Resource Allocation

Team members who perform project work:

• Team Members: Full-time employees assigned to the project
• Contractors: External resources engaged for specific project work
• Resource Pools: Groups of resources with similar skills
• Subject Matter Experts: Specialists available for consultation
• Roles: Generic positions that can be filled by specific individuals

Physical assets needed for project activities:

• Tools: Items needed to perform specific tasks
• Machinery: Equipment used in project execution
• Facilities: Physical spaces required for project work
• Vehicles: Transportation resources for project activities
• IT Hardware: Computing and technology equipment

Consumable items required for project execution:

• Raw Materials: Basic inputs for project deliverables
• Components: Pre-made parts used in assembly
• Supplies: Consumable items needed for operations
• Software Licenses: Digital assets required for project work
• Services: External capabilities procured for the project

Monetary resources allocated to the project:

• Budgets: Financial allocations for project activities
• Cost Centers: Accounting categories for resource expenses
• Funding Sources: Origins of financial resources
• Expense Categories: Classification of project spending
• Financial Reserves: Contingency funds for risk management

Determine what resources will be needed for the project:

• Requirements Analysis: Identify types and quantities of resources needed
• Skill Mapping: Define specific capabilities required for tasks
• Resource Catalogs: Browse available resources in the organization
• Role Definition: Create standardized positions for the project
• Resource Breakdown Structure: Hierarchical organization of project resources

Quantify the amount of each resource required:

• Effort Estimation: Determine person-hours needed for activities
• Duration Calculation: Convert effort to calendar time based on allocation
• Material Quantification: Calculate amounts of consumable resources
• Equipment Hours: Estimate time needed for tools and machinery
• Cost Projection: Convert resource needs to financial requirements

Determine when resources will be needed and for how long:

• Resource Calendar: Define availability periods for each resource
• Allocation Timeline: Map resources to project activities over time
• Capacity Planning: Ensure resource availability aligns with demand
• Resource Leveling: Adjust schedules to optimize resource utilization
• Resource Smoothing: Minimize fluctuations in resource demands

Secure access to required resources for the project:

• Team Formation: Assemble the project team from available personnel
• Procurement Planning: Develop strategies to obtain external resources
• Resource Reservations: Secure commitments for resource availability
• Onboarding Processes: Integrate new resources into the project
• Resource Agreements: Document commitments for resource provision

Tools for allocating resources to project work:

• Drag-and-Drop Assignment: Visually assign resources to tasks
• Bulk Allocation: Assign resources to multiple tasks simultaneously
• Skill-Based Matching: Suggest resources based on task requirements
• Partial Allocation: Assign percentage of resource time to activities
• Role-Based Assignment: Allocate by position before specific people
• Team Assignment: Allocate groups of resources as a unit

Ensuring resource availability aligns with project demand:

• Availability Tracking: Monitor when resources can be assigned work
• Utilization Visualization: See how much of each resource's capacity is allocated
• Over-allocation Detection: Identify when resources are assigned beyond capacity
• Capacity Forecasting: Project future resource availability and demand
• What-If Analysis: Model different allocation scenarios
• Resource Conflicts: Identify and resolve competing resource demands

Different ways to visualize resource allocation:

• Resource Grid: Tabular view of allocations across tasks and resources
• Resource Timeline: Gantt-style view showing allocations over time
• Heatmap: Visual representation of allocation intensity
• Resource Histogram: Bar chart showing allocation levels across time periods
• Resource Calendar: Calendar view of resource assignments
• Workload Chart: Visual representation of individual resource assignments

Adjusting project schedule to optimize resource utilization:

• Automatic Leveling: Algorithm-based scheduling adjustments
• Manual Leveling: User-directed resource balancing
• Priority-Based Leveling: Adjust schedule based on task importance
• Constraint-Based Leveling: Respect task dependencies and deadlines
• Cross-Project Leveling: Balance resources across multiple projects
• Impact Analysis: Assess schedule changes from leveling actions

Approaches for optimal resource assignment:

• Critical Path Focus: Prioritize resource allocation to critical tasks
• Skill Optimization: Match task requirements to resource capabilities
• Cost Minimization: Allocate resources to reduce overall project costs
• Just-in-Time Allocation: Secure resources only when needed
• Risk-Based Allocation: Assign best resources to high-risk activities
• Multi-Tasking Management: Control concurrent assignments per resource

Modeling different resource allocation approaches:

• What-If Scenarios: Model different allocation options
• Resource Simulation: Test schedule outcomes with different allocations
• Capacity Scenarios: Assess impact of resource availability changes
• Schedule Compression: Model effect of adding more resources
• Resource Substitution: Evaluate impact of using alternative resources
• Scenario Comparison: Side-by-side analysis of different options

Maintaining comprehensive resource information:

• Skills & Capabilities: Document resource competencies and expertise
• Availability Settings: Define working hours, vacation, and other time off
• Cost Rates: Set standard and custom rates for resource billing
• Resource Categories: Classify resources for easier management
• Performance Metrics: Track historical performance data
• Resource Metadata: Store additional attributes for filtering and reporting

Organizing resources into logical groups:

• Department Pools: Group resources by organizational unit
• Skill-Based Pools: Organize resources by capability
• Location-Based Pools: Group resources by geographic location
• Role-Based Pools: Categorize by job function or position
• External vs. Internal: Separate employee resources from contractors
• Virtual Teams: Create cross-functional resource groups for projects

Managing the resource environment:

• Resource Onboarding: Process for adding new resources to the system
• Permissions & Access: Control who can allocate specific resources
• Resource Calendars: Maintain working time and availability
• Resource Approvals: Workflows for resource request and allocation
• Resource Templates: Standardized definitions for common resource types
• Resource Notifications: Alerts and communications about assignments

Connection with project planning and execution:

• Task Assignment: Resources are allocated directly to project tasks
• Timeline Integration: Resource assignments appear on project schedules
• Dependency Consideration: Resource allocations respect task dependencies
• Project Prioritization: Resource conflicts resolved based on project priority
• Project Templates: Standard resource allocations in project templates

Connection with time tracking and scheduling:

• Timesheet Integration: Time entries linked to resource allocations
• Actual vs. Planned Time: Compare allocated time with actual effort
• Resource Calendars: Working time, holidays, and time off considered
• Capacity Calculation: Available hours derived from calendar settings
• Schedule Synchronization: Changes in schedule update resource needs

Connection with human resource management:

• Skill Database: Employee skills and capabilities for matching
• Performance Data: Historical performance informing assignment decisions
• Career Development: Allocations supporting growth objectives
• Compensation: Resource costs derived from HR compensation data
• Organizational Structure: Reporting relationships and approvals