How to manage resource pool allocation and capacity planning

As project managers and PMOs, resource and capacity planning is a critical aspect of project management, as it is essential to have a clear and accurate picture of resource allocation and utilisation to ensure project success. However, tracking resource allocation and utilisation can be challenging. 

The ability to view and toggle between resource headcount number allocation, percentage representing resource utilisation, forecasted and booked hours and a delta view displaying the variance between forecasted and booked hours enables project managers and PMO to gain new insights into their resource allocation and utilisation data. 

Toggling between these views allows project managers and PMO team members the ability to easily answer frequent questions around resource and capacity planning such as "what is the current and future team capacity?", "whats the variance between forecasted effort and actual effort, and how is this impacting financials?", "are resources over/under allocated?" or "how do the hours booked compare to forecasts?".

Access to Resource Dashboards

Resource dashboards provide a view for all resourcing data that project managers can evaluate. To access the resource dashboards, select the Other Dashboards option from a project dashboard.

Once the page opens, navigate to the Resource Dashboards category and select the Resource capacity Dashboard or the Resource Capacity Dashboard with Breakdown.

Resource Dashboard Components (For Expanding Resource Data)

The resource capacity dashboard presents all total allocations summarised per resource, from this view you can drill down into further detail by utilising the functionality in the top right of the section.  

Use the following functionality to expand resource data: 

• Show Resources with Capacity / Show All Resources: Allows you to toggle between viewing resources with capacity and viewing all resources. 
• Expanded View: Allows you to view allocations for the entire calendar year. (Note: this option adds additional options once selected, namely: Expand Projects and Concise View)
• Concise View: displays capacity for resources in the forecasted or coming months. 
• Expand Projects: displays the projects that the resources are allocated to as well as the allocation breakdown. 

 Toggling Between Allocation Components

Headcount

This view displays resource allocation in terms of headcount. More precisely, it shows:

• forecast allocation for open months and how it compares with the maximum resource headcount value
• actual allocation for closed months and how it compares with the forecasted allocation.

You can therefore use this view to see at a glance which resource has capacity, which resource has been over allocated and how the actual allocation compares with the forecasted allocation. You can also use the expanded view to see this breakdown by project.

Percentage (%)

This view displays a percentage-based representation of resource allocation relative to:

• the resource's maximum potential allocation in the case of open months, or 
• to the forecasted monthly allocation in the case of closed months. 

In the first case, it helps to quickly identify if a resource is under utilised (e.g., allocated at 50% of their capacity) or over allocated (e.g., allocated at 110% of their capacity). In the case of closed months, it helps to quickly visualise if a resource overbooked or underbooked time to the project compared to the forecasted allocation.

Hours

The 'Hours' view displays the forecasted and booked hours for each resource broken down by projects. By detailing the exact number of hours each resource is expected to work (forecasted) and the actual hours worked (booked), it gives you a better grasp of how your resources are actually being used across different projects. 

In the above example, you can quickly see that less time was spent on the Network Replacement project than anticipated as the time was spent on the Cloud Migration project instead.

Delta

The 'Delta' view displays the difference between forecasted and booked hours. Providing a clear view of discrepancies between planned resource allocation and actual utilisation, enabling PMs and PMOs to address variances proactively. This view is essential for tracking financials (are the resource costs up or down compared to forecast?) and improving future forecasts.

As part of managing/planning resource capacity and controlling project cost, the resource manager can look forward to these additional benefits: 

• Optimal Resource Utilisation: Viewing resource plan data in various formats makes it easier for resource and project managers to get an idea of resource utilisation across different projects and teams.

• Effective Capacity Planning: Resource plan allocation visibility aids in capacity planning, ensuring that an organisation has the right number of people with the necessary skills to meet current and future demands.

• Enhanced Collaboration and Communication: The ability to switch between views of resource plan data in headcount, capacity, and hourly formats promotes transparency and collaboration among team members and stakeholders, ensuring everyone is on the same page.

• Project Costs: Cost control looks to identify areas where expenses can be reduced or eliminated, increasing the project's overall profitability. By closely monitoring costs, potential cost overruns or budget deviations can then be detected early on, which in turn reduces potential risk.