Imagine you’re building a rocket. You are so eager, you purchase the raw materials immediately and begin construction, under the assumption everything else will fall into place and you don’t need resource planning. Then you find out your team isn’t so ready. Some are preoccupied with other projects or entirely unavailable, and even some of the machines you require are being utilized elsewhere. You’re left with a half-complete rocket, and no end in sight.
Without proper planning, projects may never come to fruition or may end up causing more harm than good to your organization. In this blog series, I will highlight the tips covered in the whitepaper, 10 Tips for Better Resource Planning, so you can maximize the use of your valuable resources. These tips will help you gain visibility into your organization, allowing you to optimize allocation methods and improve efficiency. Let’s go ahead and dive into the first five:
- Be sure you have rocket fuel—check that you have adequate resources to give you a reasonable chance of success. Trade-offs may need to be made if multiple projects need the same resource.
- Install some windows—you need to see if you are headed in the right direction. Be sure to have a “true” picture of your resource capacity, rather than working based on estimates.
- Stay focused on the stars—don’t waste time on low value or redundant efforts. Institute a demand management process that has a prioritization and scoring mechanism.
- Develop a flight path that avoids any obstacles—each step should serve a purpose, so map out an end-to-end implementation process to spot any inefficiencies.
- Assemble the crew—it will take the involvement of middle management to make resource planning truly effective. Don’t leave it up to one person.
For more information, I encourage you to download the whitepaper, 10 Tips for Better Resource Planning, and be sure to check back for when I discuss the next five. Though these guidelines may seem like common sense, many organizations still operate without them. By including them in your resource planning strategy, you can be more comfortable when entering your next project.
How are you using resource planning in your organization? Comment below how it helps make it possible for you to shoot for the stars.
