Project Management, Technology, Thought Leadership

Work Smarter, Not Harder: How AI Is Helping Project Managers Win Back Hours Every Week

Written by  Jordan Perkins

As a Project Manager at a digital agency, you can bet I’m paying close attention to the AI boom. It’s reshaping the digital landscape and redefining what it means to manage projects in this industry. My inbox is filled up with webinars, newsletters, and think pieces about the latest tools, and I’m constantly evaluating how AI can help me work smarter, whether that means improving client outcomes, streamlining internal processes, or making my own day-to-day more efficient.

For me, that means looking at the routine responsibilities that quietly consume the most time such as reviewing Jira backlogs and creating tickets, monitoring budgets and tracking overages, updating GANTT timelines, and cleaning up and sending out meeting notes. These are the areas where I’m eager to see AI meaningfully lighten the load so I can spend more time focusing on strategic conversations.

And the AI potential really is exciting, even if the tools sometimes miss the mark. What’s increasingly clear is that AI is reshaping not only the role of a Project Manager but also how I approach my work day to day. My goal is to share a snapshot of my takeaways so you can learn from my early experiments as you dive deeper into the evolving world of AI and project management.

What’s Already Working for Me

Semantic Search and Generative AI

ChatGPT has become my daily sidekick. I subscribe to the Plus plan and it’s worth every penny. I use it to clean up communications and ensure my messages are clear and professional. It’s a lifesaver for writing outlines for blogs, RFPs, web copy and presentations, and for analyzing documents for consistency in voice and tone.

It’s also helped me build tools I never thought I could. Using ChatGPT, I wrote a script that scrapes the web for industry articles and automatically emails my team a weekly digest of relevant news; all custom-built, fully automated, and free to run. Not bad for a non-developer!

Meeting Recording and Transcription

Fathom AI Notetaker has been my game-changer of the year. It lets me focus on conversations instead of scrambling to take notes. After each meeting, I receive an email summary with key points, assignees, and next steps.

What used to take me an hour to clean up and send out the meeting recap now takes 15 minutes.

Plus, I can revisit recordings anytime for a refresher.

Tools That Are Almost There

Jira

At Oomph, we use Jira for task and project management. AI integrations in Jira are rolling out fast, and while some features aren’t fully baked yet, the potential is huge. For example, the “Set to Recur” automation currently only goes two weeks out (most of my recurring tickets are monthly), but I can see where this is headed.

Jira Automation is already a PM’s dream, though formatting rules still require HTML. I’d also love a more flexible timeline and built in reporting, such as deeper metrics on time analysis, recurring task insights, or reports that identify duplicate efforts and estimate accuracy trends. More intelligent AI-driven reporting is coming soon, and it promises to make project analysis even sharper. I’m looking forward to seeing how these enhancements unfold and impact my efficiency.

Zapier

Although I’m not a habitual Zapier user, I have explored it for cross tool integrations at Oomph. Zapier’s interface is intuitive and its library of integrations keeps expanding. Most of them work beautifully, except, in my case, the Bamboo-to-Slack connection. Even with documentation and ChatGPT’s help, I needed to loop in a developer. Still, when it works, it really works.

Design Tools

As a Project Manager I’m not regularly using design tools. I leave that to the experts. However, part of my role is to be a servant leader, which means ensuring that my team members are also elevating their skills and learning cutting edge AI design tools. I had the opportunity to pilot a few of these design tools with a designer colleague and it was quite eye opening. 

Tools like Lovable.ai and Adobe XD are poised to revolutionize design discovery and prototyping. Design tools can now spin up mood boards, style tiles, and even code-ready layouts in minutes. The caveat? AI outputs often look a bit homogenized and don’t always come to the best solutions for business’s and user’s design problems. That’s where agencies need to shine, adding the human creativity, nuance, and storytelling that make a brand truly stand out.

As a bonus, I now have a few design tools I can rely on whenever I need to create a quick visual for my team.

Tools That Still Have Some Catching Up to Do

Presentation Decks

I was really hopeful here. While AI can generate strong outlines and talking points, its design and layout capabilities still lag behind. So far, I’ve tried ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google Slides, all free versions, and none have hit the mark. A colleague recently recommended that I check out Gamma, which is now on my list to explore. But based on my personal experience, I’m guessing paid tools perform better. For now this is still an area where a human touch makes all the difference. Plus, actually writing the content and building the deck myself helps me internalize the material and prepares me far better for the presentation. Relying too heavily on AI risks creating distance between me and the content, and that can show in the room.

Here’s where I’m getting my AI fix:

With AI news coming at us from every direction, I keep a short list of reliable newsletters that help me stay sharp without getting overwhelmed:

The Road Ahead

I know I’ve only scratched the surface. There are countless AI tools I haven’t discovered yet, and new ones launching daily. I’m trying to pace myself, focusing on tools that fit naturally into our existing tech stack and genuinely save time. Plus, subscription fatigue is real; not every shiny new app is worth the monthly fee.

Eventually, I expect we’ll see consolidation. With so many tools flooding the market, an “AI implosion” feels inevitable, where smaller platforms merge or get absorbed by bigger players. (Case in point: Google Calendar’s new Booking Pages feature gives Calendly a run for its money.)

As AI continues to evolve, so will the role of the Project Manager. Those who embrace experimentation and balance efficiency with human insight will be the ones leading the next wave of digital transformation. Stay curious and keep experimenting.

Related tags: Emerging Technology

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More about this author

Jordan Perkins

Senior Digital Project Manager

As a Digital Project Manager at Oomph I love building and fostering relationships with both my team and clients, which ultimately leads to delivering amazing work. Organization, close communication and transparency are the key to co-creating work that everyone is proud of. I truly enjoy the dynamic essence of the advertising world that allows me to work on a variety of projects and work with clients and team members located all over the world.

I have extensive experience in the digital agency world and have worked on a wide variety of projects including strategizing and delivering end to end marketing strategies, traditional broadcast media and digital solutions. I’ve had the pleasure of working with both mom and pop shops and mega conglomerates.

Outside of work you’ll catch me outdoors with my family. Located in San Diego, I take advantage of the beautiful year-round weather, whether it’s taking a long walk around a lake, playing at the park, exploring the city or digging my toes into the sand at the beach. When I’m not outdoors you’ll find me reading a book while snuggled up with my fluffy Persian Bellatrix.