Project management trends to consider

Changes at organisations are rapidly succeeding each other at an increasing pace. As a result, the number of change initiatives and projects is increasing. At the same time, the way the project management profession is practised is changing - new working methods and technologies are making their appearance, more is being asked of project managers and, with the help of data science, great opportunities for professionalisation are emerging. Ten portfolio and project management trends and development that Improven's experts believe will influence the playing field this year.

Complexity requires project portfolio management

The increasing complexity of organisations and the continuously and ever faster changing environment require proactive steering by decision-makers. A good overview of the strategy and associated project portfolio is crucial in this respect, so that the right strategic choices can be made. Setting up strategic project portfolio management is still on the agenda of many organisations this year, with an important role for the PMO as transition office.

PMOs become transition agencies

The role of central project management offices (CPMOs or EPMOs) within larger organisations is changing. In the past, such a PMO was seen as a support department serving project managers and clients. Increasingly, the CPMO is becoming the command centre from which to drive the transition of an entire organisation. The CPMO helps decision-makers define, manage and govern projects, programmes and line activities. This is going to demand a lot from the capabilities of the people at the CPMO.

Use of data analytics in projects increases

More and more organisations are using data analytics to make decisions on project portfolios. At top level, this helps to better align projects with the organisation's strategic objectives. Being able to create useful and visually appealing dashboards is crucial here. In addition, the use of data allows early detection of 'design flaws' in plans and in realisation, which will increase the success rate of projects.

Flow efficiency instead of resource efficiency

In recent decades, there has been a lot of focus on resource management and the optimal use of people and resources in projects - the focus has been in project cost reduction and efficiency. In 2019, the focus shifts to the realisation of "flow efficiency", minimising, for example, waiting for decisions and complex templates (entirely in the borrowing spirit). By setting up and steering the project as a well-oiled machine, benefits can be achieved. Well-designed PM tooling and smart project processes are important for this.

Blended project management

Agile is seen by many as the holy grail for achieving rapid change, and the 'Waterfall approach' is then dismissed as old-school project management. However, it need not be so black and white - in practice, there is an increasing need for a mixed form: blended or hybrid project management. In which the best of both worlds is included, adapted to the specific needs of the organisation. A change in thinking and doing that will only increase in the coming years.

Greater focus on implementation and support

In projects, too often insufficient or too late thought is still given to creating support in the organisation for implementation. As a result, results are regularly delivered but objectives are not achieved. This leads to frustration and less support for future projects. It is important to pay attention to this already when making the project plan. In larger organisations, the CPMO plays an important role in this. In smaller organisations, this will require good analysis and an appropriate approach to stakeholders, by the project teams and client.

Development of project management tooling takes off

The development of project & portfolio management support software is taking off, prompted in part by the aforementioned developments. Although self-created Excel tools are still widely used, more and more investment is being made in low-threshold and user-friendly PM tools, which promote collaboration and provide decision-makers with information. Cloud-based tools in particular will take off, resulting in less time spent on administration and making progress reports.

Soft skills of the project manager become more important

Project managers are regularly seen as the famous sheep with five legs, possessing hard skills anyway, such as being able to plan well and having analytical skills. This will not change, but there is an increasing need for project managers with excellent soft skills. These include skills in communication, coaching and team building. Developing soft skills requires additional training and guidance for project managers.

Training of project professionals

The number of projects is structurally increasing. However, scarcity and work pressure make it difficult to properly staff project teams both qualitatively and quantitatively. To meet this challenge, organisations are increasingly opting to train their own people in good project management, so that they can properly participate in projects in addition to their 'regular' work.

Millennials in projects

By 2020, half of the global labour force made up of millenials and this will also be noticeable within project teams. This generation has grown up with rapid change and makes frequent use of technology. Because millenials like to organise horizontally and have a good eye for technological possibilities, communication and cooperation within project teams, for example, will change. Project managers and central project management offices need to respond to the new requirements of younger employees.