It would be interesting if the post ended there. Many people think that the computers will win in the end, resulting in a Matrix style world that is controlled by rogue CPUs. There are a few people that think we already live in the matrix. Not so fast….
Computers are becoming more powerful. How will this increased computer power impact the role of the human in project management? In the future it will most likely be the case that computers will be able to manage an entire project with humans acting as support for the machines. Algorithms using advanced statistics are used to anticipate risks and reallocate resources more nimbly than humans ever could. Schedules could be defined and refined more efficiently than before. In fact, the need for anyone to look at a Gantt chart would become obsolete – the software will notify you when tasks are due and what is upcoming, specifically to the user. But what of the pitfalls?
70 years ago it would have been impossible to conceive the idea of the Internet and how it changed commerce. 100 years ago it would have been inconceivable to predict how airplanes would change modern warfare. Project Management is not immune to this trend.
Where do people still need to be involved in the process of project management? Is there truly a place where systems can’t be programmed, data inputted (think budgets, timelines and available resources) and then left to run their courses?
I did a portion of my post on some of the tools available. I agree that some of these tools can take over many of the functions of a projects managers. The tracking of progress, communication of updates and changes to the project can all be done with by these tools. Here are some of the ones I found.
http://www.aceproject.com/pricing/
http://www.deskaway.com/
http://www.liquidplanner.com/features/professional-services/
While computers are excellent resources and can help with the science of project management, I believe the human element drives the art of project management. Computers can calculate the quickest time to complete a project, but judgment is required when weighing alternatives and making choices. It is not always a mathematical exercise to determine which option is shortest; often you must determine which is best. While computers could apply criteria to make the recommendation, the criteria would need to be set by humans based upon experiences.
This post made me think about the role of humans in operations management. I believe that computers could replace many human jobs and execute them more efficiently. However, when it comes to service industries, I would assume computers would simply not cut it. Imagine going to your favorite restaurant and having to deal with an automized ordering system, the entire personalized dining experience would disappear. Would you want to live in a world lacking so much human interaction?