How will AI impact Technology Programs?

This year AI will impact all aspects of an organisation from innovation to cyber security. However, although AI is top of the agenda in 2025 the path to using it is still very unclear. At present, AI seems to be owned and focused within Data and Analytics teams – running models for efficiency and forecasting – but how could it impact Project Services moving forward?

It is estimated that over US$48 Trillion (Harvard) was spent worldwide of digital and transformation programs worldwide last year, and yet only 35% of those projects are deemed a success (on time and to budget).

That’s a staggering figure, which demonstrates that the ability to both control cost and meet the demands of changing business needs is something that is still beyond many organisations. So, where and how can AI assist in bridging the gaps between delivering projects that meet business needs whilst being cost effective and delivered on time to ensure benefits are realised?

The obvious improvements will come from those Data teams mentioned earlier who will, through Big Data and ML, drive project delivery by “owning’ engineering and testing. This will allow program leaders to meet the demands of changing business requirements at greatly reduced cost and time, Gartner estimates this could reduce overspending on budgets by up to 80%. These tools will also assist leaders to make more accurate decisions on what comes first in the programs, allowing for greater efficiency and less “back tracking” as the program is being delivered. The impact of these analytics will also help to drive the PMO, as the communication on the programs progress including changes, risk and governance will ensure greater control over where and when to focus resources. The impact of these changes to how a program is run will also be seen in the administration and reporting on projects, enabling finance teams to budget more effectively and reduce the issues where Program Directors have to go and ask for multi-million dollar additional funding that wasn’t budgeted for.

Indeed, AI will ensure C-level will not only be able to track how the company’s investment in technology is evolving but whether the strategy is still correct based on both competitors’ actions and customers habits.

So what does this mean for those working in and delivering large scale programs of work? The obvious shift will see Projects Services moving ever more closely towards the business as the need for technical and administration skills are replaced by stronger coaching and communication skills. Project and Program leaders will be become aligned to being “Adoption Managers” as their ability to coach teams in the organisation and ensure business requirements have been clearly matched to the technology changes being used to ensure competitive advantage. As automation evolves and takes away many of the process driven task of project and program management it seems to this author that emotional and social IQ development (Coaching) will increase as we will all need adopt to the speed of change that AI will thrust upon us in the very near future.

Miles Austin-Raffan is Managing Director a Think Well Partners focusing on strategic sourcing for organisations looking to drive AI, Digital and Transformation programmes of work. Please contact Miles at enquiries@thinkwellpartners.co.uk if you wish to discuss how we assist your business in successfully delivering business led projects.