Managing Multiple Projects Simultaneously is a Huge Burden
Project management has become indispensable in today's world. With the multitude of projects and initiatives within organizations, project managers now have to oversee multiple projects simultaneously. In many cases, the resources to be allocated are scarce, leading to overload and dissatisfaction among all involved. This situation, combined with ambitious goals and time pressure, often negatively impacts the mental health of project managers and the quality of project management.
A significant portion of a project manager's daily tasks now involves administrative duties, such as collecting, structuring, and interpreting data and information. For example, only through consistent resource planning can peak loads be identified. Only through extensive collection of lessons learned can other projects, programs, and portfolios learn from mistakes. And only through regular risk assessment from all perspectives can risks be mitigated early.
AI agents to lighten the load
To provide relief in this area, there are now intelligent support systems in the form of AI agents, in addition to traditional guidelines and checklists. AI agents are software solutions capable of independently performing tasks and making decisions. In the context of project management, they can take over manual tasks such as creating protocols, filling task lists, recording risks, developing mitigations, and calculating probabilities. They can also analyze errors and provide solutions. According to studies by Campana & Schott, this can save project managers up to 20% of their time each day.
Practical Example: How AI Agents Transform Risk Management in Everyday Project Life
AI agents show their full potential, especially in risk management: they enable early identification of risks and derivation of informed measures without project teams needing extensive forecasting skills or additional effort.
Imagine a new project is initiated. In the past, project managers of similar projects would have been contacted to gather experience – provided one knew of their existence or they were still with the company. But what if the project took place in another region or years ago?
This is where AI agents come into play: they act like an experienced colleague who never leaves the company, has access to relevant internal data, and can derive context-based recommendations. Even the collection of new information can be supported by the agent – for example, through the structured collection of risk assessments within the team. And on top of that, thanks to their integration within the Microsoft ecosystem, there’s no risk of security breaches.
In practice, a project brief is now sufficient to activate the AI agent. It analyzes comparable projects, identifies known risks, extrapolates new ones across departmental boundaries, and provides concrete indications of probabilities, cost consequences, and proven countermeasures. This makes risk management not only more efficient but also an integral part of project initiation.
Building Your Own AI Agents with Microsoft Copilot Studio
Thanks to tools like Microsoft Copilot Studio, you can create your own low-code and high-code agents and tailor them individually. Simpler solutions can be built with the Microsoft Copilot Studio Agent Builder without any programming knowledge.
The use of Copilot Agents significantly eases the work of project managers and line employees. They can focus on strategic tasks and spend less time on administrative activities. This leads to higher quality project management and better mental health for employees.
The future of project management lies in intelligent support from Copilot Agents. They enable more efficient and stress-free work and contribute to the successful completion of projects.
