Over the next 5 years, the ability to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into apps could become more important than their mobile or cloud-based capabilities.
In a recent Gartner report titled Conversational AI to Shake Up Your Technical and Business Worlds, authors Tom Austin, Mark Hung and Magnus Revang argue that by 2021, AI will be so ingrained in the consciousness of all employees that AI integration will be essential. (Gartner clients can view the full report.)
Companies will then probably rely on virtual assistance systems (similar to Siri or Alexa), the so-called Conversational AI, instead of individual applications. The authors write:
"We expect that instead of dealing with dozens, perhaps hundreds, of apps (typically everyone uses 4-6 apps today), [business] life will be a multiplicity of systems that are aware of the needs and preferences of individual employees, take on tasks at their behest, and provide support of their own accord in almost any context." (Translation by us.)
When I first read the report, I was excited. Who wouldn't want a little helper that brings all systems together in one place and offers the right help depending on the specific needs and environment?
Project managers report that projects often fail as a result of ineffective communication . Systems that smooth communication and communicate effectively with each other and with end users are certainly worth investing in.
Despite the potential benefits, many are very skeptical about AI in the workplace. For example, Oliver Yarbrough, project manager at NCMA, recently wrote on LinkedIn : "[AI] is able to analyze larger data sets and provide more accurate analysis faster than humans. The result: well-paid project management positions are being replaced by more efficient machines."
In the Financial Times, Andrew Hill adds: “Most [managers] will need to acquire special skills, whether creative or technical, that machines do not yet master.” (both translations by us)
Those project managers who do not specialize (in all their humanity and with the skills they have as people) will have problems keeping their jobs.
Machines are not capable of human intuition, but we still have to prepare ourselves for AI to be here to stay. It will inevitably change the way companies do business - and that's a good thing.
Artificial Intelligence in Project Management
Artificial Intelligence in Project Management
Given the vast amount of information available on artificial intelligence, its subtypes and its implications for project managers, this article aims to:
Define a few terms from the field of AI in an understandable way
Explaining the benefits of AI for businesses
Illuminating the increasing interlinking of project management and AI
Predicting the impact of AI on the project management profession by 2020
Highlight upcoming challenges for project managers
Explain how to prepare for AI today
This article is designed to help you prepare for how artificial intelligence in the workplace will impact project management and show you how to prepare for it. Either way, AI will change the status quo. By the end of this text, you may even be longing for it.
What exactly is artificial intelligence?
“Artificial intelligence” is a collective term for technologies that go beyond routine calculations and into deep analyses that could previously only be done by humans.
Science fiction has caused a lot of confusion here: When we hear "intelligent," we think "human-like." But that is not the direction in which AI is developing so far, and probably not going to be.
Let us look at this problem through the prism of humanity in AI :
Concepts that humans have difficulty expressing in words (such as common sense , pathos , or reason ) cannot be learned by a computer.
In the context of sophisticated machines, "intelligence" mainly refers to the ability to correctly classify information such as faces, voices or text and to recognize patterns. These processes are extremely impressive, but are miles away from human intelligence.
So far, machines can only be designed on the basis of rule-based systems.
In other words, Ava from Ex Machina, Andrew from Bicentennial Man, and HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey aren't going to be applying for your job any time soon.
How do companies benefit from artificial intelligence in the workplace?
Artificial Intelligence in Project Management - Advantages
Both large companies and consumers have been using AI for decades – in the broadest sense. This includes things like:
Detecting credit card fraud
Algorithms for recommending music or films (e.g. Spotify or Netflix)
Estimated arrival times of delivery services
Spam filter in email programs
Speech recognition and virtual assistants such as Siri or Cortana
Let’s be honest: when do we ever think about it?
But this gradual advance of artificial intelligence into the everyday lives of companies and consumers has far-reaching consequences. Artificial intelligence is such a competitive advantage that companies will soon no longer be able to afford not to participate.
Gartner predicts that “by 2019, AI platforms will steal 30% of revenue from existing market leaders” and that “by 2019, more than 10% of new IT hires will be primarily engaged in writing scripts for bot interactions.” (The full report, “ Predicts 2017: Artificial Intelligence ,” is available to Gartner clients.)
Overall, three different developments are driving companies of all kinds to invest in AI in the coming years as the solutions become more complex and powerful. They are:
Improved understanding between employees and machines. Never hire someone who then has to learn Excel again: programs become so intuitive that everyone can use them. End users can create a personal user experience in which they really feel understood by their programs
The end of departmental boundaries. When AI networks link applications together, they also connect end users – and thus people.
Automate what can be automated. It is automation that scares employees the most: nobody wants to be replaced by a robot. And yet the potential cost savings are a great incentive for companies.
Improved understanding, smoother communication, more seamless collaboration and increased productivity: This sounds like the tasks of a project manager - and many are worried about their role. So let's ask ourselves what impact AI will have on project management.
What is Project Management AI?
Artificial Intelligence in Project Management - Project Management AI
Project management AI is an integrated system that can manage projects without human intervention. Bots armed with artificial intelligence can not only take over automated tasks, but also derive insights and use them to make process suggestions, provide insights to the team, or even make project decisions.
There are already technologies, or will be in the near future, that can:
Assign the right task to the right employee. In addition to the success of applicant management systems, HR professionals will use additional technologies in the future to further improve their recruitment processes. Ideally, a manufacturer of AI-based applicant management software , found: "Companies that use AI-based recruiting software see a 20% increase in performance, a 4% increase in revenue per employee, and a 35% decrease in turnover. Imagine if the same values were possible when assembling project teams ."
Automatically reduce personal idle times. With AI, you don't have to worry about the overhead: it can adapt to the work pace of each team member and constantly assign tasks depending on that without overwhelming the person. Applications that can already do this are discussed below.
Create an environment for knowledge management. When someone leaves an organization, they take a significant amount of non-transferable knowledge with them. Project management AI can collect behavioral patterns in the workplace and capture employee knowledge. This can increase consistency and quality and eliminate the need to "reinvent the wheel" on a regular basis. While much of this is still theoretical , it will likely be available to innovative, large companies in the next year or two and will quickly grow in popularity after that.
Creating a safe work environment. In companies with changing working conditions, AI japan telegram data can detect warning signs invisible to the human eye that increase the likelihood of accidents in the workplace. For example, an AI-based project management system for construction could monitor machine performance, evaluate air quality, or capture facial expressions of workers to identify unsafe work environments and immediately warn those involved.
Remain tirelessly objective and alert. Where humans get tired when they do a final check on a completed project or component, an AI system always remains alert. It doesn't make any compromises or excuses just because concentration wanes after a long day at work.
Of course, there is no single system that encompasses all of these features yet, but project managers in all industries are sure to soon experience these job-changing benefits for themselves.
Artificial Intelligence in Project Management - Software
At the moment, not many project management solutions have their own AI; the industry is only slowly discovering the possibilities of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
But there are a few exceptions.
The most visible form of artificial intelligence in project management programs is certainly chatbots. For example, Cisco Webex Teams, formerly known as Cisco Spark, and