HOW ARTIFICIAL

INTELLIGENCE WILL
CHANGE PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
FIND INSIDE

1Why 86% of Project

Managers dont
mind AI support in
2 AI tools helping PMs get
administrative control
the full picture and
uncovering the drivers
3
If AI will also help
determining what
motivates an
impacting the business individual or a team

2002 - 2016 Ciklum. All rights reserved

INTRODUCTION
Project managers have an Let's begin answering this
intimidating variety of essential question by breaking a project
responsibilities. From defining managers responsibilities into
a project's scope and identify- buckets.
ing risks to assigning tasks and
creating schedules and budgets.
THREE SIDES OF A TALENT
Though these skills sets are
TRIANGLE FOR THE PM:
characteristic of modern soft-
ware and IT-related projects --
such as the management of a Leadership
mobile app build -- the talents
and sensibilities of the project
manager have been necessary
since ancient civilizations
decided to build things. For Business
Acumen Technical Project
centuries project managers have
Management
determined how long it would
take to build a structure
efficiently and on time.

Artificial intelligence has a role to

SO, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT A play within each of these

buckets, and recent research and
PROFESSION THAT DATES BACK survey feedback indicates the
THOUSANDS OF YEARS CAN influence of AI is larger in some

SUDDENLY BE REPLACED BY areas than others, depending on

the case.
MODERN TECHNOLOGY LIKE
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE?
TECHNICAL PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
1 A modern project manager has
the responsibility of handling the
administrative duties of a project,
which, according to a recent
survey of project managers by
the Harvard Business Review,
takes up 54% of respondents
time, more time than every other
aspect of project management
combined. These tasks include
determining the scope and
budget for a project or
ground-level work like
determining work schedules
and ensuring shipments arrive
promptly. Within this Harvard
Business Review
survey, eighty-six percent of
project managers
stated they would like
86%
support from artificial
intelligence in order to
complete these tasks.
of PMs would like
support from AI for
admin tasks TWEET
THIS
STAT
Fortunately for the eighty-six
percent that would welcome
that assistance, there are already
machine learning tools and Up to 54%
artificial intelligence systems
on the market that will either
of PM's time is stolen
lend them a hand or perform by administrative
these task entirely. For example,
Monte Carlo simulation is able
TWEET
THIS
control
to perform risk analysis through STAT
mathematical techniques, while
websites like Kono.ai are able to
manage schedules for project
managers, essentially acting as
an AI assistant. In the coming
year, if not months, one can
expect smart software to be able
to automatically route shipments
to their correct locations, create
schedules for thousands of
employees based on their
availability and even alert project
managers when spending
milestones are met.
BUSINESS
ACUMEN
" AI HELPS DETERMINE
ODDS OR THE BEST
PROJECTED ACTION,
BUT FIRING AND
HIRING SHOULD BE

2 This aspect of project
management has been
somewhat controversial in the
past, but many have argued that
it should be included in the new
project management triangle. In
short, a Project Manager should
not only understand the
intricacies of the project itself,
but understand how the project
fits into the larger view of the
handle some of this; the tool MADE BY PEOPLE
Narratives for Tableau is a free
extension, available for TWEET THIS STAT
Google Chrome browsers.
With the ability to see dynamic
narratives based on chart data
and analytics, Narratives has the
ability to determine how projects
will impact the overall business
itself, and how it can fit into a
companys budget or their

"
company. AI has the ability to overall story.

PROJECT
MANAGER SHOULD However, there is a second projected course of action,

NOT ONLY part of Business Acumen that is ultimately major decisions are
separate from simple analytics currently, and even into the near
UNDERSTAND THE and projections. This involves future will continue to be, made
PROJECT judgment calls, especially when by people. This is especially true

INTRICACIES, projections are close and models when it comes to hiring or firing
show odds as a toss-up. While AI employees and contractors,
BUT HOW IT FITS has the ability to help determine which leads directly to the next
INTO THE odds or show the best aspect of Project Management.

BUSINESS
TWEET THIS STAT
LEADERSHIP " AI WILL HAVE A
DIFFICULT TIME
DETERMINING WHAT

3
The area where artificial intelligence will
struggle to keep up with is an area that it
is simply not programmed to deal with;
human behavior and emotion. A project
manager needs to assemble a team of
talented people whose skills all
complement each other; this is
something that, based on manager
reviews, reported skill sets and prior
results, an artificial intelligence system
can help with. However, it cannot yet
understand that the team it comes up
with may have some oil and water
personalities. Think of team creation like
dating sites or the television show
Married at First Sight, when artificial
MOTIVATES AN
INDIVIDUAL OR
A TEAM
intelligence takes a pool of people and
determines who their perfect match TWEET THIS STAT
should be. Oftentimes, AI will get this one
wrong, and relationships will not work
out. This is no different than working
relationships, where a Project Manager
will need to build a team of people who
will not only get along and work well
together, but will challenge each other
in order to get the best result possible.

THE SKILLS MANAGERS SAY THEY WILL NEED

"
TO SUCCEED OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS
They undervalue critical people skills

PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS WHO SELECTED THE GIVEN SKILL AMONG THEIR TOP THREE
Digital and technology
Creative thinking and experimentation
Data analysis and interpretation
Strategy development
Planning and administration
Social networking
People development and coaching
Collaboration
Quality management and standards
Sharper skills within my current domain of expertise
AI also will have a difficult time freelance workers or consultants
determining what motivates an are often asked to come togeth- AI SIMPLY IS
42% er for a single project before
individual or a team. Asking AI
33%
to perform this task isnt much breaking back apart into their
NOT ABLE TO
31%
different than asking a machine own factions, knowing how to CONNECT WITH
30%
to become a teacher. Often, the motivate each individual or team PEOPLE ON A
23%
difference between an excellent and pushing the right buttons at
21%
teacher and one who simply gets the right time will get a project
PERSONAL LEVEL IN
21% People skills
the point across is knowing how done properly. In this case, AI THE WAY PROJECT
20%
to motivate their students. This simply is not able to connect MANAGERS DO
20%
20% is true of project managers and with people on a personal level

Performance management and reporting 17% their employees. In an era when in this way. TWEET THIS STAT

Source accenture survey of 1,770 frontline, mid-level, and executive-level managers from 14 countries
SO HOW WILL
AI CHANGE PROJECT
Find out more about Project Management
and how you can enhance it today

For more information on AI and how it will impact

MANAGEMENT?
the project management space, feel free
to visit us at www.ciklum.com
or our blog at www.ciklum.com/blog!

In the short term, AI has the

ability to take over the vast
WITH THE TECHNOLOGY THAT IS IN PLACE AND THE
majority of administrative and
technical project management. MOTIVATION OF PROJECT MANAGERS TO REMOVE
These tasks can be performed ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL TASKS FROM THEIR
faster and more accurately by
PLATES, EXPECT AI TO TAKE OVER THESE TASKS IN THE
an AI system than they can by
human Project Managers. NEXT FEW YEARS.
Additionally, as surveys have
shown, this is an aspect of
project management that
major decisions, though, AI in some time. Even if we end up
managers would simply rather
its current and projected form is with walking, talking AI similar to
not deal with, or at the least,
best used as an accompaniment what has been seen in science
would prefer some help with.
rather than a full manager. fiction films, there is an emotion-
However, when it comes to the al connection and factor unique
As far as an analytics and
leadership and motivating factors to people that AI simply cannot
statistical analysis goes, AI has
of a Project Manager, the human replicate or account for.
the ability to help craft a story
element cannot be overstated.
about where the project will fit
This is an area where AI is lack-
into a companys overarching
ing, and may be lacking for quite
goals. When it comes down to
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