Run HERMES - four phases, clear decision gates, sound results
WORKSPACE.PM maps the HERMES structure to concrete tools: phases in the pipeline and Gantt, decision points as quality gates with sign-off, a dedicated deliverables register and project-specific roles - in the same system your agile teams already use.
Where HERMES sits on the spectrum
And which methods are its neighbours
HERMES: phase-oriented, decision-driven
HERMES sits on the structured side of the spectrum - fixed phases, defined decision points, documented results. In WORKSPACE.PM that stays open to hybrid work: through the container concept each sub-project can run its own way of working while the overall project keeps its phase and decision structure.
Well structured, poorly supported
Where HERMES projects tend to struggle in practice
Phases in your head, not in the tool
Your team plans in Initialisation, Concept, Realisation and Deployment - but the tool only knows flat task lists. So the structure gets maintained on the side in Office files.
Decision points by email
Who released the phase transition, when, and on what basis? The answer sits in inboxes instead of in the project.
Results scattered
HERMES is result-oriented - yet deliverables, concepts and reports live on shared drives with no link to the phase plan.
Roles without rights
Client, project manager, subject expert: clearly named, but in the tool everyone has all or nothing. Responsibility can't be modelled that way.
The HERMES structure - and its tooling in WORKSPACE.PM
Six core elements of the method, each with the function that carries it. No renaming, no translation loss.
Scenarios
HERMES assembles each project from a scenario - the right selection of modules for the project's type and size.
Structure blocks and switchable functions
Save recurring structures as a block and insert them into new projects in one click. Per container, 13 functions - from quality gate to costs to documentation - can be switched on individually. That produces the exact scope your scenario needs, without ballast.
Phase model
HERMES takes every project through four phases: Initialisation, Concept, Realisation and Deployment.
Phases in the project pipeline and Gantt
The project pipeline reflects the phase sequence; in the Gantt the phases appear as bars with a time grid from day to quarter. Phase progress can be derived from the sub-containers - one of seven progress methods.
Decision points
At every phase transition there is a decision: only after a deliberate release does the project move into the next phase.
Quality gates with sign-off and a fixed date
Every decision point becomes a quality gate: named approvers vote criterion by criterion - as a person or group, with a deputy or PMO release. The final decision is made separately and with a complete history. In the Gantt the decision sits as a milestone with a fixed date.
Modules and tasks
HERMES bundles related tasks into modules that belong to a phase.
Work packages with effort and board link
Structure modules and work packages in the work-breakdown plan with their own WBS numbering; per work package you plan people and effort. Tasks attached to a container appear automatically on the project board - as epic, story, task or bug.
Results
HERMES is result-oriented: it is not the activity that counts, but the accepted result, the deliverable.
Deliverables register and documents from live data
A dedicated register tracks every deliverable with owner, due date, progress and status. Status reports pass through three stages - draft, submitted, released. Documents such as the project charter or closing report are generated from your own templates straight from live project data.
Roles and responsibilities
HERMES distributes responsibility clearly across the project organisation - from the client to the subject expert.
Project roles, four permission levels and responsibility markers
Project-specific roles are separate from the global system role; the role matrix governs access in four levels from view to administration. The responsibility matrix assigns each work package its accountable people with the markers A, E, I, K, M and P - internal and external alike.
Classic structure, agile sub-projects
HERMES asks you to tailor the method to the project. That is exactly what container blocks provide: the overall project keeps its phases, decision points and reporting, while a development stream works with a board and sprints. One structure, two ways of working, one reporting line.
Where HERMES plays to its strengths
The project worlds and roles that benefit most from the method
Frequently asked questions about HERMES in WORKSPACE.PM
The concrete tools that carry the method day to day
Yes - WORKSPACE.PM maps the HERMES structure to concrete tools: the four phases via project pipeline and Gantt, the decision points via quality gates with sign-off, result-orientation via a dedicated deliverables register, and roles via the role matrix and responsibility markers. Your processes carry the method - the system provides the structure.
The project pipeline sets the sequence of Initialisation, Concept, Realisation and Deployment; in the Gantt the phases appear as bars with a time grid from day to quarter and with dependencies. Recurring phase structures are saved as a block and inserted into new projects, and status changes on phases can be automated with workflows.
Every decision point is run as a quality gate: named approvers vote criterion by criterion - as a person or group, with a deputy or PMO release. The final release is made separately and with a complete history, and in the Gantt the decision sits as a milestone with a fixed date.
Every deliverable sits in the register with owner, due date, progress and status. Status reports pass through draft, submitted and released; documents such as the project charter or closing report are generated from your own templates straight from live project data, and result documentation is attached to the respective work package in the wiki.
Project-specific roles are separate from the global system role; the role matrix governs access in four levels from view to administration. The responsibility matrix assigns each work package its accountable people with the markers A, E, I, K, M and P, and the project roster includes internal and external members alike. The stakeholder register keeps track of environment and communication.
The container status report bundles overall status, schedule, cost, performance and decision needs into a traffic light; earned value captures planned, earned and actual value. Portfolio reporting rolls the reports of all HERMES projects into one consistent overview - ideal for public administration and enterprises.
Related methods
When your organisation runs several standards
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