Your Recruiting Expert and Headhunter for Project Management Experts

Project management in the digital age

Project Management (PM) can be divided into four phases and comprises the definition, planning and control of all elements that contribute to the achievement of a project's objectives. The DIN 69901 standard defines project management as the entirety of management tasks, organization, techniques and means for handling a project. The project is structured in such a way that a systematic approach is possible, and the coordination of individual tasks becomes easier. In this way, risky processes of considerable complexity can be efficiently solved in the required quality, in the planned time and with the optimum use of resources. In order to achieve the best possible results, it is advisable to analyze the problem to be investigated at the beginning of the project in order to be able to describe the actual project goal clearly, completely, measurably, realizable and scheduled. The project is then divided into project phases with individual work steps and milestones defined within the framework of planning. The project plan is refined step by step, necessary resources are determined, and areas of action and responsibility are defined. Since several organizational units regularly have towork together to realize a project, a special project organization is advisable. The roles with corresponding decision-making authority are clearly defined in this organization. The project organization includes at least the client, the project manager and the project team. The project manager has project-related and technical authority to issue instructions to the project team, initiates the kickoff and monitors the progress of the project. He ensures that the project goal and result are complete and of the agreed quality - in the event of deviations, he adjusts the project plan. After acceptance of the final result, the entire project process is analyzed and reflected by the team.

For large, international projects, transparency and trustworthy communication within the team are particularly important, as this is the only way to achieve a planned process and the common achievement of objectives. Motivation, mutual appreciation, the respectful handling of conflicts and clarity in the tasks are further indicators for a successful project organization. It is not uncommon for projects to get into an imbalance due to team conflicts. Particularly in an international and intercultural context, the social competence of all project participants comes to the fore and requires separate conflict and project management. The GPM Deutsche Gesellschaft for projektmanagemente.V. conducted a study in 2018 on the effects of digitization on project management skills. Most participants expect changes in teamwork and communication in the area of personal and social competencies. Although the use of digital media for project communication and organization will increase, it also has its limits, so that personal contact within the team is still a high priority. In particular, the informal exchange of information cannot be denied via digital tools, which is why the risk of communication problems remains. In order to minimize this, a common understanding of terminology and standards is essential. Certifications make theoretical knowledge and practical skills visible, transparent and internationally comparable. The IPMA, PMI and PRINCE2 certificates in particular haveestablished themselves worldwide in project management. But also the spread of agile methods or even in combination with classical project management methods will continue to increase. The main reasons cited are shorter product launch times, quality improvements and the reduction of risks in the project.