In almost every field and walk of life, technology has been a catalyst for progress. It has touched every industry on the face of Earth and revolutionised it. Project management, in particular, was a slow starter but over the last decade, the practices have been completely revamped. The result was better management, more success, and fewer risks.
For project management, the advancement in the software industry has been particularly beneficial. With new communication and management tools, project managers and their teams, regardless of the industry in question, are better equipped to deliver expected results.
Here is what technology did to project management.
Major Improvements In Communication
Communication is central to any project. Teams need an efficient channel of communication between managers, team members, and any other stakeholders. You can ask any project manager what is the key to a successful project and they will most likely answer effective communication.
Technology has opened up numerous ways to communicate and messages reach instantaneously. Email changed project related communication forever. However, now there are even more efficient tools for communication. Social communication apps have made communication a lot easier. Project managers can communicate with the team right from their smartphones.
Communication is not only easy, but it is also super secure. With end to end encryption, the messages you send back and forth are safe from any hacker attacks.
Cloud Computing
What many people are unaware of is the fact that cloud computing is incredibly beneficial for project management. There are many state-of-the-art project management solutions that are great but small businesses cannot afford them. With cloud computing, things have gotten better. In many ways, it allows businesses to save money by implementing the latest technology.
The interoperability and mobile access of cloud computing has further enhanced project management. Every file, every document, and every report can be accessed from virtually anywhere. Cloud computing has given rise to cheaper project management solutions.
Plethora Of Tools
There are certain things that apply to every project. Then there are aspects that vary by the nature of the project. Any project management software can help you schedule tasks, allocate resources, make a budget, and produce reports. What about any other tasks? There are tools for everything now.
You can make notes on your Smartphone with a number of note-taking apps. You can organise lists and create reminders. Free mathematical apps can help you do a complex calculation on the go. Having trouble deciding a name? Automatic name generators can give you dozens of name suggestions in seconds. Whatever problem you may have, there will be a tool to help with that.
Reduction In Costs And Time
Project managers can allocate resources smartly and mitigate any potential risks using the tools available to them. As a result, projects can be finished within the budget and within the deadline. This is a direct result of the use of technology in carrying out projects. The automation of processes has allowed team members to spend more time on critical tasks.
The internet has helped reduce the time of research and planning before the start of the project. As for costs reduction, better risk management allows the projects to not go over their stated budget. In case of any new problems during the cycle of the project, managers can quickly look for alternate paths.
Real-Time Collaboration
Collaboration has never been this easy. Most project management software have real-time collaboration embedded. Teams can collaborate readily and any change is relayed to the entire team in real time so everyone can be on the same page.
In fact, team members do not even need to be in the same city to collaborate. Technology has made remote collaboration very much possible and successful to some extent. If a team lacks a particular set of skills, they can look for it in other parts of the world. Because communication and collaboration are quick and easy, it is as if the remote team member is present with them at all times.
Automated Reports
After communication, reporting is perhaps the most important part of project management. A detailed and intuitive report can help managers take the right decisions. The report can inform stakeholders about the progress of the project in a matter of minutes. If you were to ask a human to make these reports, it could take days, even weeks. However, with powerful reporting tools, the same process takes minutes.
Another big benefit of automated reporting is that we are saving paper. There is no need to print multiple copies of reports anymore. This digitisation of reports makes it easy to share, save, and archive them.
What Is The Future?
Technology is only going to be more dominant in the field of project management. Yes, there are many things that the human brain will remain better at than technology. However, technology should only be seen as a means of improvement. There is still a long way to go.
While technology has helped transform how projects are planned and carried out, there are still many hurdles project managers and their teams face. With better practices and the right tools, there is a lot of hope.
About the Author
Emy Wilson is a small business co-owner and a published contributor. She’s passionate about digital marketing and how it’s constantly evolving in the modern age. Emy hopes to create a wider understanding of the latest marketing trends through her writings.
