IT is still one of the top growing industries, a survey stated that only last year 24% of companies opted to hire more IT skilled workers. With more and more growing numbers in the IT sector, both in domestic and offshoring companies, project management has taken the central role in the overall success of a business.
By using several time-tested practices and giving them a modernized twist you will be able to obtain the best project completion rate in 2016. In this article presented are the three most important trends in IT management for this year.
- Agile is still going strong
The best way to view Agile is as an it as an umbrella that covers a wide range of methodologies and frameworks. All of them are built on top of a set of core value statements. Agile development has the biggest potential when implemented through the Scrum framework) or Extreme Programming/XP methodology. It is a cost-effective management tool that relies heavily on self-organizing teams, while providing each individual member with the feeling of purpose, autonomy and mastery.
So far the proven benefits of Agile have been increased business value and faster ROI, accompanied by improved visibility and lower development costs. Enabling easier and more efficient project and team management. One of the best qualities of Agile is the increased ability for response to changes that have been requested by the client, thus improving adaptability of the entire team. Finally, this project management tool has significantly decreased the risks involved in the timely delivery of the solution.
- Switching from PC to mobile communication within a project
Optimizing your project management software together with all collaboration tools is a must in 2016. Back in 2014 a study showed that mobile usage exceeded PC usage for the first time in history. This trend continued in 2015, and is still going strong in 2016.
By making the project data accessible via mobile devices, you are enabling your workforce to work from different locations at different hours of the day. If we take into consideration that 2015 has been the year of project management mobile apps, it is now quite easy to choose which ones are the most suitable for your project management needs. From Asana to LiquidPlanner there are numerous options available currently on the market.
- Directing more focus towards cyber security
Every year the number of hacker attacks increases, which leads companies to invest more time and money into securing their ongoing products from constant cyber danger.
Many of them employ whole teams to monitor and protect their projects from possible threats. Others use sophisticated software as the first line of defense. It is an ongoing process, which needs to change and adopt at the same rate the types of hacker attacks are changing and adapting.
According to Kelly Bissell from Deloitte, “A project manager responsible for rolling out a software system has to think about more than just how to use the system or what it can do. They have to also think about cybersecurity.”
Conclusions
Managing an IT project includes a lot of factors which are detrimental for its success. Depending on the number of team members and their location, different tools and frameworks need to be sued in order to achieve maximal productivity, and timely delivery of the finished product. It is important to keep in mind the protection not just of the solution but of the entire process, since the cyber threat in now more real than ever and all companies are in danger regardless of their size and budget.