In the rapidly evolving landscape of the 21st century, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that project management as we know it is undergoing a seismic shift. As more and more IT services are driven or supported by machine or AI technology, the role of the project manager is transforming to “project designer”.
The traditional responsibilities of a project manager, such as manual note-taking during meetings, drafting step-by-step plans, and brainstorming potential risks, will be largely automated by future project management IT solutions. Automated note-taking tools, which are already being used widely, will not only capture meeting minutes, but machine learning algorithms will automatically summarize and extract all agreed-upon tasks and requirements.
These requirements will be seamlessly propagated to the project plan, which will have a pre-defined set of actions based on known information. Risks will be pre-populated based on a large knowledge base that is formed for the business segment, size of company, or other pre-defined group. Each project member will also have a profile that will be automatically updated regularly after each meeting, email, or Slack communication; therefore, project managers could get suggestions on how to adjust personal approaches to be more productive. All of this information will be fed to the AI or learning models for better precision and more accurate project management.
The question of privacy and appropriate data management is crucial. Despite the fact that many people might be quite skeptical that such a massive data aggregation might be socially acceptable, the reality is much more direct. People are now surrounded by various systems that collect their data for various processing—for example, Facebook, e-calls in cars, mobile carrier data statistics, shopping habits with various loyalty programs, and city cameras are just a few examples.
This leads to a reduction in people’s sensitivity to their privacy, and sooner or later it will become the norm to gather even more information. Data collection will most likely take place in a transparent manner, with you as the data producer aware that it is taking place, but it will require a strong legal framework to ensure that such a practice and data are not misused.
The project designer’s role will be to ensure that the project design reflects reality and makes full use of the underlying technology. The transformation from project manager to project designer represents a fundamental shift in the way we think about project management, and it is essential that we embrace this new approach for project managers to remain competitive in the 21st century.
From the described examples, it is apparent that one area where project management will undergo significant changes is in decision-making. With the vast amounts of data that are generated during projects, AI and machine learning algorithms can help project designers make informed decisions, or at least provide proposals and drafted solutions. By analyzing data and identifying patterns, project designers can identify potential problems before they occur and make real-time adjustments to project plans using AI based planning software.
It is apparent that the role of the project designer will continue to evolve into a strategic leadership role. They will need to work closely with stakeholders, customers, and employees to ensure that projects align with business objectives and deliver value to all stakeholders. The project designer will still need excellent communication skills, and deep insight on the latest technologies and trends in project management. This means staying up-to-date with emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning planning solutions, blockchain, or even augmented reality, and knowing how to leverage these technologies to improve project outcomes.
Remember that the transformation of project management from the traditional approach to a technology-driven approach is just the beginning. As machine learning technologies continue to develop, project management will evolve even further. The project “designer” of the future will need to be strategic, data-driven, and well-versed in the latest technologies and trends in project management. By embracing these changes, project designers can drive success and deliver value to all stakeholders.
Additional data sources:
- MS Teams and text transcription – link
- Zoom meetings text transcription – link
- Email sentiment analyses – link
- Why protecting privacy is a losing game today – link
- How much privacy we give up – link
Related blog entries
- How AI is Set to Revolutionize the Role of Project Managers in the Next Decade – link