Artificial Intelligence in Project Management

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already playing a massive role in our everyday lives, and its power and influence is only growing – rapidly. As innovations in AI develop, the technology is being used to boost efficiency across business and industry. These days, AI is becoming a significant force in project management.

What is artificial intelligence (AI)?

Artificial intelligence is what it sounds like – intelligence that has been created artificially. A branch of computer science, AI is when a machine is capable of demonstrating intelligence. In essence, AI allows computers to think like a human, and therefore allows computers to perform tasks that in the past only humans could achieve. 

AI can be applied in a number of ways, and artificial intelligence examples include natural language processing, machine learning, and deep learning. Some of the simplest, everyday types of artificial intelligence include predictive text on a smartphone or online chatbots that have replaced lengthy customer service calls.

Virtual assistants like Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortana, or Google Assistant are also artificial intelligence examples. These types of artificial intelligence are able to listen to or read a query and respond intuitively in an almost human way.

Benefits of artificial intelligence in project management

Artificial intelligence is set to completely change the roles and responsibilities of project managers. Here are some of the many benefits of artificial intelligence that will impact project management in the coming years:

Automation

Perhaps the most groundbreaking benefit of artificial intelligence is the improvement it will facilitate when it comes to automation. Through AI, machines and computers can automate tasks that would otherwise require human labor. For project managers, this could include tedious, repetitive tasks that take time away from skilled work.

Automating boring tasks means your team can focus more on the tasks and responsibilities that speak to their skillset and passions. It will create a more motivated team that doesn’t have to waste its time on menial tasks, saving costs and time. Bottom line: automation will allow teams to get stuff done a whole lot quicker.

Predictive analysis

AI will help project managers make more informed, data-driven decisions and solutions. Through AI, we’ll be able to perform large-scale data analysis and gain insights that would otherwise simply require too much time and resources. AI can perform calculations, predictions, and analysis without the risk of human error, and in a fraction of the time that it would take for a team of people to do it. You can use AI to better identify your strengths and weaknesses, in turn helping you set more productive business goals.

AI can perform predictive analysis based on historical data that will help you anticipate risks and challenges, and strategize and implement solutions. 

Resource management and allocation

AI-powered management tools can help project managers optimize their resource management and allocation process. AI helps us deal with challenges logically, which will play a huge role in scheduling and allocation of resources. AI can monitor and evaluate your systems and solutions and figure out how to do things in the most efficient and cost-effective way. 

AI is already used for streamlined scheduling. Take Microsoft Teams scheduling assistant. This assistant is able to instantly determine the best possible time for a meeting based on the schedules of every individual attendee.

You might not have considered organizing meetings to be too much of a hindrance, but it’s often not until you’re using AI-driven solutions that you realize how inefficient and time consuming the old processes really were.

Performance tracking

Not only can AI help you define your KPIs, it can also help you track your performance and ensure you’re doing what you need to do to achieve them. AI can use your data to provide real-time insights, saving you time and resources and allowing you to stay focused on your goals.

The same goes for tedious tasks like time tracking. With artificial intelligence software and systems, tasks like time tracking, scheduling, and billing can be done without you needing to lift a finger. AI can and should be used as a personal assistant for your team, that can handle all the nitty gritty tasks that hold you back and slow you down.

All-in-all, artificial intelligence helps project managers boost productivity and efficiency, while saving time, money and resources. AI allows project managers and their teams to automate dull, repetitive tasks and focus instead on the work they care about, while creating opportunities for deeper, more reliable insights and solutions through data-driven, predictive analytics.

We can help

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