Have you ever wondered how to quantify the business value your projects have to your organization? Then this session, How Project Managers Influence Adoption, Outcomes, and Real Business Value, is for you!

Projects frequently deliver technology on time and on budget, yet still struggle to realize expected business value. That’s because value isn’t created by the system itself—it’s created when people adopt new ways of working. In this session, participants will explore how project managers can guide and influence change adoption throughout the project lifecycle, reframing change management as a practical, measurable driver of outcomes, rather than a late-stage or “soft” activity.

Drawing on real-world business and technology transformation experience, attendees will be introduced to a simple “change speedometer” model aligned to the SDLC. Participants will also draw from their own programs to identify critical beehavior changes. The session highlights practical techniques project managers can sprinkle throughout the SDLC to support users, reinforce new behaviors, and measure adoption beyond go-live—without being solely responsible for change themselves. Participants will leave with tools to help move projects from delivery to sustained business value.

About the Speaker

Cathleen Warren, PMP, MBA, is a Finance Transformation Consultant and certified coach with over 20 years of experience supporting large-scale business and technology transformations. She specializes in helping organizations bridge the gap between business, finance, and IT to ensure projects deliver measurable outcomes beyond go-live. Cathleen has held senior finance leadership roles and has worked extensively on ERP and enterprise transformation initiatives, with a strong focus on value realization, user adoption, and post-implementation stabilization. She also holds a Prosci certification, bringing a structured, practical approach to managing the people side of change.