The world of project management is ever-changing. When we look back at the industry a decade ago, it looks very different to how it does now. There were fewer tools and methodologies to use, projects were simpler, and teams were much smaller. Things have changed dramatically over the years and are still continuing to change even now.
Our teams have grown, projects have become increasingly more complex, and technologies are continually evolving. There are no signs that things will slow down for project management in 2020, with even more trends and updates on the horizon. These are the biggest project management trends that have been shaping 2020 so far.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) And Automation
Artificial intelligence has been around for a number of years, but project managers are just beginning to realise the power it can bring to them. AI has already had a huge impact on the finance, healthcare, and aerospace industries, but it offers a wealth of benefits to project management as well.
It can be used for automation tools in order to save time and human input. Daily tasks that once required human effort can now be handled using AI and automation in order to save time and improve accuracy. This goes beyond just automating simple tasks and can be used to obtain important performance insights. Project managers are able to use AI and automation tools to complete complex tasks and make informed decisions.
Emotional Intelligence
The success of project management goes above and beyond the technologies and methodologies. Emotional intelligence is becoming increasingly more important in the industry and plays a vital role. Project management is just as much about the teams and the people involved as it is about the scope, deadline and budgets.
Project managers are required to manage people, and their emotional activity has a significant effect on the success of a project. A team is often made up of many different personalities, and having a good understanding of this as a project manager will improve leadership skills and overall success. Learning the art of people’s emotions and what drives them to success can have an overarching impact on the results of a project.
Data Analytics
Project management has always involved vast amounts of data, and understanding this data is more critical than ever. This data must be leveraged in order for project managers to make informed and sensible decisions. By properly using the data and analytics available, project managers are able to increase business growth and better handle project requirements.
Big data analysis can be used for project planning, quality management, risk estimation and many other aspects of project management. When a project manager has access to this kind of information, informed decisions can be made for the size of teams, the best people for the team, and the skillset needed for the project at hand. There is an increasing number of tools available to help analyse data to give a complete picture of a project’s activities.
Project Management Tools
Project management tools have been becoming increasingly popular over recent years, and there is no sign of things slowing in 2020. The majority of high performing projects will have used a project management tool or software to help the process. These types of tools can plan, execute, control and monitor every aspect of a project for precise management. They can use data from previous similar projects to help improve plans, and tools with scheduling and timing elements can keep an eye on the time spent on each task.
Regular meetings, events, deadlines and milestones can all be monitored using project management tools, as well as budgets and allocations. More and more teams are turning to these tools for progress tracking and keeping up to date with ongoing projects.
Remote Teams
Remote working has been growing in popularity in all sectors and industries in recent years, and project management is no different. In 2020 it is expected that more and more project management teams are going to embrace the many benefits of remote working.
Benefits include additional flexibility meaning that schedules for projects can be perfectly fine-tuned to make the most of the time available. Team members will not have to factor in commuting time so that they will have more freedom with their working hours. Overall project costs can be significantly reduced because there is little need for physical office space and travel costs.
Project management teams will also give managers the opportunity to choose their talent from a wider pool of people, as there are no limits or restrictions on locations.
Hybrid Project Management
When it comes to project management, it is well known that no two projects are the same, and not all projects are equal. It is because of this that not all teams can benefit from sticking to one specific project management methodology. Hybrid project management is becoming increasingly popular and brings many benefits for project managers and Scrum masters.
The method of combining traditional project management approaches with agile methodologies is growing in popularity and set to be a key trend in 2020. When traditional methods and combined with Agile, team members with different working styles and views can collaborate in their own ways to increase efficiency.
In order to properly understand how hybrid project management can improve your team, you first need to have a solid understanding of Agile methodologies. Here at TSG Training, we offer multiple courses to cover everything there is to know about Agile project management. Our top Agile courses include;
All our courses are available online as virtual classroom experiences, as a private lesson or as traditional classroom teaching. With the current situation in the UK, our virtual training courses are the perfect way to spend some time at home while enhancing your skills and growing your career prospects.
