Project Management is changing.....
By using Cursor Ai or indeed any commercial LLM any business can cut software development costs by 40%. When looking at processes you can make savings from 15% to 40% in finance, people, HR, recruitment, marketing, scheduling, operations and IT.
It is pointless implementing AI tools via an IT department as you will simply be increasing costs. Nobody wants to lose their job to a robot.
So we come to project management. Methodologies such as Agile and Prince 2 have created a business model whereby the 'professionalisation' of project management has become big business. Businesses are told that without a project manager, delivery will be late and cost more.
I asked Grok 3 whether it can help us:
I can:
Explain project management concepts, methodologies, and best practices.
Help you create project plans, timelines, or task breakdowns based on the methodology you prefer.
Analyze risks, suggest mitigation strategies, or brainstorm solutions to project challenges.
Assist with drafting documentation (e.g., project charters, status reports, or sprint backlogs).
Provide insights by searching for up-to-date resources or examples from the web or X posts if you need inspiration or context.
Offer a sounding board to refine your ideas or processes.
While I can’t directly manage a project (e.g., assign tasks to a team or track progress in real-time software), I can act as a highly knowledgeable assistant to support your efforts.Understanding PRINCE2 and Agile
PRINCE2 (Projects IN Controlled Environments): Yes, I understand it! PRINCE2 is a structured, process-driven methodology focused on organization, control, and governance. It’s built around seven principles (e.g., continued business justification, defined roles), seven themes (e.g., risk, progress), and seven processes (e.g., starting up a project, managing stage boundaries). I can explain these in detail or help you apply them to a specific project.
Agile: Absolutely! Agile is a flexible, iterative approach emphasizing collaboration, adaptability, and delivering value incrementally. Frameworks like Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe fall under Agile. I can guide you through sprints, backlog prioritization, stand-ups, or even help you draft user stories.
Other Main Project Management Methodologies
Beyond PRINCE2 and Agile, here are some widely recognized methodologies:Waterfall: A traditional, linear approach where each phase (e.g., requirements, design, implementation) is completed before moving to the next. Great for projects with fixed scope and clear deliverables.
Scrum (Agile subset): Focuses on short sprints (1-4 weeks), daily stand-ups, and roles like Scrum Master and Product Owner.
Kanban (Agile subset): Visualizes workflow on a board, limits work in progress, and emphasizes continuous delivery.
Lean: Aims to maximize value by minimizing waste, often used in manufacturing but applicable to projects.
PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge): From the PMI, it’s more of a framework than a methodology, focusing on five process groups (initiating, planning, executing, monitoring/controlling, closing) and ten knowledge areas (e.g., scope, time, cost).
Critical Path Method (CPM): A technique to identify the longest sequence of dependent tasks to determine project duration.
Six Sigma: Focuses on process improvement and reducing defects, often paired with project management for quality control.
There are others (e.g., Extreme Programming, Adaptive Project Framework), but these are the heavy hitters.Can I Help or Undertake Project Management?
I can absolutely help with project management by providing structure, insights, and support. However, I can’t fully undertake it in the sense of independently running a project—human oversight, decision-making, and team coordination are still essential. I’d be your co-pilot, not the pilot!Here’s how I could assist:
Planning: Help define objectives, scope, and milestones using your chosen methodology.
Execution: Suggest task prioritization or troubleshoot issues as they arise.
Monitoring: Offer ways to track progress (e.g., metrics for Agile or stage gates for PRINCE2).
Closure: Assist in summarizing outcomes or lessons learned.
What Would I Need?
To maximize my help, I’d need:Context: Details about your project—goals, scope, team size, timeline, and constraints.
Preference: Which methodology you want to use (or if you’re open to suggestions).
Specific Questions or Tasks: E.g., “Help me create a sprint plan” or “Explain how PRINCE2 handles risk.”
Feedback: As we collaborate, let me know what’s working or what you need more of.
I wanted to consider this with reference to some of the projects I have worked on recently. I've worked with both Agile, Prince 2 and Primavera:
- CMS, marketing, public portal and donation/pledge system
- www.efficientminds.co.uk
- www.thesquaredeal.co.uk
- www.yonderlife.co.uk
- National property auction
- Live bidding platform
- Online payments
- Financial reconciliation and cash flow system
- CCTV and WiFi over 40,000 sq feet
- Apprenticeships
- University partnerships
- Wine auction
- Business restructure
- Various hardware implementations
- Multiple websites
- Sales strategies
- Recruitment
- Charities
- Local authority and NHS partnerships
- Pawn broker partnerships
- Lost in transit partnerships
- Private client partnerships
- Api development
- Marketing strategies
- 365 implementation
- CRM implementation
I know that Grok 3 (my current go to AI model) has benefited the business in each of the last three projects. As for the others, I think we would have delivered on time and within budget in the main. The time saving for me, the principal project manager, would have been very welcome.
Many managers simply want to see 'the risk' and RAID logs, which I believe would 100% have benefited by using Grok 3.
As we know, corporates love an acronym, so which of these would Grok deal with?:
AC (Actual Cost),BAC (Budget at Completion),CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management), CCB (Change Control Board), EAC (Estimate at Completion), ETC (Estimate to Complete), FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis), IRR (Internal Rate of Return), KPI (Key Performance Indicator), MSP (Managing Successful Programmes), NPV (Net Present Value), PMP (Project Management Professional), RAID (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies), RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed), SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats), TCO (Total Cost of Ownership), WBS (Work Breakdown Structure).
The answer is ALL OF THEM!
I am unsure how long these expensive 'industry' qualifications will remain in business, I suppose it will be a function of trust and management following project managers over technology. However that is the biggest current challenge for business as it is, today.
If you pair Grok 3, with the ClickUp Brain (now using Open Ai), you end up with a powerful project management system that would save you a fortune in PM's, PMO's, project meetings, supplier discontent and people buy in.
You could ask a project manager, or your IT department, but obviously no financial savings would be made and the status quo would be returned to usual.
James Pickering
