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Planview Customer Success Center

About Managed Resource Staffing

Many organizations use a formal resource request process to allocate resources to projects, rather than simply allowing project managers to allocate their own resources. We refer to this process as "managed" resource staffing.

Users, typically project managers, can request resource staffing for the role demands of these projects, and 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 acted on in a number of ways (see Staffing Scenarios). Your organization gains visibility into requests that are in process as well as having access to metrics such as the time it takes to fulfill staffing requests.

Project-Level Resource Planning vs Task-Level Resource Planning

If you are staffing projects that are in project-level planning mode, then you can propose and staff resources. If a project is in task-level planning mode, then you can only staff resources directly (provided you have permission to staff). Typically, project managers request a large block of time/number of staffing assignments on the project Staffing screen, and then schedules resources to tasks based on those allocations.

If your planning style goes down to the task level, you can remain in project-level mode and add demand, and request/propose resources at that level. Then, schedule the resources to tasks once they are approved and staffed.

Staffing Scenarios

These are the types of things you can do with the managed staffing feature.

  1. Fully staff a request - either with a proposed resource or with a resource of the resource manager's choosing. This is the most common scenario. See Fulfilling Requests.
  2. Staff a portion of a request, leaving the other portion of demand unstaffed. Later, pre-staff and then staff the remaining portion. See Partially Staffing Requests
  3. Staff part of the demand in a request, then deny the rest of the request. See Declining Staffing Requests
  4. Partially staff a request (pre-staff) then change one of the resources to another resource. This should preserve the already defined contour for the changed resource.
  5. Pre-staff a request with two resources, then staff one of the resources leaving the others in pre-staffed state. Later, staff the remaining resource.
  6. Pre-staff a request with two resources, then staff one of the resources leaving the others in pre-staffed state. Later, decline the pre-staffed resource.
  7. Pre-staff a request (partially or fully), then remove all the resources. All the demand goes back to the “resource not staffed” allocation.
  8. Re-route a request. See Routing a Request to Another Staffer.
  9. Shift the start and end dates of an existing staffed allocation without changing the contour of the allocation. See Shifting and Extending Allocations.
  10. Change the contour of an existing staffed allocation. Creates a change request if changes results in increased demand. See Change Requests.
  11. Change both the start and end dates and the contour of an existing staffed allocation. Creates a change request if changes results in increased demand. See Change Requests.

PPM Pro Configuration

There is some PPM Pro configuration necessary before you can use the managed staffing feature. Once the system is set up, project and resource managers can request and staff without interruption. Your PPM Pro administrator will need to do the following:

  1. Create organization hierarchy/units
  2. Configure global staffing profiles that support 3 staffing permissions