Technology has undoubtedly made a lot of things easier. The advancements in software and hardware development have transformed the world and how people work in so many ways.
One of the aspects where technology has proven beneficial is project management. Programs such as the ServiceNow service portfolio management platform have helped change the landscape significantly, allowing managers and teams to handle different kinds of projects more efficiently. In this article, we take a look at the top four ways technology has impacted today’s project management field.
1. Improved Communication
Most, if not all, project managers would agree that excellent and constant communication is one of the keys to project success. Because of this, it’s not surprising that project management technology has focused on providing a means for teams and other stakeholders to communicate effectively while working on a project.
Decades ago, people only communicated through phones, faxes, and handwritten or typed memos. Later on, email became the norm because they can be saved and traced. Then, online messaging got introduced. Ultimately, project management programs adopted the best aspects of all the communication methods known to man, then put them together into one program. Thanks to these communication advancements, it has become easier to send, record, and recover messages and files.
2. Enhanced Collaboration
It took a while for companies and teams to adopt modern collaboration techniques, but many businesses are now leveraging online collaboration tools. As a result, teams can execute and follow project plans and workflow more efficiently. Instead of waiting for mail and documents to be delivered or traveling for miles to attend meetings, project management technology has made real-time collaboration possible.
Thanks to technology, teams can also collaborate with other departments. Projects can be monitored not just by the manager and team members directly involved in them, but also by other departments, including HR and finance.
3. Real-Time Reports and Updates
Back in the day, it could take days or weeks for project managers to gather information and updates that are needed to track the progress of the project and create reports from on-site teams and other stakeholders. Once the project managers get the info they need, it is only then that they can create their reports. After that, the reports will be distributed to concerned parties. Getting feedback may also take a while.
Nowadays, however, the process of updating and reporting has become way easier and faster. Different teams and collaborators can input and send information in real-time through the project management tool. Managers can access that information whenever, wherever they want to. Some platforms even support automatic reports generation, allowing all concerned stakeholders to see and analyze the reports when they need to.
4. Mobile Capabilities
The idea of accomplishing tasks as a team without members seeing each other face-to-face didn’t occur to many until recently. Indeed, specific tasks can only be done when staff members are physically together. However, not all aspects of a project have to be performed on-site. Furthermore, not every team member needs to be physically present.
With mobile capabilities, project management programs allow teams to maintain productivity even when they are not together. Some teams can even function with members working remotely from different parts of the country, with some even working overseas.
Technology Has Paved the Way for Improved Workflows
Technology continues to evolve, and most organizations are doing great at keeping up with the times. With these new capabilities, more is expected from teams, but ultimately, the efficiency granted by technology allows teams to work better than ever.
