Application Of Artificial Intelligence In Project Management

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence like decision making, speech recognition etc.

Today, AI is used largely in Chatbots, Drones, Self-driving cars, Search engines, Security surveillance, E-commerce, Manufacturing etc.

There are 3 types of Artificial Intelligence namely;

• Narrow or Weak AI: This type of AI is designed to perform specialized tasks that must be “taught” to the algorithm. While extremely specialized in scope, narrow AI  is able to quickly recognize patterns and perform tasks in a way that outperforms human ability.
• General or Strong AI:  This type of AI is capable of learning and solving problems without human instructions. General AI takes machine learning to a higher level and is powered by deep learning processes designed to mirror the human brain’s neural networks, allowing the algorithm to make decisions without instruction.
• Artificial Superintelligence: This type of AI would, theoretically, be capable of outperforming human capabilities to solve problems.  Artificial superintelligence still exists in the category of science fiction.

According to Gartner, AI will eliminate 80% of today’s manual project management tasks by 2030. AI machines will take over everything from planning to data collection, tracking to reporting, and so on.

Project Management is critical in organization as it ensures that projects are delivered to quality, on time and budget. This is important to business organizations as businesses suffer losses ranging from some dollars to billions of dollars due to failed projects.

The application of AI in project management can help in many areas of project management including; planning, risk analysis, resource management, predictive analysis, reporting etc. These essentially removes the tedious, manual tasks in project management giving the project manager more time to focus on decision making, stakeholder management, conflict resolution, team building etc.

Below excepts from https://www.saviom.com gives details of how AI helps Project Managers

Project managers can turn wayward projects around by adding applied intelligence to performance monitoring tools. This way, you can track progress and stay forewarned of potential risks that threaten project delivery. What’s more? You get to rule out projects devoid of any profitable outcome.

With your main goal being to avoid any surprises as you near the end of project delivery, the areas where AI provides conflict-resolution are:

1. Automated Risk Estimation

Every project is prone to risks. AI can accurately predict the number of defects or quality in general in managing projects. Using AI models at different stages of projects can help identify and alert teams if the process is risky. For example, AI can observe the actual progress and compare it to the planned schedule. Based on that data, AI can:

• Alert potential delays
• Point out the underperformance based on KPIs
• Recommend ways to bring the project back on track

You can factor in budgeting and scheduling constraints to make informed decisions on risk management.

With machine learning, you can retrieve parametric information as and when required. For instance, you can use past data such as planned start and end dates to predict future projects’ realistic timelines. The system can add an upper and lower bound to these dates to account for delays within reason. If the system indicates high confidence in a particular project, successful delivery is guaranteed.

2. Adaptive Resource Management

To ensure your projects remain on track, the right people must work on them. AI delves into the history of past projects, which give you real-time information on resource engagement. For instance, the manager can compose the project team and assign roles and responsibilities to individual team members. AI tools also ensure that the project managers manage the project effectively and stick to deadlines.

AI helps your staff remotely access real-life training material, allowing them to enhance their skills and knowledge quickly. Based on this, you’d know if your resources are ready to be deployed. You can add extra hands or take people off the project if a disparity arises in the hours required versus projected availability. This reduces the time taken to onboard them on to new projects. As a result, project delivery is quickened, with your clients gaining clarity on project deployments

These AI powered PM solutions are meant to help the project manager become more effective but do you see them totally taking over the project management function in future?.