Tenet #2: Adopt Online Project Management Tools That EVERYONE Can Use.

Project management has moved online.

According to a Wrike Blog “Gone are the days of managing work using pen and paper, whiteboards and dry erase markers, sticky notes and the four walls of your cubicle.  And saving Microsoft Word documents and spreadsheets in a folder on your computer has become a thing of the past.” Work is getting done more effectively and with better results when teams can access online tools like project management modules, collaboration software, and document sharing through cloud file storage systems.

HR professionals add to their savvy  when they understand what all the fuss is about when it comes to project management tools and processes. For example, it helps to know that models, approaches and tool types stem from the Project Management Institute (PMI) – the governing body of knowledge in the field.

PMI believes that there’s a science and art to initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing out the work of a team for a designated endeavor.

Specific goals and criteria must be met in order to consider the project successful – all of which becomes increasingly appealing in life science settings.

Because projects require that budget and scheduling goals are realistic, tasks are identified, roles are assigned, documentation is well managed (and accessible), resource sharing is allocated where needed and communication is emphasized, think about on-boarding PM tools everyone can use.
For example, think what would happen when projects and tasks can be organized in an online project management tool where everyone (team and stakeholder alike) can view status on key initiatives. And, where in visually appealing screen displays, everyone sees who is assigned to what task, and when it’s due.

It also helps to know that it’s not just PM tools and approaches that are being sought, but people trained on the topic. If you haven’t been prompted yet as an HR professional, you soon will be.

It’s time to noodle over a combo approach which includes both onsite live learning and application as well as online project management training.

Take your cues direct from the governing source – PMI – when they say there could be upwards of 700,000 new project management jobs to fill in the United States by 2020.

Bottom line? Be on the lookout for cloud-hosted tools that help you track and manage tasks (and time), schedule milestones, allocate resources, communicate status, and share documents (with version control). Think about in-house and online learning to build valuable project management skills.