Artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay in the business world. It’s improving how companies get things done on an everyday basis, including project management. In the past, a lead project manager was responsible for delegating tasks, checking in regularly, and ensuring everyone was on the same page. Now, AI can help assist with many of these tasks in addition to providing helpful information for better business decisions.

From project planning to execution, AI can help in nearly every step of the way. Here are three ways to use AI to boost your project management processes.

1. Automate Repetitive Tasks

One of the main benefits of using AI-driven software is its ability to automate tasks. Whether it is summarizing sales calls, answering inbound customer requests, or sending email campaigns, AI can handle these kinds of assignments with ease. AI learns from patterns and improves over time. This means that the more you use the tool, the better the results.

Additionally, AI reduces the chances of human error. If you’re a lean team with various responsibilities, there’s a good chance that someone on the team will make a mistake every now and again. Not only can AI complete the task at hand more quickly but it can do so with less chance of error. This consistency is essential for expanding businesses focused on long-term growth.

And don’t assume that AI is only useful for certain mainstream industries with specific tasks. As an example, automotive sales software with built-in AI capabilities can save time, increase efficiencies, and streamline processes. With this tool in place, employees can focus more time on more strategic tasks and less time replying to potential customers and managing leads. Customers are satisfied with the prompt responses and level of care, and employees are happy that they aren’t doing mundane tasks.

2. Improve Project Planning

It can be difficult to predict what your customers will want six months from now let alone 12 or 18 months from now. Yet, many brands need to start planning several months or years in advance to ensure they have enough products stocked and ready to bring to market. With its machine learning algorithms, AI can assist with future planning. From anticipating supply chain disruptions to creating timelines for campaign launches, AI can be your guide in all things project planning.

How does AI do it? It starts by looking at historical data and analyzing thousands of first-party data points. From there, it will make reliable assumptions and predictions taking consumer demand and behaviors into account. It will also look at what steps will need to be put in place in order to launch the project and assign tasks based on skill level. This way, your team is being utilized in the most resourceful way.

In addition to task scheduling, AI can also generate automatic reports. As a leader or manager, you’ll be able to see in real-time where the project is currently and if it’s on track. It can communicate overarching takeaways and insights and distribute them to key stakeholders along the way. It will even communicate to you if a project is going off-course or if a step needs to be adjusted to reach the deadline on time.

3. Accelerate Decision Making

Making a decision based on gut instinct isn’t always the best, and one wrong decision could be a costly mistake. Thanks to AI, you can either assess your decision before making it or have the software make it for you outright. With its ability to analyze and assess large amounts of data quickly and thoroughly, AI will give you the facts instantaneously. With this information, you can move ahead with a decision knowing that you have the data to back it up.

Even if you currently look at the data before going with your gut, AI will take other variables into account. For example, if you’re looking to launch a new social media campaign only on Instagram it may also pull data on your other social media channels. It may tell you, for instance, that the overlapping audience between Instagram and Facebook is quite small. Deploying the campaign on both platforms may be more advantageous to reach a wider audience.

AI will also be on the lookout for patterns. If a project tends to get tied up in one part of the process, it may make suggestions for how to best improve it. Assigning the task to another team member or even adding someone else to the task additionally may be a beneficial solution. All that said, you don’t always want to rely on AI completely to make all of your decisions. Use it as a checkpoint or second opinion if you’re unsure of how you want to proceed.

Conclusion: How to Choose the Best AI Software

Thanks to the latest advancements in AI, project management is experiencing an exciting time. New tools are emerging every year to help project managers with their day-to-day responsibilities.

When looking for an AI solution, make sure it can handle all of your current needs. A tool that integrates with other work-based applications can make the transition smoother for everyone involved. Ask for a demo beforehand and get feedback from your team directly to see what types of applications will make the most sense. Getting the team aligned from the start and encouraging their collaboration can make a difference in onboarding.