Always and under any circumstances, a manager has two main tasks: to make decisions (analyzing all the information coming to him) and to manage subordinates. But if until recently, at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, managers relied only on their own skills, experience, knowledge and intuition, today their toolkit is much wider. The mass use of information technology wherever possible has led to the emergence of software products of three types:
Automated analytics systems. The manager draws information not only from subjective employee reports, but also from objective data stored in CRM, ECM, ERP, BAM and other information systems implemented in the company.
Decision support systems, or DSS. There is no longer any need to do the calculations yourself: DSS take all of this upon themselves and give an assessment of each option, taking into account all the pros and cons.
Behavioural analytics systems. They track the efficiency of work and staff engagement, the emotional state of employees, motivation, and burnout index. With the help of such systems, informal team leaders can be identified.
Modern software is capable some of the key features of band of not only converting a company's operational activities into a digital format and storing this data in a large array (big data), but also analyzing it, and then showing problem areas and suggesting solutions.
Thus, digital systems to some extent simplify the manager's work and change it. Software for digitalization of management:
Accelerates problem detection and helps to quickly develop solutions.
In typical cases, it standardizes management methods.
Makes processes in the company more observable and manageable, and decisions – transparent and predictable.
For this reason, a modern manager, no matter what level, must be able to use big data. This is included in the list of his key competencies, and some experts already consider this skill as basic as mastering office software like Google Sheets and Microsoft Office. Without the basics of programming and cybersecurity, as well as without an understanding of big data, it is no longer possible to fully manage a company's business processes. This list of digital competencies is constantly expanding as the situation changes. At the moment, the differences between the old and new approaches to management are as follows:
Criterion "Analog" management Digital management
Use of artificial intelligence - Decisions are made on its basis.
The Key Role of the Boss Organize, coordinate people Coordinate people, establish communication in a group
Communication format Mostly in-person Mainly network
Criteria for selection for a management position Hard and soft skills Hard and soft skills, digital competencies
How soon should operational decisions be made? In days, hours In minutes
Decision maker An employee who makes decisions on his own AI-powered decision maker
Types of management standards Single, by specific functions Digital
The traditional foundations of management – mainly the soft skills of a manager – do not disappear. The manager’s responsibility is to make the company customer-oriented and practice the principles of humanism as actively or even more than before. Only in this case will the digitalization of project management become a competitive advantage for the company, and not a stone that will drag it down. Both the manager and his subordinates often experience an overload of information, which becomes too much (it is processed by special programs), so it is so important to carefully monitor the state of yourself and the entire team.