The 5 Pillars of Resource Management Solutions

Resource management is an art form that requires an excellent understanding of how the parts of a project come together to create a successful product or service. While resource management has never been simple, the larger and more complex businesses of today are becoming increasingly difficult to manage and include more individual pieces than ever before. In an effort to simplify the process, professional services leaders have incorporated resource management services software solutions that take the load off managers and teams while still operating at their peak of operations.

Resource management solutions are designed with a wide array of tools and features that can be used to create a centralized hub that monitors and evaluates different facets of the resource management process. From preliminary resource capacity planning to comprehensive and accurate time tracking, resource management software solutions can simplify and improve the resource management process.

Understanding the five pillars that compose the most effective resource management solutions can help you make an informed choice about which software is right for you and how it can be implemented in your professional services organization’s daily processes.

1. Resource Capacity Planning

One of the cornerstones of successful resource management is accurate and detailed resource capacity planning. Beyond just managing resources, project managers have to be able to accurately estimate the amount of work that can be done with their current resources, as well as what additional resources need to be brought in to complete a project. This can be extremely difficult when done manually, often with a spreadsheet. We like to think that we’re capable of holding all the figures and variables in our head at once, but error is inevitable.

With a resource management solution, resource capacity planning becomes a much simpler process. Managers can accurately assess what resources they have, how they can be implemented, and what if any resources needed to be added to the project, all based on calculations and insights automatically created by the software. Additionally, resource management solutions provide premade project templates that can help create project timelines and correctly estimate scope.

2. Data Integration

Resource management requires working knowledge of how resources are being utilized on their own and how they interact with other resources. Depending on the resource in question, such as full-time employee vs freelance hire, this type of data can come in many forms and from many sources, making it difficult to compare and analyze project progress and performance.

Resource management solutions that offer data integration provide a centralized hub that can collect and analyze data from a variety of sources and then compile this data in a singular platform. Rather than frequently referring to other data tracking programs, resource management software solutions provide one optimized platform that allows you to see how resource performance and interaction is influencing the state of a project.

3. Resource Management Automation

In addition to its complexity, resource management can be a time-consuming process. Resource managers need to be constantly aware of any and all changes regarding a project’s progress so they can adjust and allocate resources as needed. Without frequent reevaluation of the project’s status and resource use, resource managers can be blindsided when something goes wrong, causing further issues and project delays.

With a modern resource management solution, project status updates and progress reports can be set to be automatically generated to keep project managers in the loop. These updates can be scheduled periodically (such as weekly in order to see progress from week to week) or set to report in response to changes in data, task completion, or estimated project timeline. As a result, project managers can reduce the time spent monitoring resource management, knowing that they’ll receive updates in real time.

4. Team Communication

From resource managers assigning tasks and directing employees to frequent progress reports and communication between team members, communication is an integral part of resource management. However, it can be difficult to maintain communication throughout the course of a project. Emails can easily fall through the cracks, or crucial team members can be left off the communication chain.

A strong resource management solution can provide a single interface to track and report resource usage and project progress. If a task requires multiple departments to collaborate, this platform allows them to freely share information and pass tasks along as needed. Additionally, a resource management solution can be used to assign tasks that can then be viewed all in one place instead of being lost or forgotten.

5. Time Tracking

One of the most difficult resources to track and manage is time. As an abstract resource, there is no physical component to track like there is with inventory or production materials. Resource managers are often at the mercy of time being reported incorrectly (either in amount or the task title). Errors in time tracking can cause resource managers to have a skewed view of a project’s progress, and may cause them to allocate resources inefficiently or disrupt the project timeline.

By tracking time within a dependable resource management solution,, resource hours can become more comprehensive and accurate. Traditional time tracking may only include total hours worked without attributing time to individual tasks. Resource management solutions can create individual project tasks and allow team members to actively record their time from task to task. Resource managers can then use this information to reallocate time and labor to sectors that are struggling to stay on pace. Likewise, resource managers also gain insight into what tasks are taking longer than they should be to complete.

Take the Guesswork Out of Resource Management

The Kantata Professional Services Cloud offers a suite of resource management tools and much more to support your professional services business. Learn more about how Kantata can give your business the pillars of support it needs and make the jump from managing to thriving.