Description
In development and IT businesses, project managers have long been indispensable workhorses, but recently, many PMs have begun to look beyond their tactical knowledge and into becoming more strategic actors. This movement's primary driving force is the digital transformation. Project managers must upgrade their digital resumes to stay up with the trend as businesses use digital tools to streamline every possible process and application.
The Digital Project Manager position is an interesting new position. To have a positive influence on their businesses, digital project managers implement a framework for digital transformation that combines people, processes, and technology. The important competencies that project managers of today can use to increase their digital awareness and prepare for the shifting environment are listed below.
Digital Marketing
Project managers who are knowledgeable with the digital marketing strategies used today are considerably better at creating products that are well-designed for discerning customers. Digital project managers can learn to master every aspect of the digital marketing industry, from social media monitoring (83 percent of all marketers now actively pursue social media marketing initiatives) to search engine optimization (which has the greatest impact on lead generation for 57 percent of B2B marketers) to maximizing the value of software coding that makes products more usable and enjoyable for end users.
Agile and Scrum
Today's project managers focus on flexibility and efficiency, and they use more cutting-edge approaches to complete their work. Agile is a widely-liked project management methodology that works well for complicated and uncertain projects. PMs favor functional stage delivery and adjustments that can be made more readily along the way. Agile is one of the most in-demand skill sets in the PM industry because studies have shown that projects based on it are 28 percent more effective than projects based on traditional methods.
The ideas of Agile can be strengthened by combining them with those of Scrum, a cutting-edge approach that gives project managers the ability to successfully coordinate the efforts of cross-functional teams and generate working code in stages at the conclusion of each iteration, or "sprint." In-house Scrum coaches are present in 62% of the firms assessed, and Scrum is used by Agile users in a whopping 89% of cases, according to the State of Scrum Report. Project managers and their teams benefit from these strategies by having a more joyful and powerful workplace.
Big Data
Project management is no exception to the business of data analysis's encroachment into today's enterprises. Big Data can assist project managers in a variety of ways, according to the International Project Management Association (IPMA): by providing insights on how to redefine internal planning processes; by optimizing team development and configuration; by identifying potential process bottlenecks; by developing methods and procedures for developing risk response strategies; and by analyzing quality management data to create better standards and quality control procedures.
Business Productivity Tools
The usage of business productivity technologies, which facilitate streamlined project duties, communication, and teamwork among team members, is at the core of digital project management operations. Learning how to use Microsoft Project can improve a project manager's ability to efficiently manage their internal resources, keeping them on schedule, within budget (for half of manufacturing project managers, managing project expenses is their largest difficulty), and decreasing risk as they go.
Basic office productivity and knowledge of data management programs like Microsoft Excel are additional crucial abilities that employers continually seek out. Project managers can improve their proficiency in Excel by taking certification classes that teach them how to create and maintain complicated spreadsheets, format cells, ranges, and tables, and deal with advanced formulae and tools like pivot tools, images, and computations.
Project managers are now using real-time project collaboration technologies like Slack and Google Hangouts to keep teams in sync. These platforms enable direct communication among project team members and enable completion of tasks much more quickly than waiting for the next Scrum meeting. These types of collaboration tools are now used by more than half of all companies with more than 500 employees.
Upskilling Makes the Difference
The new all-encompassing way for acquiring the broad range of necessary abilities described here is digital project management certification. However, other applicants to the position of project manager can strengthen their fundamental abilities through other programs, such as the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification for challenging projects or the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) degree for those just starting out.
Regardless of the route you take, digital and technology abilities will open up the possibility of higher employment possibilities and more strategic responsibilities in whatever company you join.
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