A year ago the 2025 PMO data pointed to struggles with prioritization, resource constraints, role misalignment, and limited data visibility. Today AI carries the lead in just about every story.
This year, PM Solutions’ The State of Project Management 2026 is worth a read because it does not confuse AI activity with execution strength. The report shows that AI is clearly moving into project management. Nearly three-quarters of organizations say they use AI-supported practices to help meet their goals, and 82% expect AI to have a great to very great impact on project management by 2030.
But the more important message for executives is this: adding AI does not remove the old execution problems. In many cases, it raises the stakes on them. The same report shows persistent issues in resource management, project prioritization, data visibility, portfolio silos, and weak integration of AI into existing workflows.
Two Findings Leaders Should Pay Attention To
The first is that AI adoption is moving faster than operational readiness. The biggest AI challenge in the report is integrating AI into existing workflows. Data security and privacy, lack of skilled employees trained in AI, lack of a clear AI strategy, and poor data quality are all close behind.
That is an executive issue, not just a technical one. It means many organizations are layering AI onto delivery systems that were already under strain.
The second is that higher-performing organizations still separate themselves through execution fundamentals.
They are:
- more likely to have a PMO in place
- more likely to work at the enterprise portfolio level
- more effective in portfolio risk management
- and far more likely to offer project management-related training.
That is the part of the report that matters most. The winners are not just adopting new tools. They are combining those tools with better portfolio control, stronger execution discipline, and more capable teams.
What This Report Really Says
The report is framed around AI, but the deeper point is older and more important.
New technology does not solve weak execution.
If anything, it exposes it faster.
For executives, that is the real takeaway. AI may improve productivity, reporting, and insight, but it will not fix unclear priorities, weak resource management, siloed portfolios, or inconsistent delivery. Those are still leadership and operating model problems.
That is why this report is worth your time. It shows that the organizations getting better results are not relying on AI alone. They are pairing it with stronger PMOs, better enterprise portfolio management, and more deliberate capability building.
Download the full report from PM Solutions on its official download page.
