Technology advancement continues to drive change throughout all facets of our personal and business lives. No wonder then that it has also had a notable impact on the way we run projects.
Today, modern project managers have realised that their success largely relies on the strength of the technological tools they choose to exploit to their (and their team’s) benefit.
Letting technology take care of the mundane
Consider those everyday project management tasks like reviewing and updating schedules, prepping presentations, sending out status reports and following up on statuses of issues and other work items. These types of activities typically need to be executed regularly, in many cases daily, and can therefore become very time consuming.
Without the luxury of a project administrator to assist with these tasks, which for most organisations is a resource overhead they simply can’t afford, project managers are leaning on project management software and AI tools to streamline and automate repetitive tasks.
The best of breed project management tools today are able to instantly give you a view of what work is in progress, identify what items are lagging behind and predict where you are likely to run into issues in order to help you proactively manage the situation rather than reactively.
This frees up the project manager to focus on those big-ticket items that add the most value, like recruiting skilled resources, people management, managing vendor relationships, drafting remediation plans for high impact risks, and focusing on integration management as a key driver for project success.
Empowering your project team through improved accessibility and collaboration
Thanks to project management software and cloud technologies, teams are now able to access and upload important project files, submit completed pieces of work for review and provide updates on what they’re working on in real-time without having to attend lengthy progress update meetings or book time with the project manager directly. This provides a greater level of accountability and productivity while still giving the project manager the information they need to properly manage the project.
As far as communication goes, today even email is outdated to a certain degree. Teams are making use of various online chat, dial-in and screen sharing facilities to collaborate without even having to be in the same place at the same time. Questions can be posed and answered instantly and team members can draw on the expertise and input of other team members who may even be based in a different city or country.
All of this makes the project manager’s job much easier while fostering a highly collaborative environment where people manage their own time more effectively.
Critical project management skills – a new view
Traditional managerial and people skills are no longer giving project managers the edge. Technological experience and expertise now play a big role in any hiring process and project managers therefore need to demonstrate that they have the right software and application knowledge to get the job done in the most effective and efficient way.
The PMI has been promoting a concept of a person’s Technology Quotient which refers to their ability to adapt, manage and integrate technology based on the needs of the organisation and the project at hand.
Data Analytics has also emerged as a key project management skill. This involves the ability to analyse data from previous projects to identify trends, patterns, and an understanding of common risks and issues that can be applied to future projects to ensure a higher level of success.
As you can see, project management today is starting to look very different to project management 5 to 10 years ago. To gain access to our team of technologically proficient project management professionals, give us a call on 021 447 5696 or email us on info@analyze.co.za today. We pride ourselves in being able to find the right resource to suit your specific project management consulting needs.
