Talking about changing landscapes?

Let’s try and name one industry that has not experienced any form of transformation and is still known for its old roots?

I can bet there are not many to name here – Netflix has taken over the TV industry, Podcasts and YouTube have taken over the old cassette industry, social media has taken over the advertising industry, and whatnot?

Transformation in all industries is taking the world by storm!

‘Change’ is the only constant and the only way to sustain yourself in the industry today is by adapting to changes.

Industry leaders are constantly changing and are unseated by new entrants and underdogs in the market. Why? Because those leaders don’t make way for adapting to changes.

Here’s an example of an industry leader at a point in time that lost the race because they could not revolutionize and digitalize their strategies.

Nokia, once a global leader, was unseated by new entrants as those underdogs understood the importance of data over voice for communication in the future. While Nokia hesitated to transform and innovate in the smartphone game, it fell drastically.

Most of the successful initiatives in some of the most famous and large corporations are the ones that involve continually digitalizing their strategy.

Digital Transformation and Project Management

What do you understand by the term ‘Digitalization’?

Digital Transformation is basically a business transformation by incorporating digital tools in all of the business’s operations – fundamentally changing:

  1. The landscape of business processes and
  2. The way businesses engage with their consumers.

Must be wondering how project management is related here?

A digital transformation commences at the C-suite level but the execution is where the project manager takes the wheel and that’s what matters!

If we talk about the changes that need to be made due to digital transformations, all of those changes are delivered through either project, small programs, or portfolios.

This is exactly where ‘delivery of strategy’ comes into play as it involves major activities such as planning and mapping out the business strategy, choosing the right technology that should be adopted for automation, scheduling, etc.

Project managers are the crucial faces behind bringing about these transformations as a digital transformation requires the organizations to go through a cultural shift and to adapt itself to new technologies. Digital transformation has changed the landscape of project management completely.

The way in which digital transformation is different from the previously transformative efforts is:

  • First of all, the amount of change it brings in and the pace at which the transformation takes place.
  • Secondly, the environment in which this transformation is taking place is different as now it takes place in a land full of heavy competition from respective industries and adjacencies as well.

Yes, Digital Transformation has definitely disrupted Project Management but for the better!

It has been a rough journey as for no company is it easy to adapt to changes but it has shown results that it empowers project management to handle teams better, deliver more efficient projects and ultimately meet your client’s needs.

Let’s get scrolling on how exactly Digital Transformation has changed Project Management!

How has Digital Transformation changed the Landscape of Project Management?

1. A More Effective Communication Strategy for the Teams

One of the biggest challenges of Project Management has always been finding a smooth process for better Communication as they say – “Effective Communication is the key to building an empire!”

This is exactly the area that Digital Transformation hits by getting a more systematic communication channel for the teams.

Project Management Processes often involved traditional communication channels such as emails which only led to cumbersome ways of collaboration as there was no room for real-time dialogue. Email after email only created chains which then used to make it tough for the teams to find the real important information and thereby hindered productivity.

Digital Transformation, on the other hand, encourages to adopt collaborative work management software, which comes in handy even during this time of COVID-19, when teams are working remotely. It fosters engagement, interaction, and connection between teams and departments in real-time which substantially cuts down on the email clutter and helps save up time too.

Such a transformation not only positively affects intra team communication but also frees up a lot of time for the teams which can now be focused on devising efficient project strategy – which is majorly the area where a manager would even want the communication to be focused.

2. Shifts Focus from Managing the Teams and the Workflow to Getting the Desired Results

Digital Transformation brings in the technology with it to automate the workflows and other creative ways to coordinate the tasks of traditional project management processes which leaves room for optimizing strategy for tick marking your goals.

In fact, according to research, if digital transformation keeps taking place at the same pace by touching all the verticals across all the industries, within no time project managers would be looked as strategic leaders in the future who would entirely focus on bringing about the envisioned results for the companies.

3. Shifts to a More Analytical Project Management Process for a better ROI

How often do you think project managers usually get time to make a proper analysis and to improve the project management process for yielding better results?

Rarely! – Most oftentimes.

It is an extremely essential step of the project management process which is often overlooked and underestimated as the managers are preoccupied and overburdened with managing other work.

Digital Transformation is paving the way to providing the managers with analytical tools to make calculative and more well-thought data-driven decisions by breaking down patterns and trends. Such tools foster making informed decisions easier and quicker.

Such tools give out robust analytical reports which even help managers to allocate budget and keep the projects well on track through real-time cost analysis. Such tools foster making critical strategic decisions easier and quicker.

4. Smarter Collaboration

According to Forbes, Workplace Productivity increases when there is collaboration!

Project Management often puts on a contrasting display.

Do you know why?

Whether small or big, companies lack the system to have an efficient strategy focused, advance work management tools for collaboration. They either lack the resources or the knowledge to adapt to these changes.

Digital Transformation, on the other hand, begins with bringing such small yet effective changes. It encourages companies to adopt smarter ways of assigning tasks, managing dashboards, approval chains, and move towards an optimized approach for better collaboration.

You now have a rough idea as to how Digital Transformation is bringing about advancements in project management but the real question is still unanswered:

Are your business operations ready for Digital Transformation?

Some project managers fear digital transformation thinking that their jobs would be at stake but the reality is quite the opposite

A digital transformation only strengthens the role of a project manager in the business by keeping him at the forefront for executing all the changes needed to be adapted to.

But before anything, you need to remember this: No matter how promising digital transformation may be, it all goes in vain if your business outlook is not as per the requirements for this change.

Let us have a closer look at how your business can be prepared for this empowering transformation!

1. Be ‘new project management skills ready’!

Don’t want your business operations sinking?

We suggest – To face this bold move, you be prepared. Project leaders, along with their technical skills should also focus on keeping up with technological advancements. A move towards learning the ‘new skills’ that align with technology will make it easier for your teams to progress!

Such ‘new skills’ can be data science skills, stability and security knowledge, analytical skills to make data-driven decisions skills, etc.

2. Be open to experience and experiment with new ways of working.

Your business will fetch you the Return on your Investment if only your project manager has an open mind to the experimentation of innovative strategies. There’s a need for the project managers to be ready if the metrics take a hit as this experimentation will get them the results in the long run effectively.

Project leaders should learn to value unsuccessful experimentation as well to analyze the pace at which the team is able to effectively adapt to experimentation, abandon it when not fetching results, the ability to learn from it and prepare for documentation of the things learned, application of the learned part, etc.

3. Be ready to be supportive of agility required to be working at multiple paces across the business organization

Digital Transformation is not an overnight project!

Even in highly successful and reputed companies, it is a matter of years for a company to adapt to something so encompassing and diverse.

During the transformative process, the mission of your project manager should be to use a combination of methodologies and technology to be able to perform at a couple of speeds as the business organization moves at unique paces.

Therefore, project leaders need to be ready to empower themselves to create and nurture a tradition of innovation, agility, with the proper strategy and technique in place.

Conclusion

Digital Transformation is the new trend and is here to be the king!

Let us sum up a few key points for you to take away with you after reading this blog:

  • Companies that are advancing towards digital transformation strategy have proven to substantially improve their performance and their ROI.
  • As a project manager, there will be a need for self-imposed disruption to absorb the transformation which will be worth it in the long haul as it will help streamline communication as well as collaboration, slide your attention from the project process to strategy, and achieving goals.
  • To embrace such a game-changer, your business and your project managers need to be ready behind the wheel taking the charge by brushing up their skills and having an open-minded approach.

To save yourself from the risk of getting buried, you need to make sure that digital transformation and crucial functions like project management hit each other head-on!

Are you ready to witness game-changing results?

It’s never too late! Get started and tell us how you are planning to see your company embracing this change in the comment section below! 🙂