Failure to effectively management project resources often leads to project failure or at least frustration and extra work by project personnel. Most companies, especially those working in the area of software development, use resource management tools to help organize human resources on projects.
Commonly Used Resource Management Tools
Cognitive Technologies Inc. analyzed the tools used by 250 individuals across a broad range of public and private companies in diverse industries. In their company white papers, they report on resource management tools used most frequently in 2009 and again in 2010. They found that the most commonly used resource management tools were Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Project. Many companies had resource management tools created in-house used alone or in conjunction with other tools.
Of the more sophisticated and powerful resource management tools, such as Microsoft Server, Oracle’s Primavera or PeopleSoft Enterprise Resource Management and CA Clarity’s Project and Portfolio Management Software, use was limited to a few, usually large, companies. Organizations, using the more mature and expensive products, reported greater availability of real-time information and better support for decision-making than those companies using Excel or Project.
Selecting Project Management Solutions for Resource Management
Select tools that provide enough detail to make realistic decisions about allocating resources to a single or multiple projects. A manager needs to know when staff is over-committed across multiple projects. A manager also needs to be able to use the resource management tool to identify skilled individuals. To assess project schedule risks, measuring commitments at the task level is required.
After initial data entry into the resource management system for planning and scheduling, project managers must be able to easily update and track individual commitments. The tool must support the project manager’s understanding of project status by providing timely reports. Using an organization-wide tool for resource management allows the project management office or senior managers to make staff assignments based on need and ability, rather than in an ad hoc manner.
Resource management tools and data need to be available to several individuals within the organization either through collaborative sharing on the internet or internal servers. Resource management tools offer powerful assistance in planning, scheduling and tracking resources, but only if users have been trained. Selecting tools that integrate with other software used by project managers for costing and conferencing supports transparency and information sharing.
Without effective resource management tools and information, organizations end up of with over-allocation of key resources and often under-utilization of other resources. This disparity results in poor planning and control, unrealistic deadlines, as well as poorly and inaccurate forecasting.
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