Project and Portfolio Management (PPM) is at a turning point. Organizations are rapidly adopting AI-driven tools, yet many still struggle to trust these technologies or integrate them meaningfully into day-to-day work.
According to Smartsheet’s 2026 PPM Priorities Report, 97% of PPM professionals are already experimenting with AI, but less than half (46%) feel comfortable allowing AI to operate without human oversight.
This “AI readiness gap” underscores a crucial challenge facing modern PMOs: adoption alone doesn’t equal impact. Without proper governance, integration, and enablement, AI becomes yet another disconnected tool rather than a strategic advantage.
AI Adoption Is High, But Trust Still Lags
Smartsheet’s research uncovered three major tensions shaping the PPM landscape in 2026:
1. AI is available, but not embedded in daily workflows
Executives are using AI at higher rates, but many frontline workers report they rarely use it at all. This uneven adoption often stems from fragmentation: AI is trapped in separate apps rather than inside the tools where teams actually execute work.
2. Excitement and anxiety are rising simultaneously
While 87% of professionals believe AI will positively transform how they work, 74% worry it may replace their job within the next five years. Smartsheet frames the opportunity as redefining AI as a teammate: one that handles repetitive tasks and frees humans for strategic, creative, and judgment-driven work.
3. Tools don’t yet connect work to outcomes
Only 39% of respondents say their tools make it easy to show how their work contributes to outcomes. Fragmented systems make visibility difficult and limit leadership’s confidence in AI-driven decisions. To fully leverage AI, organizations need unified reporting, orchestration, and governance.
Intelligent Work Management: The Path Forward
To solve these challenges, Smartsheet highlights Intelligent Work Management (IWM): a unified, AI-powered approach that aligns strategy, execution, and measurement in one governed platform.
What Makes IWM Effective?
- Embedded AI: AI is built directly into workflows, not siloed in separate tools.
- Enterprise Governance & Auditability: IWM includes controls such as audit trails, rollback features, and security frameworks to manage risk.
- Cross-System Orchestration: Workflows connect across systems, eliminating the friction of disconnected apps.
- Real-Time Outcome Visibility: Unified data, dashboards, and automated reporting highlight the true impact of PPM efforts.
When implemented effectively, IWM unlocks measurable productivity gains, reduces operational risks, and accelerates time-to-delivery for mission-critical initiatives.
How Optimum Helps Organizations Realize the Vision of Intelligent Work Management
As a Smartsheet Platinum Partner, Optimum helps organizations close the AI trust gap and build scalable, governed, intelligent PPM systems. Optimum’s strengths include:
Advanced Smartsheet Implementations
We design and deploy AI-enabled workflows, dashboards, and portfolio systems tailored to your exact needs.
AI & BI Expertise
Our teams bring deep knowledge of artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and enterprise reporting, ensuring you can measure and prove the impact of your PPM investments.
Innovative Integrations
We unify Smartsheet with ERP systems, data warehouses, BI tools, CRMs, and emerging AI platforms, creating a seamless data flow across your business.
Optimum Catalysts (Pre-Built Industry Solutions)
Our industry-specific Smartsheet Catalysts deliver a ready-to-deploy foundation to accelerate time-to-value across Healthcare, Construction, Energy, Government, and more.
Governance, Security, and Change Enablement
We help you adopt AI responsibly, securely, and confidently, ensuring teams understand, trust, and use the tools you provide.
AI Alone Isn’t Enough: Intelligent Work Management Is the Future
The 2026 Smartsheet PPM Priorities Report makes one thing clear: the future of PPM isn’t simply about adopting AI — it’s about embedding AI into a governed, connected, intelligent system that empowers teams at every level.
With the right strategy, organizations can:
build trust in AI
increase adoption across teams
connect work to strategic outcomes
and deliver projects faster, safer, and with greater transparency
Optimum helps organizations make this future real by combining Smartsheet’s powerful IWM platform with deep AI, BI, and integration expertise.
Ready to Transform Your PPM Capabilities?
Optimum can help you deploy AI-ready, enterprise-grade Smartsheet solutions that unlock productivity, visibility, and trust across your organization.
Contact us to get started today!
