Distributed teams, agility and freelance collaborations – these and many other things lead to projects becoming increasingly complex. Modern work also places increasing demands on project management itself: projects should be managed and supervised as stringent as possible, which in turn entails a lot of administrative activities and recurring tasks. Ultimately, many project managers spend a significant amount of their working time on repetitive tasks, such as checking project progress, deadlines and budgets. This leaves little time for strategic or creative to-dos.
Automatic project management can help by streamlining and standardization exactly these routine tasks. Especially now that many companies are dealing with the digitalization of project management processes (not least due to the Corona crisis), automating these processes is the next logical step. However, automatic project management is still not very popular in many companies. Why is that? We take a closer look at some of the prejudices associated with automation and clarify:
Myth 1: Automation Is Unnecessary
Why automate when projects have so far run so smoothly? The need for process automation is not immediately apparent to many companies because times are often not recorded activity-specifically. This means that it goes undetected that a large part of the valuable time in project management is wasted on routine tasks that could easily be taken over by machines or suitable software. The potential of automated project processes should not be underestimated.
Myth 2: Automation Is Time-Consuming And Complicated
Initially, project management automation can take a certain amount of time. In order to identify the tasks that can be automated, the existing processes must first be checked. In the process, unnecessary work steps can be identified and illogical processes can be optimized – so the time invested is worth it. In the long term, automatic project management leads to significant time savings. Contrary to popular belief, no programming knowledge is required to configure project automation. Tools like a work offer simple functions with which even complex project management processes can be automated in just a few steps.
Myth 3: Automation Takes Work Away From Project Managers
Automated project management is by no means aimed at replacing project managers with algorithms. That wouldn’t be possible either, because automation only works for rule-based activities. The overall project management process does not meet this requirement. On the contrary: projects are becoming more and more heterogeneous. Automation is a great relief, especially for project managers who manage many projects in parallel, by freeing up time and resources for valuable work. Project managers should therefore perceive the use of automation as support rather than as distrust of their abilities.
Myth 4: Automation Leads To Loss Of Control
Giving responsibility for certain to-dos to software can lead to a perception of loss of control. However, the opposite is the case: process automation reduces the susceptibility to errors and leads to a level of planning security that often cannot be achieved manually. Especially in complex projects with cross-team collaboration, exceeded deadlines or exhausted budgets can go unnoticed. Automated monitoring of projects not only ensures greater precision and consistency in processes, but also ensures that project managers are immediately notified if something goes out of control.
Myth 5: Automation Is Only Worthwhile For Large Teams
There is often a false assumption that automatic project management is only necessary when the team reaches a certain size. In small teams there are often fewer resources available. This makes it even more important not to waste valuable working time on repetitive and administrative to-dos. In addition, virtual teams with location-independent projects in particular benefit from automation, as this involves greater administrative effort. In short: Companies of all sizes can save a significant amount of their working time by automating project processes.
Conclusion: Clear Up Prejudices And Use Automation Advantages
Automation is on the rise and will increasingly find its way into project management. Automation completes the project management process by creating time for meaningful work and increasing planning security without replacing the human component. Project managers should use this to their advantage and be open to automated project management. A smart tool with automation functions, like a work , is essential to meet the project management requirements of the new world of work in the long term. Not only the project managers benefit from efficient, automated processes, but ultimately the entire team.
Also Read: Project Management Software: What It Is For, And The Best Ones
