Oliver Schonschek is an IT journalist and technology consultant. Together with Dr. Andreas Bergler, he thought about IT security in an article for the "IT Business" website. He poses the question of whether and to what extent digitization represents a security risk for IT. Digitalization has many advantages and is, of course, unstoppable. In some areas it is progressing at a rapid pace, in others at a leisurely pace, and in some cases is developing in unexpected directions. In many areas, digitization reduces production and wage costs, while productivity increases and new products and services continue to conquer the market. Thanks to digitization, new markets can be opened up and sales increased. Digitisation also brings with it some challenges. IT specialists must be trained and further educated, because hardly any sector develops faster than the IT sector, which has long penetrated all other sectors.

Digitisation is THE subject in all industries and almost everyone notices its effects in their workplace directly and indirectly. Especially in an industry like project management you have to adapt to new technologies and digital gadgets almost monthly. A modern project manager is expected to be familiar with the latest methods and technical tools. The effects of digitization are manifold. People, society and the environment often feel changes delayed and not immediately, because digitization is progressing slowly and step by step, so that it is often only in retrospect that everything that has changed in recent years can really be recorded. Anyone who calls a hotline, for example, no longer expects to hear a human voice. Long (more or less) intelligent software has taken over here.

Two professors from the Technical University of Berlin conducted a study in which they investigated trends in project management. Future trends up to 2025, i.e. for the coming years, were observed and analysed. Among the 14 different trends identified was also the statement that there was a tendency for more and more women to discover the professional field of project management. Employment statistics show that more and more female project managers have been found in recent years and it looks as if this development is set to continue. This is probably mainly due to the fact that the trend may indeed intensify significantly, because we are still far from seeing as many women as men flock to this field of employment. But why is that and how will this trend continue?

Networking is a term that has become increasingly important in the professional environment and in project management in recent years. Networking itself has changed dramatically with the emergence of individual social media of different orientation. However, the term networking basically means managing all relationships that exist in the professional environment, not only on social platforms, but especially personally. Networking competence and relationship management are among the soft skills expected of a successful project manager, because they are often crucial for the success of projects. Relationships must be established, maintained and cultivated in order to be able to benefit from them for oneself, one's own career and one's projects.

Particularly at a time when projects are becoming more and more complex, when project managers have to achieve goals that cannot be achieved by conventional means and which in many areas require a high degree of creativity and flexibility, good management is important and crucial for success. Customers are pushing for the shortest possible project duration and rapid results. At the same time, frequent changes during the project within the framework of agile management also challenge experienced project managers. In addition to the continuous adaptation of project progress and project goals, project managers indicate outdated plans, misunderstandings in the project team and problems that are recognised too late as frequent sources of error.

Project managers have to conduct numerous conversations after a project has been completed. Some of them can be unpleasant, for example, if customers need to be informed that not all of their requirements could be met or if it is necessary to point out some mistakes to a member of the team. It is important in these kinds of situations for project managers to find a happy medium to ensure that the conversation is conducted in an assertive way, whilst remaining polite and professional. It is vital that project managers regard each conversation as an individual case and avoid using generic phrases. When conducting these kinds of conversations, it can make a difference whether the person you are speaking with has been working in project management for a while or whether this person is a newcomer to the profession.

While some are thrilled by the endless possibilities of digitalisation, others are driven by the fear of missing the connection. Finally, digitisation, i. e. the transformation of analogue structures into digital structures, will have a massive impact on our professional lives, which is not only announced by numerous studies but also proved in reality. Digitisation does not stop at project management either, but will have a noticeable impact on the work of project managers and the organisational form of companies. In a three-part series, we describe the impact of digitisation on project management, project managers and organisations.

There is clearly no doubt that certain types of behaviour and good conduct are indispensable and vital to ensure the success of projects in the business world and in project management. However, in an international environment it is usually not enough to simply behave well in accordance with your own patterns of behaviour and standard norms of etiquette. Whoever works in an international team must ensure they are familiar with the subtle details concerning the habits and customs of other cultures and what is considered to be polite behaviour. This does not just apply when business relationships are established with countries such as China and India. Even having contact with the UK, France or the Czech Republic means having to get to grips with the cultural context of another country.

In their online blog CIO, Florian Maier and Thor Olavsrud have described their views on the ten steps that have been devised to achieve successful digital transformation. As many firms are currently having to get to grips with the challenges presented by digital transformation, any tips given by experts are always welcome. This article focuses on the views these two experts hold on digital transformation and examines the different suggestions they are able to offer to businesses. Digital transformation plays an important role wherever new business models are expected to be introduced or new processes established. New technologies help to drive businesses forward and ensure they remain competitive. However, these new technologies must also be introduced and applied in clever and meaningful ways.

The third edition of the bestseller Lego4Scrum appeared in book shops at the beginning of this year. Alexey Krivitsky originally published his Lego4Scrum approach in 2009 and he has been developing it ever since. His third book on the subject is now available and is again enjoying great popularity. The third edition particularly stands out because it is even more comprehensive than its predecessors. The foreword has been written by acclaimed author and Agile and Lean coach Henrik Kniberg. The book does not just provide a summary of all the instructions that should be followed when conducting Lego4Scrum workshops, but it also provides accounts of individual experiences people across the world have had when using this concept over recent years.

For the IAPM a successful year is coming to an end, a lot of projects could be kicked off or completed. Besides the already existing free of charge PM guides for classic, agile and international project management, the “White book for Hybrid Project Management” was published in may. This White Book unites the worlds of the classic and the agile project management and thus offers project managers in this sector an optimal, independent guideline. In contrast to other guides this does not represent a basis for certification. IAPM entered into a timely partnership with the Industrie- und Handelskammer Bayern (Bavarian Chamber of Commerce) Graduates of the Project Manager IHK training programme now have the possibility of submitting their certificate to the IAPM and having this recognised internationally without any further examination.

This article features an exciting contribution from Nagesh Sharma. He is a Scrum Trainer who instructs companies and managers on ways in which they can engage with the subject of communication and values in Scrum in order to drive their projects forward. He wrote an article on this subject on the B2C Business 2 Community blog in order to sensitise project managers around the globe. Nagesh Sharma explains the skills he believes are important for Scrum Masters and their teams. He also reviews tools and tricks that he uses in companies as part of his training programmes. Nagesh Sharma refers to Albert Mehrabian who separates interpersonal communication into three areas: words, voice and body language. It is often the case that only approximately 7% of communication is the result of what is actually spoken.