What is the future of project management?

AXELOS’ latest insight into the future of project management comes from surveys and interviews of over 500 project management professionals, so it should be able to provide us with a good insight into current industry happenings and where it’s going next.

Project managers must be strategic

Project managers will become far more involved with the strategic side of business. This means control over the project portfolio and deciding which projects align with organisational objectives. It’s important to recognise that projects end only once the business has seen the benefits.

Key statistics:

• 90% of project managers agree they need a stronger strategic vision that aligns with business goals

What this means:  Projects will be scrutinised more thoroughly and dropped if they do not bring sufficient benefit to the business.

• 90% agree that new technologies will generate risk and this must be managed

What this means:  Although new technologies can be of benefit, they can also fail if not implemented effectively.

• 75% agree that increased regulation and compliance will generate more projects

What this means:  For the most part, increased project regulation will be healthy for businesses. But for the 25% who did not agree with this, perhaps too much compliance will have the opposite effect, bogging things down and preventing growth.

Project management will be a key business skill

In the future, project management will be used beneficially by employees across the entire business, and not just by project managers. With that said, there will still be a distinction between those who project manage as their day to day job, and those who use project management as part of their wider skill set.

Key statistics:

90% of project managers believe ongoing training will be vital for keeping up with change

What this means: The profession is certain to change more as we head into the future, and training will need to evolve with this.

• 72% believe project management will become a respected career choice
• 72% believe project management will become more professional

What this means: Both these statistics suggest a current lack of respect for project management. The future will change this, perhaps as a result of the more strategic role project managers will be required to take.

• 76% believe project management will become a basic business skill

What this means: Project management will no longer be a separate discipline but a key skill used by many across the entire organisation.

Technology will change the industry

Many professions will be affected by artificial intelligence and automation, and that includes project management in the future. Despite this, emotional intelligence and soft skills like communication will continue to be important because everything still needs a human touch. Project managers will always need diplomacy.

Key statistics:

• 59% of project managers believe routine tasks will become automated

What this means: The majority surveyed see automation as a certainty. Those not in this majority are less sure about just how far automation will spread.

• 57% believe artificial intelligence and machine learning will profoundly affect project management

What this means: Technology is sure to change the industry, but not all believe the effects will be felt as strongly as others.

Practical experience is vital

There is no substitute for practical experience, and as change becomes more widespread and frequent, it will be increasingly important for PMs to share knowledge gained from the situations they have faced.

Key findings:

There are no survey statistics associated with this section of the report, but there are the following quotes from respondents:

• ‘It would be good to see training content with more practical elements, and trends that link to the industry.’
• ‘At conferences, we share our own practical case study experiences, and the uptake is huge, but you don’t see it from the PM providers.’
• ‘I’d like to see peer-to-peer discussion forums that are sector-specific and let you share real-life experiences.’

What this means: Relevant, practical training is becoming more in demand and is likely to be a feature in future training courses. Sharing experience from their job will be beneficial for everyone.

The importance of Agile

Agile is popular now and will become even more popular in the future of project management. Businesses continue to see the benefits of Agile as they are required to work more flexibly.

Key findings:

• 89% of project managers agree that project management needs to be more creative and flexible

What this means: The traditional style of project management is no longer viable in today’s data-driven age. Agile approaches are key to dealing with these changes.

• 84% agree that agile will grow in importance

What this means: There is a strong belief across the industry that agile will become even more popular. Perhaps it will eventually overtake more traditional methods.

Evolving learning styles

Online learning, gamified learning and MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) will all become more popular, but we should not ignore the value face to face training can have in enabling the sharing of knowledge.

Key findings:

• 76% of project managers believe young people coming into project management will have totally different expectations

What this means: Those new to project management may have the expectation that a qualification like PRINCE2® Foundation is all they need to be successful, but the reality is this must be balanced with practical experience. You can read more about this in our project management guide. 

• 70% believe online learning will replace traditional education routes
• 74% believe learning will become gamified and interactive

What this means: There is a strong belief that technology will be used to make learning more engaging and memorable. However, there is still room for face to face learning methods in project management.

Conclusion

It’s clear from this report that the future of project management is expected to see some big changes. Project managers will be required to be more strategic and adaptable to changing business goals. Agile methodologies will play a bigger part in the discipline, and the sharing of experiences will be more vital than ever. The way we learn will also change, with online learning becoming even more popular. Some of these changes might sound scary, but the future is positive, as long as the community comes together to share their experiences and support each other.

Prepare for the future of project management with the tools and learning aids provided by an AXELOS membership. Save money on the cost of a membership by buying from us. Find out more here. The full AXELOS report is available here.