Projects are growing more complex, forcing business leaders to keep their team’s skillsets up to date, according to a TwentyEighty Strategy Execution report released on Sunday. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are now staples in the workforce, and predicted to increase in adoption in 2019, meaning project managers must modernize business strategies to keep pace.

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“The nature of project management and leadership work is proliferating–not only geographically, but notably across roles and functions. Project-based work has expanded beyond just the PMO or IT department,” Christoffer Ellehuus, Strategy Execution’s CEO, said in a press release. “We believe that successful execution of strategic projects only happens today when professionals and leaders have the right mix of business, technical, and people skills in combination with the right adaptive mindset.”

The report identified the following 10 ways project management will shift in the next year:

1. Disruptive technologies will continue their trajectory: Being able to predict disruptors is almost impossible, but organizations can better prepare leaders to adapt to whatever the technological future holds.

2. AI and big data will permeate project-based work: Embracing AI and big data is vital for organizations, as these tools can offer new insights and directions for projects.

3. Vendor management and outsourcing will grow: Most project-based workers today manage vendor relationships to some extent. Having adaptive skills and technical knowledge will help these employees better collaborate and problem-solve with vendors.

4. Global context shifts will increase business uncertainty: Leaders must show global awareness and the ability to adapt to external changes.

5. Project teams will migrate to shared platforms: With more emerging technological resources available for project teams, organizations should upskill their project teams to help them adapt easily to new platforms as they come to market.

6. Agile will rise from the tech store to the top floor: Agile will continue to morph from an IT methodology to a valuable asset throughout the enterprise–even at the very top.

7. Managing changes in change management will become paramount: HR is no longer solely responsible for handling changes throughout the business. Instead, employees at all levels are expected to develop the communication and leadership skills needed to help the organization evolve.

8. Curated learning will be on the rise: Employees today are having to both learn new skills on the job and keep up with daily tasks. Professional development initiatives and training will start increasing, in an effort to help the business and team progress.

9. Project management will boom in developing nations: Project management-related roles will experience unprecedented growth over the next 10 years, mostly in India and China. As projects continue expanding throughout the global market, project management will grow to support these initiatives.

10. Supply chain complexity will mount: Companies today are expected to deliver products more efficiently than ever before. This demand adds pressure to the traditional supply chain and requires leaders to have the right skill sets that can handle these new complexities.

The big takeaways for tech leaders:

  • Adaptive skillsets are necessary for the future of project management teams. — TwentyEighty Strategy Execution, 2019
  • AI and big data are two of the driving factors forcing project teams to upskill. — TwentyEighty Strategy Execution, 2019