Project management is more than a simple planning of phases. It is an extremely dynamic function. Companies hire project managers to provide insight, carry out analyses, and make decisions based on their findings. Incidentally, this is exactly what most AI solutions are designed for.
About 81% of project managers that participated in the Pulse of the Profession report by the Project Management Institute stated that their organisation has been impacted by artificial intelligence (AI). But, how exactly is AI affecting project management?
Predictive Analytics for Project Management
Because it can manage complex analytics, AI is an obvious asset to many businesses. AI can make educated predictions about how a project will develop by observing the way it is moving. This can help project managers determine if their project is viable.
Humans tend to overlook certain shifts in a project because they often get caught up in their own problems. They don’t see all the aspects directly and clearly. AI, on the other hand, makes valuable predictions based on what it sees—and it watches all of the moving parts. Moreover, it gives equal attention to all of them.
For instance, artificial intelligence can monitor scheduling and budgets. It can learn to identify potential impacts to these processes over time.
More advanced artificial intelligence systems can monitor employees and make predictions based on the patterns they display. Some artificial intelligence solutions can monitor the behaviour of individual team members as well as the entire project and pick up nuances and habits with team members. Without the help of AI, project managers are likely to overlook these details.
Based on learned habits, AI might be able to offer personalized coaching to employees. AI can provide customised help to project managers the same way it can identify user profiles for shoppers and act accordingly.
Intelligent Project Management Assistance
Businesses are using AI to improve project organization on all fronts. Companies have started to use AI to handle scheduling, follow-ups, and reminders. Not only do AI tools help project managers save time, but they help make sure nothing is overlooked.
To improve efficiency, project managers can integrate AI solutions with project management tools such as JIRA and communication tools such as Slack. Soon, project managers will be able to rely on AI bots to remind them that a deliverable is approaching its due date or that they should follow up on an email.
According to a study conducted by West Monroe, 36% of managers spend 3 to 4 hours a day on administrative tasks. When it comes to project managers, these tasks include managing updates and dealing with check-ins.
AI bots can significantly reduce the time project managers spend on busy work by handling less intensive tasks. By doing so, AI allows project managers to focus on more complex processes. Moreover, it allows them to focus more on their team.
If a project manager doesn’t have the time to speak with every team member and discuss their needs, the project will advance much slower. AI solutions that are designed to remove the administrative tedium out of the equation allow project managers to shift their focus to what matters the most to their employees. In turn, this can help project managers empower all the members of their team and discover further efficiencies.
AI can help project managers create a more comfortable work environment where every member of the team is supported—on top of helping the project move along more efficiently by handling remedial tasks such as record keeping.
By allowing team members to focus on the task that really matters, AI can reduce budget costs as well. Thanks to AI project management solutions, employees can completely focus on deliverables.
Improved Learning Capabilities in Project Management
Machine learning is a major aspect of AI. It enables an AI system to learn and improve from experiences—without human assistance or intervention.
Machine learning makes artificial intelligence excellent at identifying patterns. Project managers can study these patterns to predict possible setbacks and roadblocks in future projects.
Artificial intelligence can ascertain the suitability of an employee for a particular project by evaluating their performance in their previous projects. In the process, it takes into account the skills needed for the project at hand.
By analysing employee skills and strengths, it can help project managers find the right person for the job. Moreover, an AI assistant can identify the exact skills team members need to learn and improve.
Scope Management
Planning and laying out the work breakdown structure (WBS) of the project is one of the primary tasks of a project manager. The work breakdown structure is the basis of resource allocation, controlling, and scheduling.
Project managers can use AI to develop a comprehensive work breakdown structure that includes tasks, entities, constraints, and relationships in a project context. Artificial intelligence solutions that utilize machine learning can convert the work breakdown structure into mind maps. Then, project managers can further extract work breakdown structure tasks and the relationships between them.
Takeaway
AI promises to be a game-changer and distinctive accelerator in project management. However, this doesn’t mean it will eventually replace project managers. Instead, it will continue to assist them. Project managers will be able to delegate even more tasks to AI in the future and spend more time on value-adding activities.
About the author:
Michael has been working in marketing for almost a decade and has worked with a huge range of clients, which has made him knowledgeable on many different subjects. He has recently rediscovered a passion for writing and hopes to make it a daily habit. You can read more of Michael’s work at Qeedle.