Basic Insight into Resource Planning

Overview

Focusing on how to best use people to achieve the essential helps organisations drive themselves forward in the modern world economy. Without a realistic view of who makes up your workforce, how much time your people have to spend on activities, and what they need to get the job done, your project and business plans just will not succeed.

The Importance of true Resource Planning is growing.

In the current environment, organisations are under increasing pressure to deliver innovative, technologically advanced solutions with shrinking budgets. As a result, resources must be fully utilised and efficiently focused at any given time. This is, of course, is not just 'People Resources' but all resources within the business.

Key Challenge

The key challenge is recognising that high resource utilisation is not an indication of good resource management and indeed is usually a sign of poor resource planning (though not always).

To combat this you have to ensure that all resources are focused and aligned to strategic corporate goals/agenda and not fall into the trap of over-committing staff to the point whereas an organisation you limit growth and innovation.

8 Resource Management Best Practice Tips (taken from planview.com and callcentrehelper.com)

1. Understand which resources are in short supply and focus on them

2. Agree on a common approach to prioritizing work across shared resources

3. Embrace different ways of working across the organization and resources

4. Realize resource management is an ongoing process

5. Manage work and resources uses a blend of granularities

6. Plan work

7. Account for non-project time

8. Keep your most valuable assets and resources productive and happy