It’s important for leaders to stay on top of current project management trends so you’ll know how to plan your execution strategy for the coming years. Below, we cover the three biggest project management (PM) technology and talent trends of 2019, so you can better plan for 2020 and beyond.
#1. Collaborative work management tools are dominating the market
Collaborative work management tools have become the go-to business software. Their target user is non-technical business professionals and their main purpose is work-execution, i.e., helping teams manage workflows, organize tasks and activities, and collaborate in a shared workspace.
Their primary use cases include:
- Used by teams to manage project work in conjunction with “true”/“pure” PM solutions (the target user of which are project managers)
- Used by teams to manage general, day-to-day work by acting as a system of record and enabling them to scale execution efforts
Why it’s a trend for 2019: Between 2014 and 2018, we’ve seen requests for collaboration tools nearly triple among prospective buyers contacting us for help finding the right software for their business needs—from 22% in 2014 up to 61% in 2018.
How to leverage this trend for 2020 and beyond: Tools cannot be used to create processes; this only serves to automate chaos. Before implementing a collaborative work management solution, be sure that a process exists and evaluate tools based on what you need the software to do.
For example, if you want to create a shared workspace for your team, look at collaborative task boards so you can build boards that mirror existing workflows.
Secondly, remember that ineffective collaboration practices can have the opposite effect and actually detract from your team’s productivity, resulting in a time loss of up to nine weeks per year.
As such, be sure to roll out collaboration tools with a clear communication plan and tool hierarchy that explains how teams are expected to use each tool and for which purpose (e.g., chat for informal inquiries, email for more formal requests, video conferencing for group discussions, etc.).
#2: There’s a desire for AI-enabled PM tools, but a gap in the market of products offering this capability
Chatbots—conversational artificial intelligence (AI) tools—are computer programs that use natural language processing to map spoken or written words to intent. They listen in the background and then perform an action based on observed prompts.
Their primary PM use cases include:
- Locating records
- Reporting on task or project status
- Performing commands (e.g., submitting timesheets or capturing action items during a meeting)
Why it’s a trend for 2019: Capterra’s 2018 Top Tech trends survey found that 65% of U.S. small and midsize businesses are currently using, evaluating, or planning to invest in chatbots by 2020. However, today’s market falls short on offering suitable AI-enabled PM tools, with only a handful of vendors including chatbots and other AI tech in their products:
How to leverage this trend for 2020 and beyond: First, evaluate your team’s needs and determine how chatbots can be—and whether or not they should be—part of your PM investment strategy (e.g., is there a value-add in one of the use cases outlined above).
Second, if there’s a business case for it, consider chatbots a “must-have” capability and evaluate tools accordingly. During demos, score products on how well chatbots meet user requirements.
Then, take small steps toward implementing chatbots into your PM process and experiment at a grassroots level, keeping expectations realistic.
#3: Flexibility is no longer a benefit, it’s a requirement
Flexible work arrangements (FWA) are a type of benefits offering where employees are given the flexibility to work outside a traditional 9-to-5 schedule.
Common use cases include:
- Flextime (e.g., working a full eight-hour day, but outside core business hours)
- Telecommuting (i.e., working remotely)
Why it’s a trend for 2019: According to SHRM’s 2018 Employee Benefits report, employers are increasingly offering FWAs as a competitive advantage to retain current staff, reduce burnout, and attract new talent. However, despite FWA’s classification as a type of benefits offering, make no mistake that flexibility in 2019 and beyond is no longer considered a “benefit” by employees, but rather a requirement:
Gallup’s recent State of the American Workplace report found that 51% of employees would leave for a job that offered them flexible work hours, and 37% would leave for a job that offered the option to work remotely at least part time.
How to leverage this trend for 2020 and beyond: Just because FWAs are the new norm, don’t expect or assume that project leaders have experience (or success) managing remote teams or flextime workers.
As such, before implementing FWAs, provide project leaders with the necessary training so they can be successful. This means making them aware of common challenges related to managing workers in this capacity (as well as helping them find solutions to those issues), making sure they have the necessary tools, and offering them training on soft skills that are particularly critical for managing workers on FWAs.
