As a construction project manager, you know that every job is different and has unique challenges.
As we head into 2022, project managers can find it tough to keep up with the latest trends while ensuring their projects run smoothly, from changes in technology to remote working.
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the top seven project management trends in the coming year. Keep these trends in mind as you plan your projects, and ensure to stay ahead of the curve!
Since 2020, project managers have had to change how they operate their business. Lockdowns and social distancing created difficulties in many industries, including construction sites.
Luckily, people solved this issue by creating project management software and employee tracking tools to help construction firms overcome their problems.
Technology is continuously bringing something new to the market. With that said, it gets hard to keep up with all the latest tools launched in your industry.
That’s why having prior knowledge of upcoming trends in project management can help you stay up to date and place your business at the forefront in the construction industry.
Here are seven emerging project management trends you need to consider to stay ahead of the competition.
As of 2019, around 81% of project managers have highlighted the impact of AI on their business operations.
Automation facilitates the work of managers by improving efficiency and providing managers the time to focus on more pressing company issues. Including AI in the construction process can help in project success in several ways:
A project management trend such as AI-driven facial recognition systems offers new ways to track and manage your workers in the construction industry. Tracking apps like MobiClocks can also help avoid potential issues with absent workers or buddy punches.
Spending a lot of time learning how to use a complicated system can cost managers time and money. Most project managers look for reliable, easy-to-use, and integrated data analytics for managing advanced building materials and other aspects of construction sites.
Features like Gantt Charts or Built-in Dashboards, for instance, provide an enhanced user experience that allows your team to work more efficiently than before.
Project management software helps you quickly collect and analyze your project data to implement corresponding changes. Around 54% of organizations don’t have access to the KPIs of their projects, which makes it difficult for them to keep track of project performance and revenue growth.
Combined with AI-based automation, project management software can offer several positive changes such as:
Remote and hybrid teams are becoming more prevalent in many construction firms. While going fully remote isn’t feasible for major construction projects, a hybrid model can work. Working remotely is becoming more and more popular, but what does this mean for project managers?
According to an extensive survey by Gartner, 74% of C-level finance professionals plan on permanently shifting a part or all of their workforce into remote positions. This means that while organizations are forced to let employees telecommute due to safety concerns, they may shift to full-time remote working.
Cloud-based project management software is a great way to stay on top of your tasks and projects with global employees or remote workers. With this tool, data can be easily captured so that informed decisions about the workday will always remain accessible no matter where they are located worldwide.
While going fully remote isn’t possible for construction companies, a hybrid project management system can work for you. Managers don’t have to be onsite all day to keep track of workers. You can ensure they’re at their assigned locations through features like geofencing.
The Future of Jobs report 2020 by the World Economic Forum mentions how managers want to employ candidates with emotional intelligence and other social skills across many industries. This is relevant for project managers since they need to manage people effectively to lead projects successfully.
According to Project Management Institute, here are five skills a project manager should work on:
New soft skills will be needed to communicate well with others in a world where more people are working from home or on remote teams. Project managers must also learn to adapt to technology blips and solve such issues quickly.
With all this generated data, it’s only fair to use that information to make crucial decisions. Data analytics and reporting help managers pinpoint early signs of scope creep and measure their progress rates.
Project managers can instantly aggregate their data and generate custom reports with AI-powered analytics. This allows them to make informed decisions in real-time instead of waiting for manual compilation from different sources like spreadsheets.
These tools deliver granular-level visibility into activities while generating meaningful graphs that provide crucial insights needed at managerial levels. These powerful platforms give decision-makers all they require – instant access without long delays.
There has been a decline in the use of traditional construction methods, making room for more agile and flexible approaches like modular construction. The demand to be agile has made these hierarchal PMOs less valuable, giving organizations no reason to have a PMO.
PMOs typically lack flexibility which makes them harder to adapt to change quickly. With projects becoming increasingly complex, it is time for the PMO to evolve urgently.
PMOs need to become agile and provide the necessary support to keep up with modern-day challenges while also being involved in the strategy development process – helping out the project team when needed most.
The role of the project manager has been expanded to include more than just executing projects. They are now involved in an organization’s broader strategic goals and objectives, which can be seen as their hands-on approach for achieving said ambitions.
The program, portfolio, and project managers are increasingly being asked to understand the relationship between their work. This allows organizations to be more explicit about what needs to be done to succeed together, which is why this new focus was inevitable.
A 2019 report by the International Project Management Association highlighted that only 30% of organizations felt confident in their capabilities for managing organizational change.
As a manager, you need to consider how to drive innovation and transformation initiatives like digitalization across different departments within your company.
Although the future is unpredictable, you can look at some of the top trends that construction project managers will face in 2022 to gain more insights into emerging trends.
If you’re ready to upgrade your project management and planning skills, check out our article about Five Phases of Construction Planning to learn more about executing projects successfully and planning future projects better.
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