breaking speeds.
We build Smartsheet-powered project environments that:
- Launch in one week
- Are fully tailored, tested, and adopted in four weeks
- Reduce licensing waste and over-engineering
- Scale with your complexity, not against it
We also offer a zero-risk trial period so you can test your solution in the wild before committing. No pressure. No hard sell. Just clarity, partnership, and results.
See for yourself. Download Smartsheet’s full PPM Research Report to see what 1,400+ PMO leaders are saying—and if it resonates, let’s talk: https://www.fourscoresolutions.com/2025-ppm-priorities-report
Because at the end of the day, your team doesn’t need more noise.
It needs systems that quiet the chaos and amplify what matters most.
