EPMA Blog

Projects Refined, Work Simplified.

What a Great Project Manager Actually Looks Like in 2026 – And Why Most Job Descriptions Get It Wrong

Posted on by Kaly Samadi

Most project manager job descriptions read like a checklist of certifications. PMP required. Five to seven years of experience. Proficiency in Microsoft Project. Familiarity with Agile and Waterfall methodologies. These things are not unimportant. But in seventeen years of placing project management professionals, we have learned that the checklist almost never identifies the people who Read more about What a Great Project Manager Actually Looks Like in 2026 – And Why Most Job Descriptions Get It Wrong[…]

Project Online Is Retiring in September. Here Is What You Should Be Doing Right Now.

Posted on by Kaly Samadi

If your organization is running on Microsoft Project Online, you already know the date: September 30, 2026. That is when Microsoft officially retires Project Online as a standalone service. What you may not know is how much time the decision-making process actually takes and how many organizations are going to feel that crunch in August Read more about Project Online Is Retiring in September. Here Is What You Should Be Doing Right Now.[…]

Project Delivery Is Broken at Most Firms – And a New Tool Isn’t the Answer

Posted on by Kaly Samadi

When delivery breaks down, the instinct is almost always the same: we need better software. In seventeen years of working inside project-driven organizations, EPMA has learned that the tool is rarely the root cause, and buying a new one without addressing what’s actually broken rarely fixes it. The organizations that come out stronger are the Read more about Project Delivery Is Broken at Most Firms – And a New Tool Isn’t the Answer[…]

Where Are Your Projects Actually Living?

Posted on by Kaly Samadi

Most organizations have an official project management system. They just don’t actually manage projects in it. That’s not a criticism, it’s a pattern seventeen years and dozens of organizations have made impossible to ignore. The Pattern Nobody Talks About Out Loud A system gets implemented; Project Online, or a financial platform with a project management Read more about Where Are Your Projects Actually Living?[…]

Why Most Project Online Replacements Fail in Year One

Posted on by Kaly Samadi

I’ve spent the better part of 10 years helping organizations implement, optimize, and sometimes rescue their project management environments. I’ve watched companies invest heavily in the right technology, and still struggle to make it stick. And now, as Project Online’s September 30, 2026 retirement date gets closer, I’m watching a familiar pattern play out again. Read more about Why Most Project Online Replacements Fail in Year One[…]

Introducing PPMX: The Project Online Replacement Built by EPMA

Posted on by Avery

We Built PPMX Because Our Clients Deserved Better Than Another Microsoft Pivot After 17 years implementing Project Server and Project Online for enterprise organizations, EPMA didn’t wait for Microsoft to announce a replacement. We built one. On September 30, 2026, Microsoft will retire Project Online. Not sunset it gradually. Not keep it in maintenance mode. Read more about Introducing PPMX: The Project Online Replacement Built by EPMA[…]

5 Signs Your Org Design is Sabotaging Project Delivery

Posted on by Kaly Samadi

Most organizations think they have a people problem, a process problem, or a leadership problem. But what if the real issue runs deeper? When projects consistently stall, resources disappear, and your best performers burn out, it’s time to look at something more fundamental: your organizational design itself. The way you structure accountability, allocate resources, and Read more about 5 Signs Your Org Design is Sabotaging Project Delivery[…]

Why It’s So Hard to Hire a Great Project Manager (And How to Fix It)

Posted on by Kaly Samadi

Hiring a great project manager should be easy. But for most organizations, it’s anything but.  Resumes look great. Interviews go well. But once the PM is in-seat… something doesn’t click. Deadlines slip. Communication gaps grow. Frustration builds.  Sound familiar? The Hidden Complexity of the PM Role Project management isn’t a one-size-fits-all job. There are PMs Read more about Why It’s So Hard to Hire a Great Project Manager (And How to Fix It)[…]