As we work with project managers and leaders in the industrial construction industry, we come across different scenarios regarding implementation and deliverable outcomes. But lately, we’ve seen some specific trends that can prove valuable to projects that incorporate both advanced work packaging and agile project methods. These trends are especially important as project management needs to become leaner and faster to meet corporate demands.

Below are five agile-related project management trends for AWP that can help with project progress towards goals, best practices, & AWP adherence.

1. Access Work Schedules in Real-Time

How do you know if your AWP project is on schedule? PMs need the ability to view both the planned and actual schedule data as well as drill down into specific Work Package details to see progress and constraints.

2. Leverage Global Activity Logs

Not only do you need to know what everyone is working on, but you need to know which right tasks your team is working towards. In order to accomplish this, technology project management tools are evolving to become scalable with more global functionalities. These abilities include: importing existing action items​, and providing multiple filtering options like company, due date, user group, discipline, urgency, etc.

3. Manage and Track Deliverables

Databases are becoming more sophisticated where everyone can log in and view the information quickly and easily! In these databases, PMs have the ability to create different approval categories with permissions​. What’s even sexier is being able to configure the auto-status for documents after they are approved or rejected​.

4. Going Fully Digital with Meetings

How much time are you spending in pre and post meeting items? Technology is now giving project leaders and managers more mature data libraries that provide real-time project data management. One of the more common challenges we hear from customers is having to work from multiples spreadsheets with little to no collaboration. Now, all those updates can be imported into easy to view and shareable dashboards with just a few clicks!

5. Automate Goals Tracking

Are you on track with your project goals? Is everyone else on your team on track too? What if we told you that new technology tools give you the ability to tie-in action items and plans with each goal​. More importantly, you can see progress toward a goal based on a measurement of your choice​. And all of this is fully automated.

Overall, these trends are gravitating toward a common theme; global team access with information visibility for all team members. And if your current agile project management tools don’t provide that, then keep looking.