Project Management Gets a Boost: New Research Shows GenAI Enhances Productivity, Collaboration and More

Project Management Institute (PMI) has released a new report highlighting the transformative impact of Generative AI (GenAI) on project management. “First Movers’ Advantage: The Immediate Benefits of Adopting Generative AI for Project Management” explores how early adopters, or “trailblazers,” are leveraging GenAI to achieve significant performance gains and drive business transformation.

The report, based on a survey of 500 project professionals using GenAI globally, reveals a clear advantage for organizations that actively promote GenAI adoption. These “trailblazers” demonstrate a marked increase in GenAI usage compared to their peers, leading to a range of positive outcomes:

• Enhanced Performance: Trailblazers report being more productive (93% vs. 58% of “explorers”), with improved problem-solving (89% vs. 46%) and overall effectiveness (88% vs. 50%) attributed to GenAI.
• Strengthened Collaboration and Creativity: The research highlights how GenAI fosters stronger “power skills” among high adopters. Collaboration sees a significant boost (83% of trailblazers vs. 32% of explorers), and creativity flourishes as well (84% vs. 44%).
• Improved Project Management: GenAI’s impact extends to core project management areas. High adopters report improvements in project scope (87% vs. 34% explorers), scheduling (85% vs. 46%), cost management (85% vs. 42%), and quality control (91% vs. 40%).

A Growing Trend with Exponential Potential

A recent study by Microsoft and LinkedIn underscores the rapid rise of GenAI, with usage doubling in late 2023. PMI’s nearly one-million member community reflects this trend, with widespread adoption of GenAI tools.

“Our research shows that GenAI trailblazers know how to maximize adoption to elevate their performance, navigate complex work, and usher in GenAI across their teams. They’re standing out from their peers for their innovative leadership,” said Pierre Le Manh, PMP, President & Chief Executive Officer of PMI. “We want to ensure project professionals who haven’t yet added this technology to their toolbox can quickly get up to speed and benefit from GenAI given its exponential growth.”

Learning from Trailblazers: Empowering Early Adopters

The report identifies key advantages enjoyed by project professionals leading the GenAI charge:

• Prompt Engineering Mastery: Trailblazers excel at “prompt engineering,” the skill of crafting effective prompts that unlock GenAI’s full potential.
• Tackling Complex Projects: High adopters utilize GenAI for intricate tasks such as data analysis, project planning, and risk management, demonstrating a three-fold increase in actively developing their GenAI skills compared to explorers (36% vs. 12%).
• Advocacy for Organizational Support: Trailblazers understand the importance of actively advocating for GenAI adoption within their organizations.

“GenAI is transforming every industry, which will create more opportunities for project professionals because they will help organizations implement this disruptive technology,” said Le Manh. “A key insight from the report is that it’s much harder to accelerate adoption without organizational support. Trailblazers are ten times more likely to work for organizations that empower them to use GenAI. It’s these forward-thinking organizations and their trailblazing project professionals that are seizing this moment and ready to lead the GenAI revolution.”

As a leading authority in project management, PMI offers a unique perspective on the global project management community of nearly one million members. This community has embraced both PMI Infinity™, a GenAI tool developed by PMI, and PMI’s related training programs. Through these efforts, PMI plays a vital role in elevating the skills and knowledge of project professionals.

New Resources to Bridge the Gap

PMI is committed to providing project professionals with the resources they need to thrive in the age of GenAI. The launch of a curated library of GenAI prompts, specifically tailored to various industries and use cases, is one such initiative. This “Prompt Library” within PMI Infinity™ will provide project professionals with a valuable starting point for developing precise prompts that seamlessly integrate AI into their daily workflows.

To read more about AI adoption, see here.

Visit Infinity.pmi.org to do more with AI today. And visit pmi.org/explore/ai-in-project-management to stay updated on PMI’s newest AI offerings.