Despite the office shutters being closed down because of the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses still need to be on the roll. With project requirements getting stricter and more demanding each day, how can one effectively manage digital projects?
Streamlining processes of managing online projects, assisting teams in the production of concepts to materialization, considerations of budget, time, and resources — digital project management can often become a really taxing endeavor. Especially now that the demands for digital projects have increased due to the forced migration of businesses in the digital world, for example, e-commerce, the plate of the typical digital project manager increased in portion as well. Things took a rapid turn and have changed tremendously. Gone are the days when simple projects were done by small collaborative teams. Project needs have grown in depth, range, and coverage, and therefore bigger teams are formed to handle sophisticated projects. Luckily, advancement in digital technology allowed project managers and their teams to improve delivery, productivity, and efficiency in the remote work environment. Here are 5 trends that made a significant impact on the workflow and final products of effective digital project management:
- Innovated project management tools and solutions.
You know you have selected the right agency, or are in the right agency if it continues to strive to make things easier on your part. Digital tools are the modern solutions to team productivity. They also have become an integral part of project management. In Hive (2020), seventy percent of high-performing projects lean to the use of project management software to rule out errors in project planning, scheduling, time-tracking, communication, budget, and deadlines which can deter your roadway from achieving business goals and outcomes. At any rate, you must find new ways that can help how you can get things done faster, more efficiently, and trust it will change your game.
- Artificial intelligence and automation are the future.
And the future is now. Many companies have already incorporated the use of AI in project management to fulfill responsibilities requiring additional human efforts or resources. Task automation brings positive performance insights from performing laborious scheduling tasks to data visualization. It can also serve as the basis of any decision from derived and captured insights.
- Strategize and do it well: try hybrid project management approaches.
Contra.Agency, a digital agency based in London, designs and develops digital content, websites, and applications to support business growth and client engagement. Working as a collaborator and an extension of one’s team, they are true to the practice of hybrid project management. Tapping experts does not always mean there is a gap or void inside an organization, it is solely meant for intellectual and deeper collaboration as any project might require a new perspective, approach, strategy, and tactics that only someone from outside the organization can bring. Sticking to one methodology is safe but often gets boring after a while. Bring in design thinkers in your virtual meetings and the possibilities are endless.
- Believe in data, the bigger and more significant data.
Data are often measurable and this makes it manageable. To make informed decisions, solid and factual data needs to be in place. It is always rewarding to have a team that believes and relies on data so there is no toing and froing. Project managers need to leverage data insights to assist them with decision-making. Data analytics have the potential to generate a lot of business value. If the sight of tables and numbers threatens you, consult someone who knows the tools and could do the work for you. Get in touch with a team that can determine strategic parameters which could be of help in getting the full picture of the project activities. Only reliable and accurate written data from the end-users, customers, and everyone involved in the project as the basis of consideration can bring success to the organization.
- Mental health and EQ as shortcuts to productivity.
Yes! Project success, or productivity, can be within grasp by understanding and recognizing emotions. Boston University’s Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation (2019) mentioned that minor or major mental health issues can contribute to work performance limitations and may result in an inability to focus, lack of stamina, difficulty handling time pressure or various tasks and unacceptance of feedback and change — antonyms of these phrases are the rudimentary characteristics of a digital project manager or team member. It would be hard to predict success if such effects are manifested. Consider activities, hosting collaborative meetings, and cultivate a work culture that reinforces camaraderie and collaboration to target everyone’s affective domain. In these trying times of the pandemic, appreciation of everyone’s effort and acknowledging their feelings and emotions are important so you know how to lead the boat and prevent it from sinking.
Digital project management used to be a manageable task but it got more critical over the years. The COVID-19 economic downturn and the strict competition of businesses online threatened the budgets and deadlines of various stakeholders. These added burdens to the shoulders of project managers on top of ensuring a smooth flow of business processes from pre-production to success and evaluation but know that there is always a way to turn things around.
