Kate LynskaTechnical Writer| Cimon.ioKyiv, Ukraine
Hi everybody, just a question for thought.
We already have cab without dispatchers. Cash transactions without banks. Accommodation in another city without hotels. Phones without keyboards. Cars without drivers. Supermarkets without cashiers.
Can we one day have got project management processes without (or with minimal participation of) project managers? Maybe there're already such tools that automate most of your work? Or do we need something radically new to make it possible? Saving Changes...
Elizabeth HarrinDirector| RebelsGuideToPM.comLondon, England, United Kingdom
I agree with many of the points here - I think the role of a PM is here to stay while humans are involved in doing the work, especially knowledge work and innovation. But I think that more and more people will take on PM work without the job title or training of a PM, as it becomes more expected of people in their day jobs. Saving Changes...
Cesar FiestasTechnical Project Leader| Intuitive ProjectsNewport Beach, Ca, United States
I actually think that at one point the PM's will go away or their title will change.
I say this based on the project that i am currently working on, where we are building an smart PM tool and the more we are doing the development the more I think is possible that PM's will no longer needed. More to come on this in the next few months Saving Changes...
Many small companies that deliver projects can't afford hiring someone to work just as a project manager and not doing the actual work. So in these cases we definitely have project management without project managers.
Not having dedicated project managers does not mean that you can run a project without at least some basic project management activities. The PM duties in these cases are performed either by the most senior team member, another member or they are being shared between all the project team members. Saving Changes...
Ivo EssenbergSenior Program Manager| IDEXXHoofddorp, Netherlands
Indeed, while some PM functions will be more and more automated, the communications aspects will not disappear, and other elements will come to the front. Things like risk management will still require some level of human judgment, even if AI could help identify certain risks. Saving Changes...
Great.... The future is PM robots who glide up behind your chair and say "When are you getting your deliverable done? Why isn't your deliverable done? What are your roadblocks? Why aren't you working on this and not that.... Downloading PMBoK 7.4 please wait.... Processes updated with PMBok 7.4......"
Thankfully I will retire before the PMBots arrive. (I'm copyrighting the term PMBot).
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1 reply by Cesar Fiestas
Nov 09, 2018 9:57 AM
Cesar Fiestas
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Bob,
I hope all is well Sir...We have been working on one for about a year now...but let me tell you one thing, replacing a PM will not be an easy thing but with the time perhaps..
Saving Changes...
Cesar FiestasTechnical Project Leader| Intuitive ProjectsNewport Beach, Ca, United States
Nov 09, 2018 9:35 AM
Replying to Bob Thomas
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Great.... The future is PM robots who glide up behind your chair and say "When are you getting your deliverable done? Why isn't your deliverable done? What are your roadblocks? Why aren't you working on this and not that.... Downloading PMBoK 7.4 please wait.... Processes updated with PMBok 7.4......"
Thankfully I will retire before the PMBots arrive. (I'm copyrighting the term PMBot).
Bob,
I hope all is well Sir...We have been working on one for about a year now...but let me tell you one thing, replacing a PM will not be an easy thing but with the time perhaps.. Saving Changes...
Amany NuseibehSpeaker, Global Leader | Optimal ConsultingSydney, Nsw, Australia
What an interesting discussion! Robots replacing humans is definitely evolving, will it be during our lifetime/career that a PM is no longer needed at all? As per the discussion here, I doubt it! Repetitive scheduling / activities could surely be automated, dealing with humans has a way to go, especially when it comes to complex environments and projects and situations requiring ethical decision making. Saving Changes...
Theoretically? Sure. A trivial version - call it something else and then say "see, no PM".
Alternatively, can you automate more and more of the PM function to minimize a PM-footprint - absolutely! Can you set up resources (training, processes, tools) to minimize the PM-footprint - yup. Are there examples today - most definitely! Look at Agile, which in it's purity has no PM role, or look at any small and/or low complexity projects for multiple examples. I've seen many (usually but not always small) projects where they just don't have a formal PM role.
But there is a class (or classes) of project that will always need or want the discrete function if not the role. Saving Changes...
Symon ThelappillilTechnical program manager| Intel Technology India Pvt Ltd.Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Any tasks which can be repeated will become automated and any human interface will be handled by AI robots in future. I dont see a need to have managers as there wont be any employees
Even robots will be built by robots. There wont be any need for any humans in any factories and in any jobs. Even software will be written by AI Saving Changes...
Sandip DeDeputy General Manager - Project Management| TATA Consulting EngineersKolkata, West Bengal, India
You can automate and a definite process, so the future is Engineering, Procurement, Inspection, Construction, Audit, commissioning etc. can be automated but Project Management is a Artistic Science as well as Scientific Art, which needs thinking as a basic requirement. Even if we consider AI it is also developing but yet to move many miles to replace a Project Manager.
Managements had tried replacing the Project Manger with coordinator but results are well know, Saving Changes...
