How Project Management Cloud Service Is Changing The Rules

Project management is an ever-evolving field. Technical advancements are rapid and trends change often. The advent of cloud technology, in particular, has shifted the way project managers (PMs) operate. For the most part, it’s ‘business as usual’ and you’ve gained some notable advantages when project management cloud services emerged.

A good example is Monday. A fast-growing project management cloud software with high-grade communications, task monitoring features, and more. Monday has become a favorite for PMs since its inception for establishing a project’s ecosystem.

Currently, a top priority for many executives is moving to the cloud and adopting cloud project management tools. Cloud technological systems are more affordable and help companies compete in a modern fast-paced business environment. You also benefit from this behavior because a project management cloud approach is more efficient and effective.

How cloud technology is enhancing the workflow of project managers

The maintenance and management of infrastructure used to be in-house prior to cloud technology. This meant that you potentially needed to communicate with several IT departments within an organization to share project development plans (e.g. hardware and software implementations).

These days travel cost has been mostly eliminated and communications boosted by project management cloud software. Essentially, cloud tech has improved the average PM’s workflow. Here are some ways it’s working.

1. Greater accessibility saves resources

Traveling from place-to-place in order to communicate and process data is no longer required. Project management cloud technology is web-based, which means information can be accessed from anywhere there’s an Internet connection.

Also, work is possible without an Internet connection. Your tasks can be completed offline and then transmitted to the cloud once reconnected online.

2. Improved project decisions

Project management cloud technology enables access to data in real-time. That means any changes or new information can be seen near instantaneously, so you can rely on fresh data. This is important for making well-informed project decisions. Things like cost projections, progress reports, and staff communications can be studied quickly.

Real-time data keeps everyone informed and reduces delays. Project management cloud software like Proggio facilitates instant connections between team members, which improves communication. Plus effective communication is essential to the success of any project.

3. Resolve issues quickly

Now you can resolve debacles quickly with project management cloud tools. Again, this is because you can access info whenever needed. For example, any PM worth his or her salt knows that sometimes conflicts can arise when working with teams. Being able to access data that prove your stance on matters is invaluable for resolving problems.

Modern collaborative project management cloud software makes it easy to assign and approve tasks, including maintaining records. Today paper sign-offs and in-person meetings are almost a thing of the past for PMs.

For instance, you can easily hold videoconferences from anywhere and anytime with RingCentral. Couple that with their Glip collaboration app and you’ve got yourself a more reliable and affordable way of doing business.

4. Make adjustments on the fly

Prior to cloud technology, you often had to follow a lengthy process for making adjustments to a project’s plan. Well, you can say goodbye to the usual waiting periods for approval because alterations can be made on the fly.

The equivalent to ‘change orders’ is sent the moment any adjustment is requested, which expedites approval. Manual change note tracking isn’t necessary since project management cloud software records everything. Exact time and dates are typically recorded as well.

5. Proactive project management

The accessibility of real-time project information means that you can be more proactive rather than reactive. The ability to analyze data in order to predict possible outcomes or foresee where attention is needed on a project is priceless.

The one new skill PMs must add to their repertoire

With new technology, there’s almost always a learning curve and the need for some fresh skills. Additionally, some old skills often become less important.

Cloud technology hasn’t eliminated the core skills that PMs need to be successful. Communication, leadership, negotiation, organization, team and risk management, are all necessary skill sets. But, there are a few changes to note.

Doing more with less

Companies expect you to do more with less because cloud technology has drastically reduced cost. Project management cloud communications and reporting tools have simplified the work of a PM.

Financial literacy is how you can better utilize your budgets. You may have to understand the differences between soft and hard costs. Some PMs may have to take courses that will assist them in this endeavor. Financial literacy is how you’ll make good purchase decisions moving forward. Today very few organizations are willing to look the other way when the budget is through the roof.

Expertise and testing

Before, a lot of projects required you to be an expert in the technologies used for development and testing. However, the vendor is the only one required to be an expert when it comes to cloud technology. Of course, this is arguably good news for some PMs. Nonetheless, basic knowledge of technologies and software is still recommended.

Is your company in the process of moving to the cloud? You will need to intricately understand your organization’s architecture as the transition takes place. This will ensure that new applications are developed to incorporate needs and specifics.

Testing projects in a controlled environment can be tricky depending on how much resources are needed. PMs can underestimate resource requirements. In a cloud environment, it’s much easier to test projects because you can add more resources on-demand.

Project management cloud technology is the future

Cloud computing is still relatively new in some parts of the world. So it continues to be a challenge for some PMs as more companies transition to the cloud. No doubt, project management cloud systems have improved workflow for PMs and decreased the cost of projects.

Expertise in certain technologies is no longer a must-have but basic understanding is still needed. That being noted, security, performance, and redundancy measures need to be looked at when working with cloud technology. You have to make sure your cloud provider has properly addressed potential vulnerabilities.

Consult with your IT team if you’re working with an internally hosted ‘private’ cloud. That means its entire infrastructure is dedicated to your organization. There are three additional types of cloud. ‘Public’ cloud infrastructure is shared by many organizations. The ‘hybrid’ cloud is a combination of both private and public clouds. Lastly, several companies that have similar goals and concerns share the ‘community’ cloud.

Whichever cloud infrastructure is best suited for your business needs, implementing a project management cloud tool can only help you become more efficient and streamlined. Take a look at the project management tools we recommend and get your company set up with a new project management cloud tool right away.