How UCLA Transformed Financial Planning and Execution with Clarity PPM

Managing funding at scale — especially in large institutions — is one of the most complex strategic challenges in project and portfolio management. Traditional methods rely on numerous detailed estimates, siloed budgeting spreadsheets, and labor-intensive processes that slow planning cycles and reduce visibility.

But what if there was a better way?

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) recently partnered with Winmill PPM to modernize its funding model using Clarity PPM from Broadcom, replacing rigid annual planning with a flexible, strategic top-down approach that unifies finance and execution across campuses.

Breaking Free from Traditional Budgeting

At its core, UCLA’s challenge was simple but significant: simplify funding allocation and reduce administrative overhead. Instead of creating hundreds of individual funding plans, UCLA defined a handful of Parent Investments representing its major campuses and initiatives.

By allocating funds at this high level using Clarity’s Cost Plans, the university could:

• Eliminate endless detail-oriented estimates

• Maintain flexibility in resource planning

• Reduce change-request overload

• Approve annual budgets faster and with greater clarity

This top-down funding model shifts effort from tactical number-crunching to strategic decision-making — enabling leaders to focus on where and how funds should be used instead of how much in every line item.

Precision Funding Through Purchase Orders and Charge Codes

With funding approved, UCLA needed a way to track and manage actual expenditures at the project level. Winmill PPM introduced an innovative structure inside Clarity PPM using:

• Purchase Orders (POs) tied to major investments

• PO Detail sub-objects to break down funding by task, vendor, or cost type

• Charge codes that attach directly to work items and timesheets to drive accurate chargebacks and resource-level tracking

This method brings financial precision to execution — enabling campuses to manage Agile and Waterfall projects with the same financial rigor and transparency.

A Flexible Model for Diverse Project Methodologies

One of the biggest strengths of this approach is its adaptability. Whether teams operate in traditional Waterfall environments or utilize Agile practices, the financial foundation remains consistent and reliable. Charge codes and automated tracking ensure that every dollar spent is visible, accountable, and tied back to strategic goals.

UCLA also uses Clarity-generated reports and dashboards to help investment managers monitor:

• Approved funds

• Actual vs. forecast spend

• Resource utilization

• Financial commitments across teams and methodologies

This level of oversight enhances governance, drives better decisions, and accelerates execution cycles — all while maintaining institutional control.

The Strategic Advantage of Top-Down Planning

Top-down planning isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a transformational approach to funding that enables organizations to align budgets with outcomes. Rather than spending months preparing detailed estimates, institutions like UCLA can translate strategy into funded execution more quickly and with greater confidence.

This shift enables:

• Faster approvals

• Clear financial transparency

• Reduced administrative load

• Better alignment between finance and delivery

Driving Results with Clarity PPM

Clarity PPM provides a powerful foundation for enterprise financial planning, resource optimization, and portfolio governance. Its robust financial capabilities — including budgeting, forecasting, cost tracking, and reporting — make it a leading choice for organizations aiming to unify strategy and execution.

By adopting a tailored top-down funding model with Clarity, UCLA has elevated how financial decisions are made and executed, offering a blueprint other institutions can follow to overcome legacy planning constraints.

https://winmillppm.com/blog/ucla-clarity-ppm-funding-management