Robots as Project Managers? 5 Reasons it Won’t Work

Robots as Project Managers? 5 Reasons it Wont Work

As the world becomes increasingly digitalized, the types of jobs people have and the way they conduct work is imminently changing. Google’s driverless car has driven over 1, 000, 000km (almost) accident free and drones are now delivering pizza. While these are examples of how robots are accomplishing uncomplicated tasks like driving and food service, the technology is also out there to replace high-level, c-suite projects.

So what does this mean for the project management?

The goal of robotic technology is to conduct tasks with greater efficiency than humans themselves. In the last five years, a massive influx of project management hardware and software have come to market.

EPS has kept close tabs on these innovations and have devised ways that these applications can help employees perform better, but will never replace them.

The Harvard Business Review recently released a study that involved the creation of a technology called iCEO to replace delegation responsibilities, the creation high-level documents and research tasks normally conducted by management level employees. The researchers believed technologies like this one would and should replace the profession of project management altogether.

The results of the study were quite astounding.

iCEO was tasked with creating and delivering a 124 page research document for a Fortune 50 company. A project that would normally take several weeks, ICEO was able to execute in just three days.

Like the level efficiency accomplished with iCEO, most project management applications, specifically for engineers, market themselves as increasing productivity and profitability by offering advanced project management, accounting resource planning, collaboration, and financial tools. It seems that project management applications seek to connect the social context of projects by keeping employees accountable and focused on results by managing the scheduling and logistics of each task.

While the skills these technologies offer may adeptly match many job descriptions, the reason robots will never replace project managers is resoundingly clear: Humans want to work with other humans.

The following are 5 reasons why real project managers should never be replaced:

1. Creativity & Innovation

Maybe PM applications can manage your calendar, but it cant devise a way to fit that extra, oversized cylindrical column the client just asked for with two weeks to project completion. Humans use reason to solve problems. Project Managers are experts in change management using imagination and improvisation that the digital realm simply doesn’t posses.

2. Quality assurance

PM technology may guarantee it will get the job done, but will it be done well? Whether you’re on site or in the office, project errors will crop up somewhere along the line and nobody but a human will be able to spot it. Machines make mistakes just like people make mistakes. It’s the creators of those machines, humans, who are ultimately accountable to fix it.

3. Job creation

Bill Gates, the worlds leading digital pioneer, does not support robots taking the role of human jobs. He explains that technology over time will reduce demand for jobs, particularly at the lower end of skill set. This means there will be even less jobs in the midst of gloomy unemployment rates.

4. Reliability

Machines break down. Metals rust, motherboards can fry and software can misfire. Machines can only fix other machines until there is a human at the end of the line fixing the problem. While humans aren’t indestructible, there are age-old work structures in place that ensure information is retained when it’s needed most. If a PM technology crashes mid-project, its ultimately human project managers who will have resolve the issue.

5. Human sentiments like compassion

Project Management is equal parts relationship management as it is management of cost and schedule. Project Managers expected to be transparent, build trust and have accountability with their clients. This simply isn’t possible with a PM technology that cannot possibly possess a moral code or have compassion needed to identify with client issues.

EPS is a strong believer in innovation and is open to new ways of doing things that make life better for clients and employees alike. Robots working as Project Managers may become our friends in the future, but they will never become our boss.