SECOND EDITION
By Sarah Sage
Texas, USA
Introduction
Project managers often feel they are unable to implement systems due to the prohibitive costs of specialized software. However, AI technology presents an opportunity for project managers to function as system designers, building tools that take the place of expensive software solutions. Clients can sometimes have a tendency to over-conceptualize processes, so it is the responsibility of the system designer to navigate the constraints associated with affordable enterprise-level applications. To apply AI appropriately within their work, the designer must also possess sufficient AI expertise and comprehensive understanding of both the capabilities and limitations of the technology.*
In this paper I discuss my experimentation with automating repetitive tasks, enhancing team autonomy, and improving client satisfaction using AI-developed tools. Unable to access expensive portfolio management software, I developed a framework using Microsoft 365 applications without premium licenses. Examining three case studies I illustrate what can be accomplished with a lone project manager, a modest budget, and leadership support. The first case study details how the provost’s office staff, a team of five with one executive sponsor, effectively uses MS Planner to manage tasks, schedules, projects, and events collaboratively. Case study II focuses on the University Decision Support (UDS) and Institutional Research (IR) teams, which consists of ten analysts and statisticians managing sixty projects and executing more than 125 product updates annually. This case presents the most complex application of this approach and also demonstrates how this process can be scaled. Case study III describes a project where the Office of Information Technology (OIT) and UDS teams worked together, combining their skills to improve project delivery.
It is also important to note that solutions of this kind will typically be unique to the user and the institution. This article presents examples of work management improvements at SMU, but rather than serving as a general “how-to guide,” the intention here is to sow seeds of experimentation and utilization. It is my hope others will borrow, modify, and share their results moving forward.
Defining Cost-Effective Solutions
For the purposes of this discussion the term “cost-effective solutions” uses the following criteria: software available within the University catalog and enterprise-level licensing requiring no new investment from my unit. I also sought to avoid purchasing new software that duplicated the functionality of existing applications in our catalog. I also preferenced existing applications that would effectively integrate with other products. Finally, I tried to avoid complicated customization or solutions that depended on the expertise of a single individual because “lynch-pin” dependencies are an inherent weakness for in-house tools.
Early on in this process, it became clear that I couldn’t find a single low-cost solution with all of the features I needed for portfolio management. I would need to find a suite of integrated tools to facilitate what I needed to do: an adaptable toolset that could meet the diverse needs of our constituents, and empower team members to manage recurring work, projects, and smaller ad-hoc requests within the same portfolio. With enough flexibility, I hoped I could create different kinds of systems for multiple areas in the same platform, creating the opportunity to aggregate multiple portfolios for our unit. As I worked to develop this approach, the introduction of a reporting system for value management in the Office of the Provost seemed possible for the first time.
Faced with a growing demand for work management in our unit, I needed to consider sustainable designs that minimized the number of automations needed for functionality. An additional concern was with sustaining these automations. At SMU, unit-level automations are not centrally supported by IT, making their sustainability dependent on the developer. Service accounts were needed to set up sustainable automations and prevent failures. Without a developer or system administrator on my team, I leveraged AI to help me create critical workflows by designing solutions and writing code4. Recent AI advances in the past year made solutions in the following case studies possible.
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Editor’s note: Second Editions are previously published papers that have continued relevance in today’s project management world, or which were originally published in conference proceedings or in a language other than English. Original publication acknowledged; authors retain copyright. This paper was originally presented at the 17th Project Management Symposium at the University of Texas at Dallas in May 2025. It is republished here with the author’s permission.
How to cite this paper: Sage, S. (2025). Leveraging AI for Cost-Effective Portfolio Management in Higher Education; Originally presented at the 17th Project Management Symposium at the University of Texas at Dallas in May, republished in the PM World Journal, Vol. XIV, Issue VIII, August. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/pmwj155-Aug2025-Sage-AI-for-Cost-Effective-Portfolio-Management-in-Higher-Education-2nd-ed.pdf
About the Author
Sarah Sage
Dallas, Texas, USA
Sarah Sage is the Director for Strategy and Operations at Southern Methodist University (SMU), supporting the Office of the Provost since 2021. With a background in design and user experience, Sarah is passionate about creating flexible portfolio management tools using enterprise-level Microsoft 365 applications. She ensures these tools are both affordable and sustainable through a collaborative design process.
Sarah empowers clients with Agile methodologies, significantly improving their operational processes. Sarah completed a BFA from SMU and an MFA from UT Austin before returning to Dallas and joining SMU in 2011. She has successfully managed major IT infrastructure projects and University-wide initiatives in Academic Affairs.
Her current responsibilities include portfolio management for the Academic Affairs Forum and overseeing project and operations management for the University Decision Support (UDS) team. Sarah uses her background in the arts with project management to design and implement intuitive, user-friendly tools that foster successful teams and collaborations.
Sarah can be contacted at ssage@mail.smu.edu
