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BUSINESS NEWS - In the age of digitisation, companies and businesses alike need to adjust and redefine their business methods and refine their processes. 

From the foundation phase to the final touches on the execution of a project, project management has changed drastically over the course of the last few years, and it just keeps going. 

With the dawn of constant innovation, technology, and smart software designed to make human lives easier, project management had to evolve in order to help overcome the challenges brought forth by the fourth industrial revolution, also known as ‘the digital age’. 

The digital age requires a different set of project management skills. But what exactly are they?

Changing the way project managers work

Digital transformation in the digital era is changing how project managers work and the systems they use. Project managers have always been responsible for the planning, procurement, and the execution of projects, but now they are also responsible for constantly adapting to new project management solutions to improve both their team and their project outcomes.

In the age of digitisation, the foundations of project management have changed for the better as modern digital tools have taken the project management process to a whole new level. Benefitting from innovative technology, systems, and processes, project managers can now streamline the process for a more effective workflow as well as a better overall outcome on each individual project. Take a look at how below.

Communication and collaboration between team members has become streamlined

Modern task management tools have made collaboration between team members not only easier but more efficient. With the right digital tools in place, project managers can easily assign tasks to the appropriate team members, who can, in turn, add comments, set alerts, organise dashboards, and more. 

Making use of collaborative digital tools will not only benefit you, but everyone involved in the project as communication and collaboration has been streamlined to save more time for what really matters.

One of the main areas that has increased in efficiency since the digital era is the means of communication within an organisation. 

The arrival of new digital tools has given companies the ability to collaborate and communicate more efficiently within a team and across departments without having to make use of faulty email chains or excessive Zoom meetings. 

Implementing the use of digital tools within an organisation allows for real-time collaboration among all of the members involved in a project which in turn helps streamline the entire process.

This is due to the fact that the use of collaborative digital tools allows team members and co-workers across departments to engage, connect, and interact in real-time which in turn saves everyone involved a lot of time. 

This also gives project managers and team members more time to talk about what’s really important, such as strategy, timelines and goals. By making use of collaborative digital tools, project managers will not only be able to streamline the communication process but also streamline the collaboration process at the same time. After all, effective communication is one of the key areas in project management.

Enhanced remote communication

The former star of communication, email, is now being slowly replaced by real-time communication tools that facilitate instant communication between physical office buildings to remote office locations. With more companies switching to a remote or hybrid work environment, the advancement of digital communication tools and software has aided in a new way of doing business, one where project managers are able to communicate effectively with their teams no matter where they are.

The process has become more results-oriented

Foundation tasks of project management such as scheduling and recording data have become automated with the implementation of digital tools in the workplace. This has considerably reduced the amount of time and effort that it would take project managers to do these tasks manually which in turn leaves more time for them to focus on their core objectives; strategy optimisation and project delivery. 

This allows project managers to deliver more successful outcomes at the end of each project as their time has been freed up to allow for a more streamlined and effective process.

Allocating and managing resources is easier

Project managers need to be able to see what is happening instantaneously when it comes to all aspects of a project. Digital tools with sophisticated interfaces were built for this and project managers can use them to manage resources, assign tasks, and check any number of project-related stats in an instant, via digital tools.

Helps in making data-driven decisions

The digitalisation of project management processes means that project managers can now track and quantify everything their team members do, with ease. Better analytic reports help them to keep projects on track and on budget, instead of using guesswork to try to figure out what the next step is.

Having access to more data means that project managers can present stakeholders and executives with better insights and the return on investment (ROI) on every project. This allows them to plan for future projects with new data to ensure that every project is not only a success, but gets better every time. This will ultimately enhance every project's outcomes and success rate.

A focus on training

Recruiting the right skills is necessary for organisations to succeed in the digital era. Unfortunately, recruitment alone will not ensure success. To be successful in this new age of business, organisations need to focus on making training and development a priority. 

In the ever-changing digital world, it’s no surprise that constant upskilling is needed in order to stay up-to-date with the latest innovations and technologies out there. You need to lead by example and make sure you are constantly upskilling as a project manager in order to instil an eagerness for learning within your team.

Project management in the digital age will require organisations and individuals alike to be agile and quick to adapt if they are to survive, let alone compete in the rapidly evolving and highly competitive business environment of today. 

Learn the project management foundations and upskill in the areas of project, programme, and operations management with an online short course such as the University of Cape Town (UCT) Project Management Foundations online course, and equip yourself, and/or your team, with practical and strategic skills that are needed in order to effectively manage projects of any scale, across a range of industries.

Final Words

Organisations that promote an eagerness to learn in the digital era will be the ones to survive and have a better chance of thriving in the new way of doing business. 

As a project manager, staying up-to-date with the latest digital technology and systems is of utmost importance as it helps streamline communication within the organisation, improve collaboration within teams, and shifts your focus as a project manager from project process and status, to strategy and outcomes. 

By doing this, a project manager will increase the performance of their team and the ROI on projects for the stakeholders and executives of the organisation.

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