5 Project Management Trends Emerging in 2021

By: Viswanathan AG (*Profile below) 

Over the years, Project management has been evolving with advanced technologies and trends. Also, projects come up with newer innovations and developments. Project management grew to be more digital and AI-oriented. From initiating, designing, executing to closing a project within cost and schedule constraints, project management objectives are solved with constantly changing digital technologies.  

Adaptability and soft skills have become a very important factor in project management today. People skills are more valuable than ever for the success of any project.  The emergence of better collaboration tools and technically literate project managers helped in the drastic growth of Project Management. 

If you are a Project Manager or a professional working in a project, you must be updated on the trends. Here, in this blog, we will discuss 5 Project management trends emerging in 2021.  

Top Trends in 2021 

The challenge in project management is to achieve all the essential objectives within the given constraints. The following trends will rule the project management domain in the coming years: 

1. Digital Reliance

 Every industry is focusing more on digital marketing. Digital reliance has become an inevitable part in project management as well. Digital technologies and tools are making everything easier. In 2021, we can expect more digital tools that will enhance project management. It will not only help to target accurate customers but also produce better products. Digital transformation is hitting almost every segment of traditional project management concepts  - planning, control, analysis, reporting, communicating with stake holders, and more. 

Project management is expected to use digital tools to manage resources throughout the project lifecycle. Also, managing budgets, timelines, and anticipating risk will be made easier digitally.  Focus on digital trends that can leverage statistical, analytical and data visualization. Social channels, email, and content marketing can help you understand customer intentions better. 

2. Change Management

   Integrating change management and project management can lead to the success of a project. As we know change management is a systematic approach to deal with changes by applying effective tools, knowledge, and resources to achieve the project success. What are the change management tools that you use to manage the predicted and unpredicted changes in the project? 

Today, there are several tools used for effective change management. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is a tool used for visualizing change management with the visual workflow builder. The Change Shop is another tool as a change management toolkit for survey-based insights. Viima,  WalkMe, Force Field Analysis etc are other change management tools used to manage both customers and employees. Adopting more flexible tools can lead to success in your project management. 

3. Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics

 Leveraging AI to automate mundane tasks in project management can not only save time but make the whole process easier. Artificial Intelligence tools like chatbots are already used by various industries today. AI tools are expected to be widely used in all sectors of project management from planning to the decision-making process and risks associated with the project. 

Artificial neural networks (ANN) and Knowledge-based expert systems (KBES) are widely used to result in accurate estimation of project duration and automation of several project activities. ANN helps to predict the cost overrunning in a project. Artificial Intelligence eliminates repetitive work, improves project analysis and increases the overall efficiency of a project. Project Management trends keep changing and so is the rise in demand for project management professionals. If you wish to build a career in the project management domain, there are 7 reasons to choose a career in Project Management. 

4. Organizational Collaboration

 More collaboration tools help in better communication among employees and stakeholders. As soft skills also become very important in every business sector, so is organizational collaboration for the successful completion of the project. Your communication skills are going to be more important than ever. Usage of various communication tools will be emerging soon. Create communication plans for better team management. Implement communication tools and

 personalize them according to your requirement. Help your projects stay on track by frequently communicating with the team. Effective organizational collaboration will result in higher productivity and the success of any project. Also, implement virtual or remote team meetings when the project team is working in different locations. 

5. IoT

 IoT plays a major role in project management software. IoT is used within project management software. IoT will drastically impact the speed of project execution. Organizations that spend on the IoT will complete projects faster. IoT makes it possible to notify or alert the project managers through WiFi, LPWAN, satellite, Bluetooth. 

Apart from IoT enabling hyperspeed reporting, IoT allows project managers and stakeholders to control activities in real-time. The more you familiarize with IoT software and technical usages,  the better the chances for project success. 

Let’s Sum Up  

We have only discussed 5 project management trends that will emerge in 2021. More features would be coming up to run projects smoothly. Project management trends keep varying and every technical feature will improve the productivity of the project.   

Viswanathan AG is a professional IT trainer with Edoxi Training Institute Dubai and extensive experience in training and project management. He is an expert in designing training courses with technical content and real-time examples. He is effective in imparting knowledge through superior verbal communication skills and active listening style. He has a proven success record in utilizing cutting-edge technology to devise training exercises for all types of learners. Although he learned Mechanical Engineering, he has developed skills in programming. His 25 years of teaching experience has brought in thousands of students across the world.