Stepping Into Resource Management

Resource Fields

• Immediate Supervisor - This is not a required field but it is important to complete if you want another person to be able to view this resource in their Home/Resources workbench view so that they can monitor work utilization and adjust project allocations. The Immediate Supervisor can also edit their resource's record and capabilities, except for rate information (this last bit is only editable by members of the Resource group). 
• Timesheet Approver - If the resource will need to track their time and you have a manual timesheet approval process, you'll want to ensure you choose for Timesheet Approver the user who will be doing this resource's timesheet approvals. You'll also want to make sure that this resource is made a user type of T&E/Time User or Full User so that they can enter timesheet data (see further below about users).
  • A note about time tracking...time tracking is not the end all be all, even though it provides many benefits. If you are not already tracking time in your organization you can implement it in phases. Start with high level resource planning (below), which provides the visibility to see what is really being asked of your organization. Follow with time tracking, using timesheet data to improve on overall project outcomes and planning cycles. Worried about user reactions to time tracking? See Encouraging Adoption by Time Users and Timesheet Approvers for ideas.
• Primary Role - This is a required field because it describes what the person's main function is within your organization; this is the role that the resource normally performs on projects. This is used:
  • When assigning resources to projects, in project Staffing and the Home/Resources workbench. For example, when you select to add a resource to a project's staffing, the primary role is listed next to the resource so that you can sort.
  • To identify where the resource fits in capacity and demand calculations and analysis and within Predictive Portfolio Analysis (PPA) optimization (see further below for both of these).
• Capacity Multiplier - This is a required field that allows you to adjust the resource's capacity according to their true availability. PPM Pro determines capacity from the resource calendar, and then multiplies it by the value in the Capacity Multiplier field. The capacity multiplier facilitates high level planning. For example, you might want:
  • a single resource to represent a team of 5 people (as far as capacity, for example, as an Agile team that can be assigned to projects), you use 5 in the capacity multiplier
  • to reduce capacity by 20% to account for administrative time, use .8 in the capacity multiplier
  • a resource to have no capacity, for example the resource is in the system only so they can approve requests and they are never available to be scheduled to work, then use zero (0) because you don't want to inflate the capacity of that person's role or show this person as available when searching for a resource
• Capacity Start Date - This is usually the date the person was hired and can have capacity. However, if you need to buffer for getting the resource up to speed or if the resource really shouldn't be assigned to projects or considered in capacity and demand analysis yet, then enter a date that accommodates those needs; whatever date you entered is when the resource will be counted as available for work within PPM Pro.
• Today's Internal Rate Table or Internal Rate - The internal rate determines how much a resource costs, so that when they are added to a project the resource cost to that project can be calculated. For new resource entry you must enter a rate or select an internal rate table, but this can be changed later as needed.

Related Elements

• Unit and the Unit Hierarchy - The Organization Hierarchy is a tool for organizing resources and creating a management structure in the PPM Pro system. It is comprised of units (like departments), managers, and unit members/resources. Your entire organization can be represented in the organization hierarchy even if you are not currently tracking their work.  This allows for fast adoption in other departments when the time comes. Aside from the value of reflecting your organization structure, having all of your resources within the organization hierarchy is also a great way to grant permissions to users, such as a Global rule for managing resources or performing staffing, as well as for adding a unit of resources to groups and project teams. When a resource is created they must be assigned to a unit. Although they can be reassigned to another unit later, it is helpful to have the basic unit structure setup before resources are added.

• Groups - Groups can be set up at a later time, but are worth thinking about up front - user resources can be added to groups, which in turn are used when assigning permission profiles to multiple users at one time, as well as for adding a group of users to project teams or field restrictions.

• Skills Profile (skills and secondary roles) - Skills profile also can be set up at a later time, but it is also worth thinking about. As mentioned earlier, this is a section within an individual resource's view that allows you to set up specific skills a person has as well as additional organization roles. The skills can be used when performing an advanced search in the Find Resource modal when staffing. Secondary roles can also be used when finding resources for staffing as well as when performing PPA optimization (see further below).

Project (top down) or task (bottom up) planning mode?

All projects have a resource planning mode that can be set at project creation and adjusted later as needed.

• Project planning mode
  • Is typically high-level planning; you may or may not know who will work on the project, but you are likely to know what kind of roles will need to be filled. Usually you would choose Project planning mode when you need to have role and resource allocations in place at the project level for further analysis and approval, when others in the organization will be doing staffing or staffing approvals, or when you need to represent demand before having detailed project task work breakdown structures.
  • Allows you to staff roles and resources, including the ability to specify rates, dates, and headcount or hours.
  • Allows you to optionally schedule resources to tasks, including estimated role hours, estimated scheduled resource hours, and estimated resource hours to complete (HTC).
  • If you save or have a project in Task planning mode you can still switch to Project planning mode through the Re-Plan option on the Staffing view.
• Task planning mode
  • Is typically low-level planning; you have your detailed task work breakdown structure and are building your demand off of this information. Usually you would choose Task planning mode when you already have approval or don't need approval for resource allocations, have a detailed task plan, and want to schedule resources to those tasks.
  • Allows you to schedule resources to tasks, including estimated role hours, estimated scheduled resource hours, and estimated resource hours to complete (HTC). High-level project staffing is automatically created for you and can NOT be edited; project-level staffing of roles and dates are derived from the task-level planning, but you will not be able to specify rates at the project level.
  • If you save or have a project in Project planning mode you can still switch to Task planning mode through the Re-Plan option on the Staffing view.

Resource staffing in hours or headcount?

Project staffing demand can be expressed in either hours or headcount (this is changed through the Staffing view Settings modal).

• Hours - If representing all of your project resource work directly in hours is more meaningful, go for it! For example, a resource could be allocated to work 80 hours on a project. All project-level staffing data is stored in hours so there are no conversions.
• Headcount - If you prefer to represent allocations as a percentage of time a resource will be working, then headcount is the way to go. For example, a resource could be assigned to work half-time or 50% on a project when allocated as 0.5 headcount.
• Note that when in project-level planning mode you can enter Total Hours or Headcount for each staffing allocation and/or can contour allocated hours and headcount to vary over your time interval (weekly, monthly) as needed.
  • Tip: Express allocations in either hours or headcount, but do this consistently across all of your allocations; do not switch back and forth between hours and headcount or between intervals when creating resource allocations. This is because the unit and interval you plan in might have an impact on calculations if you later shift or extend dates.
• A project calendar's working hours and events will impact allocations. For this and related information, see Expressing Demand - Allocation Units and Resource Planning Terms and Influences.

Direct or managed staffing?

There are various approaches to who can staff resources, from simply allowing project managers to staff directly, to having the resource's manager perform the staffing, to having a centralized management team with a formal request process do the staffing, to a mix of these.

• Direct only staffing
  • Is typically how staffing is performed within PPM Pro. Usually this approach is taken whenever there is not a formal resource management process such that project and resource managers can staff as desired.
  • Users with appropriate permissions (for example a project owner or a user on a project team with Project > Edit > Staffing permission) can add staffing entries directly from within relevant project views and the resource workbench (more on these below).
  • Benefits include immediate staffing and no special configuration other than basic staffing permissions.
  • Challenges include a user could staff inappropriately or without a resource manager's or project manager's knowledge, and without considering capacity and priorities.
  • Works in either project-level or task-level resource planning modes.
• Managed staffing
  • Users, typically project managers, can request resource staffing for the role demands of their projects, with the option of requesting specific resources. Resource staffing requests are routed to the appropriate resource managers based on your organization's resource staffing approval needs, where they can be fulfilled in a number of ways.
  • Benefits include visibility into requests that are in process as well as having access to metrics such as the time it takes to fulfill staffing requests, documented workflow history, more accurate and controlled resource management.
  • Challenges include the need for dedicated staffers/schedulers, others relinquishing control, and the staffing process may take longer. Also, relevant permissions and routing options will need to be configured.
  • Works best for projects that are in project-level resource planning mode, in order to take advantage of staffing requests capabilities. For projects that are in task-level planning mode, you will need to ensure that relevant users have the Staff Directly permission as staffing requests cannot be used because the Project Staffing view is non-editable (there are no add or request resource functions). 
  • Note that even with managed staffing, you can still allow some users to staff directly while others need to request staffing. Use Managed staffing and just ensure relevant users have the Staff Directly permission.
  • This capability is not on by default within PPM Pro; to have it turned on, please submit a Support Case to Customer Care.

Project Staffing View

Project managers or users who tend to work primarily within projects will find the project Staffing view to be the best place for managing staffing. For projects that include a Staffing view and are in project-level planning mode, permitted users can:

• Add role demand
• Staff resources directly, when not using Managed Staffing

• Propose resource, staff resource directly, or submit resource requests, when using Managed Staffing

Tasks Scheduling View

Project managers and users in charge of detailed task work breakdown structures will want to use the Task Scheduling view. Permitted users can schedule resources to tasks so long as the tasks' categories include Scheduling, using the:

• Inline task scheduler in the task grid
• Task Scheduling tab in the right hand side for a selected task
• Task Actions > Bulk Schedule Resources menu option for a selected task

Note again that if you are using project-level planning mode, the resources and roles presented to you in these tools are driven off the allocations created in the Staffing screen. You have the option to find resources and assign roles outside of those allocations through task scheduling; allocations will be created automatically for those resources that do not already have allocations. Note that allocations cannot be created automatically for tasks with a duration greater than 10 years. You would have to create the allocation manually on the Staffing screen, and then create the schedule.

If you are using task-level planning mode you typically have no allocations to start with. The Resource and Role lists presented in these tools are driven off of project Team members; you have the option of finding roles and resources outside of the team. After you create the schedule, a corresponding allocation is recorded on the Staffing screen (in read-only mode).

Resource Workbench

Resource managers and users who tend to consider staffing from the resource point of view will likely want to use the Home/Resources, or Resource Workbench, view. The workbench provides a single place to view/edit/delete allocations across many (open) projects, allowing resource managers to make allocation edits in bulk, rather than visiting the staffing page for each project allocation. Users with appropriate permissions (project owner or on project team with Project > Edit > Staffing permission, if using Managed Staffing, must have Staff Directly permission) can add staffing entries directly from the resource workbench to projects that are configured to use project-level planning. Projects in task-level planning are read only and can not have staffing entries added to them.

Resource Staffing View (Managed Staffing Only)

Resource managers and users who are using managed staffing, with the need to view all staffing requests that have been routed to them, will want to use the Resources Staffing view. In addition to fulfilling requests, within this view a resource manager can modify, reject, or route a request to a different staffing manager. The Resource Staffing screen is similar to the project Staffing screen, but has additional features for analyzing capacity and fine-tuning allocations.