10 Ways Technology Is Impacting Project Management

by Sam Khan | Guest Contributor | TECHNOLOGY

10 Ways Technology Is Impacting Project Management
How technology is impacting project management - the top ways in which technology has affected the project management domain.

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Can you think of a single business domain, which has not been influenced by technological evolution? Technology has completely redefined the ways teams and companies work, and the field of Project Management is no exception. Putting the thought into simpler words, technology has completely transformed conventional project management; as a now contemporary project management technique, tools and methodologies have been successfully implemented in businesses of all types and sizes.

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Let’s have a look more specifically. In this blog, we will be discussing how technology is impacting project management - we have listed the top ways in which technology has affected the project management domain.

1. Collaboration & Communication Is Easier Than Ever Before
Do you remember the time when printed product reports used to be sent? Then, you must have been in the field for quite some time. And, you must also know that things are no longer done similarly. Even email communication is considered outdated today. Technological advancements in project management have brought about countless intelligence software that are enabling project teams to share their work in stages. And, other team members can also make suggestions for the task, collaborate on better ideas, and review progress. Instead of printing complete project reports for every stage, now managers can simply take screenshots and share them through the platform and app you use for collaboration. 

2. The idea of ‘Bring Your Own Device’ Is Trending
Important project files are not limited to office computers only. Thanks to advanced project software and cloud technology, project team members can now easily upload and access files from their devices as well. Hence, it is easy for them to carry their laptops, tablets, and smartphones at work. Similar devices can also be used to access all the important project management documents outside the office too. This ongoing trend of ‘bringing your own device’ is supercharging the productivity within project management teams. 

3. Management Efficiency/Productivity Is Ever Increasing
There is a wide range of project management tools like Wrike, Zoho Project, Liquid Planner, etc. that are keeping managers fully updated on project progress and performance of each team member. This helps them know who or which process is lagging behind the set targets, while also distinguishing the members who are making extra efforts to attain better results. Thanks to advanced project management software, project managers can now identify all the bottlenecks and weak points and can effectively manage the situations in progress. 

4. Consistent Connectivity 
Nowadays, project teams interact through social media and mobile applications. If someone requires any guidance or assistance from a technical manager, he can get it immediately without waiting for a phone call or response email. Project management tools are highly interactive and intuitive in terms of connectivity and communication because it provides team members to share documents and also chat through app messengers. 

5. Decentralized/Independent Project Teams
If we look back, for around 20 years ago, project managers were even unable to imagine a day of effective coordination without face-to-face meetings. Although we have started taking communication technology for granted, which has made us stop thinking about how technological evolution has changed the ways we work. Today, it is possible for project managers to digitally manage and hire team members from different time zones and countries. 

6. Agile Approach to Project Management
The agile approach was first implemented by software development teams; however, it is found to be equally effective in other kinds of teams too. Traditionally, project managers used to develop the plan and delegate tasks. Whereas, in the agile approach, project managers begin the tasks with a general idea, then clarify requirements, and rely on frequent collaboration and feedback. All of this has become possible due to the technological advancements in project management, as it enables managers to be connected and updated all the time. 

7. Data Analytics Has Become a New Trend
One of the most important project management skills is undoubtedly ‘Data Analytics’. Team leaders should have access to go through all the previous data that is available on the project so that they can timely recognize risks, opportunities, and trends. Project managers can easily see if a team member is performing better than others in a certain position or task so that the right kind of jobs can be assigned to them. It can also be analyzed, if too many resources have been spent on a particular stage, so they can think of making other improvements. Data analytics have become much easier with modern technology. Project managers today do not need to plunge into the sea of documents to analyze ongoing and future trends. All they need is to find the right project management software and learn to use it effectively. 

8. Advanced Stage Tracking
Project stage tracing has become easy with cloud technology. Whenever a project team member makes any progress on their respective task, other members of the team can see that. Project managers can also track real-time development, and hence the need for any change can also be realized timely without waiting for the results. 

9. Improved Risk Management
Improper and ineffective communication can result in unnecessary delays within the team. But now, with project management tools, this is rarely a serious issue. Project managers can identify potential issues during different development stages, and they can also push team members to work better while making any required changes within the team before causing any delay. 

10. Technology Inflicts Need for Advanced Project Management Skills
Project management skills are not limited to ‘managerial tasks’ anymore. Instead, extraordinary technological skills have been added as a mandatory set of responsibilities when hiring project managers. A potential project manager must demonstrate efficient handling of various types of apps and software. Among project management skills, having extraordinary data analytics skills has also become a must.

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Software, apps, and tools have changed almost everything in project management. With advanced technology impacting the domain, project managers are no longer required to make weekly meetings and calls, expect all team members to be brief daily about their performance. Today, they get daily updates simply by using the software. The project team can be coordinated and collaborated in a better and efficient way. Code Creators Inc, a software development company in the USA & Canada which is dealing with custom SharePoint development, Power BI, mobile app, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams, IT services, and more.

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