Can we manage project resources?

The puzzle of human resource management…

Companies are evolving in a fast-changing environment. Organizations are forced to adapt and becoming more flexible. Resources, whether people, materials or finances are essential to project survival and success. But resources are limited. A recent KPMG study showed that a third of failed projects face resource availability problems. The challenge is that of finding a balance between demand and supply.

The quest for greater flexibility

In recent years, project management has changed dramatically. Projects are strategic in nature and companies manage numerous projects simultaneously. The expansion of the geographical framework and new ways of working further complicate human resource management for project delivery.

Human resources and the project

The project manager manages employee availability so that they are available at the right time. It’s akin to putting together a puzzle! In a multi-project context, resource management is even more complex.

Planning

Project leaders plan projects and allocate resources to tasks. The goal is to optimize the use of these resources. Project management software can help provide a global view of resource allocation and availability. The project manager can search for the talents they need in the system. By recording profiles, software can help planning by generating lists of appropriate and available resources for each stage of the project.

Absence management capabilities can enable you to centrally monitor absences, days off and holidays. Updated regularly, good PM software provides a clear picture of the availability of resources and their allocation to the various projects.

Automating project resource management can be done via project management software, which facilitates project planning and aims to optimize the use of resources.

Project tracking and time sheets

Companies that operate by project prefer to analyze and reassess the time if necessary. Time sheets and the integration of day off management, whether they are planned or not, are features that help companies maintain a clear vision of their human resource allocations. All views, charts, and dashboards in project management packages transmit a real-time view and allow adjustments to resource allocations to be made as the project progresses. Project management software indicates potential risks of work overload and unavailability with appropriate notifications. This allows the PM to react quickly and make the required changes.

A question of costs

By maximizing the use of resources, enterprises optimize the results of their greatest asset: employees. Project management software can integrate resource costs and plan the project very precisely in financial terms. In this way, stakeholders can constantly monitor the comparison between the planned budget and the actual budget.

An advantage

With more optimal resource management, creating project teams becomes easier. The teams are then more effective and adaptable. Even if the success of a project doesn’t rely entirely on resource management, it still remains a determining factor. Companies using a resource management tool to simplify project management have an inevitable advantage.

Here are our tips to ensure effective management of project resources:

• Centralize resource management for a comprehensive view and transparency within the organization
• Optimize the use of resources based on project portfolio priorities
• Never separate project planning from your resource capacity
• Strengthen project team culture to improve productivity

For more information on resource management for your projects visit Genius Project’s website.