Eight Predictions for Project Management in 2015

NK Shrivastava and Phillip George, RefineM LLC

2014 has been an exciting year for project management. Its increasing importance has led to
additional demand for project managers and for people in other business roles to learn key skills. As we
look toward 2015, we keep in mind many of the trends we have seen lately, such as the growing
influence of Agile and the talent gap in project management.
The following are eight predictions for project management in 2015.
1. Increasing demand for project managers. As awareness of project management increases,
companies are expected to hire more project managers, creating additional demand. PMI estimated
that 15.7 project management jobs would be created globally across seven different industries (Project
Management Institute, 2013 March, 2). This trend is expected to cross different industries, ranging from
IT to healthcare.
Other sources have supported the trend of growth in project management across different
industries. In ComputerWorlds 2014 forecast of 10 Hottest IT Skills, they listed project management
fifth. This year, for the 2015 forecast, it is ranked second. According to Mary Pratt, the articles author,
the need for better management of complex, enterprise-wide projects is driving the demand for project
managers (Pratt, 2014, Nov. 18) Darren Ghanayem, vice president and CIO of WellPoint, states that
more complex initiatives coming over the horizon led their company to create more permanent project
manager positions when they had previously outsourced their project management capability. This shift
to permanent positions over outsourcing emphasizes the growing appreciation of the value of project
management.
2. A growing need for Agile project management. Another driver of the demand for project
managers is the shift from Waterfall to Agile. As more traditional waterfall development shops shift to
Agile, according to the article, the need for project managers who are experienced in leading this
transition is expected to rise. Project managers can take advantage of this trend by learning more about
Agile and getting certified in Agile or Scrum.

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Rachel Burger, writing for Capterras project management blog, puts the increasing popularity of
Agile in IT projects at the top of her list of 5 trends because it is cost-effective, relies on self-organizing
teams, and appeals to human needs like autonomy, mastery, and purpose. (Burger, 2014, Dec 29). Will
Kelly of the LiquidPlanner blog writes that he expects Agile project management practices to increase in
both large and small businesses, adding that some United States federal government agencies are
moving toward these practices over Waterfall (Kelly, 2015, Jan 5). With the expected increase in
adoption of Agile practices, project managers who can work on Agile projects will be a hot commodity.
3. Increase in globally-executed projects. Due to the effects of globalization, there are more
opportunities for teams distributed across the world to work on projects together. Bianca Wright of
Global Delivery Report writes that organizations are better able to take advantage of a global labor
force and cheaper labor markets to execute projects involving teams distributed across the globe
(Wright, 2014, Aug 13). She notes that it is important for teams on global projects to keep track of the
tools used and make sure there is not a knowledge fragmentation due to too many different tools
being used. Another important step is to create and maintain a communication plan that accounts for all
of the different communication needs, like time zones and cultural differences.
4. More Cloud-based project management. Because more projects are able to be delivered by
globally-distributed teams, there is a greater need for strong collaboration tools to help deliver these
projects successfully. Wright adds that because projects are more global, more Cloud-based tools are
expected to emerge to accommodate them (Wright, 2014, Aug 13). One example provided in the article
is blurGroups Project Space software. Two other popular solutions are Trello and Basecamp. With more
cloud-based solutions opening up for different levels of customers, and with the demand for them
staying high, we expect to see more solutions emerge.

More cloud-based project management solutions are expected in 2015 to keep up with the demand for mobile
collaboration and project management tools.

www.refineM.com contact@refineM.com 405 N. Jefferson Ave, Springfield, MO 65806 417.414.9886

5. More integration with CRM. A common problem in project management is that there is not
enough time between signing a contract for a project and kicking off the project to perform important
initiation and planning processes. Kelly writes that Project management needs to begin with the sales
cycle, not at the project kick-off meeting in order to be truly competitive. (Kelly, 2015, Jan 5). The key
to integrating the two sides is Customer Relationship Management (CRM), which helps a company see
data about their customers to help them make decisions. Integrating a Customer Relationship
Management (CRM) solution between project management and sales can help both sides communicate.
This benefits project managers by helping them know what potential projects are coming from sales. It
also benefits sales by better preparing project managers to deliver successful projects, enhancing the
companys reputation and helping the sales team secure more projects. CRM is a solution that can
benefit both sides, helping the company overall.
6. More integration of business analysis and project management. With the Agile-Certified
Practitioner (PMI-ACP) PMI created a certification that melded project management with Agile, helping
project managers learn more about the basics of Agile methodology. PMI now has the Professional in
Business Analysis (PMI-PBA) certification and has shown more interest in how business analysts and
project managers can work together to achieve project success. Andrea Brockmeier, Elizabeth Larson,
and Richard Larson, writing in the Project Times, predict that business analysis will be further integrated
into design to address gaps between requirements and design work (Brockmeier, Larson, and Larson,
2015, Jan 13). Addressing this gap helps in releasing products faster with less rework by placing greater
upfront emphasis on design. Brockmeier et al. also predict that interest in the PMI-PBA certification
will rise, making it a certification worth looking into for both project managers and business analysts.
7. Increasing influence of millennials. Millennials, referred to by a Pew Research study as
individuals born after the year 1980 (Pew Research Social and Demographic Trends, 2010, Feb 24), are
increasingly becoming prominent in the workforce. A hot topic at the 2014 PMI Leadership Institute
Meeting (LIM) was how to get more millennials engaged in project management. Many of the trends
described by Tobias Andersson in the Project Lab blog reflect shifts in the workplace due to the
emergence of millennials. Andersson predicts that 2015 will be the year of mobile working, citing that
global tablet sales are expected to surpass PC sales (Andersson, 2014, Sept. 11). With more people
working from a mobile device, as well as working remotely, project teams will need strong collaboration
tools in place.
Another of Anderssons predictions is that project teams will begin incorporating more
democracy into projects, with less of an emphasis on command at the top and more of an emphasis
on how each team member contributes to project success (Andersson, 2014, Sept. 11). This trend also
favors millennials, who are described by a Pew Research report as more confident, self-expressive and
also open to change (Pew Research Social and Demographic Trends, 2010, Feb 24). Because
millennials are more connected, workplaces are expected to shift more toward mobile in order to
accommodate this trend; because they are more confident and self-expressive, team structures are
expected to shift to make them feel more connected to a projects success.

www.refineM.com contact@refineM.com 405 N. Jefferson Ave, Springfield, MO 65806 417.414.9886

8. More need for project management education. The growing demand for project managers
places greater emphasis on raising awareness of project management with a more general audience.
The PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEf) spreads awareness of project management by distributing free
project management curriculum to teachers. (PMI Educational Foundation). This initiative is aimed at
helping students realize the value of project management and use it to solve problems in their daily
lives. Although this initiative can help students who never formally serve as project managers, some may
become project managers themselves.
Conclusion
Last year, we posted an article addressing our predictions for 2014. Many of the predictions from the
previous article remained the same. We expected to see more demand for Agile, which we have seen.
We also expected to see more use of virtual teams, which would increase the need for cloud-based
collaboration tools. These changes may still be happening into 2016 based on the rise of the trends
throughout 2014.
Even with all the coming changes, many of the basics remain the same. Project managers still need to
leverage the analytical and creative sides of their brain, deploying both their knowledge of project
management processes and emotional intelligence skills, to help deliver projects successfully. Effective
communication, managing stakeholder expectations, managing risks, and exhibiting strong leadership
are as important in 2015 as they ever have been. Watching future trends while developing present-day
skills is a good mix for success for project managers and Agile practitioners.
Looking at the trends, it is likely that the project management talent gap will continue. One of the
keys to fulfilling this demand is increasing project management education and training. If you are
interested in learning more about project management or Agile, be sure to visit RefineMs Trainings
section to see what we offer.

www.refineM.com contact@refineM.com 405 N. Jefferson Ave, Springfield, MO 65806 417.414.9886

References
1. Andersson, Tobias (2014, September 11). Collaboration in 2015: our top 3 forecasts. Project Lab. Web.
http://blog.projectplace.com/collaboration-in-2015-our-top-3-forecasts/
2. Brockmeier, Andrea, Larson, Elizabeth, and Larson, Richard (2015, January 13). 2015 trends in
business analysis and project management. ProjectTimes. Web. http://www.projecttimes.com/elizabethlarson/2015-trends-in-business-analysis-and-project-management.html
3. Burger, Rachel (2014, Dec 29). The 5 biggest project management trends for 2015. Capterra Project
Management Blog. Web. http://blog.capterra.com/biggest-project-management-trends-for-2check015/
4. Kelly, Will (2015, Jan 5). 7 project management trends for 2015. The LiquidPlanner Blog. Web.
http://www.liquidplanner.com/blog/7-project-management-trends-2015/
5. Pew Research Social and Demographic Trends (2010, February 24). Millennials: Confident. Connected.
Open to Change. Web. http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2010/02/24/millennials-confident-connectedopen-to-change/
6. Project Management Institute (2013, March). PMIs Industry Growth Forecast: Project Management
Between 2010 and 2020. Report. Web. http://www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/BusinessSolutions/PMIProjectManagementSkillsGapReport.ashx
7. Project Management Institute (PMI) Educational Foundation. Web. http://pmief.org/
8. Pratt, Mary K (2014, Nov 18). 10 hottest IT skills in 2015. ComputerWorld. Web.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2844020/10-hottest-it-skills-for-2015.html?null
9. Wright, Bianca (2014, 13 August). Top 6+ global trends to watch in project management as 2015
approaches. Global Delivery Report. Web. http://globaldeliveryreport.com/top-6-global-trends-towatch-in-project-management-as-2015-approaches/

www.refineM.com contact@refineM.com 405 N. Jefferson Ave, Springfield, MO 65806 417.414.9886