Over three quarters of project professionals in the UK manufacturing sector are implementing artificial intelligence (AI) as part of their everyday processes, according to a new survey by the Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered membership body for the project profession.
The survey of 1,000 project professionals, carried out by national research company Censuswide, demonstrates the growing benefits of AI adoption in the project profession.
Adoption of AI tools has been seen across all sectors, with the manufacturing sector leading the way with 78% of project managers stating AI has been integrated into project management processes at their organisation. This is closely followed by Financial Services seeing a 77% adoption rate, and Aerospace & Defence and Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals both at 75%.
Professor Adam Boddison OBE, Chief Executive of APM, said, “AI is a hot topic in all industries, sectors, and professions. This research goes to show the project profession is a leader when it comes to using AI for positive change. The emerging technology is already having a significant impact on projects, and we expect this to continue for the foreseeable future.
“Furthermore, following Kier Starmer’s promise to fast-track decisions on major infrastructure projects, the use of AI throughout this could be essential. The implementation of AI provides the opportunity to significantly improve the prospects of projects of all scopes and scales being delivered on time, to cost, and to quality.”
Survey respondents identified specific areas where AI tools have even greater potential to enhance project management outcomes. Performance analysis emerged as the top area for improvement potential, cited by 28% of respondents. This was followed by data analysis at 26%, and administration tasks, such as form-filling & record-keeping, at 25%.
The findings demonstrate that AI is proving particularly valuable in streamlining time-consuming manual tasks, enhancing the accuracy of data analysis, and providing project managers with the insights needed to support strategic decision-making processes.
Professor Adam Boddison OBE continued, “By automating manual processes and enhancing analytical capabilities, AI can help organisations deliver projects more efficiently and effectively.
“However, as adoption increases, it’s important that project professionals take the lead in ensuring AI tools are used responsibly and ethically. By doing so, we can unlock even greater potential for AI to support project delivery across all sectors.”