“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” – Albert Einstein
Change is inevitable. Life happens—plans fail, people come and go, technology advances—the list goes on and on. When it comes to running the business, this can seem rather intimidating, especially when you’re expected to deliver results, meet goals, and do so within budget. The good news is, there are solutions that will help your organization become more flexible and better able to adapt to change—it’s called work and resource management (WRM).
Work and Resource Management Definition
According to Ventana Research, “work and resource management is a unified process to define, document, and execute the right work using the best resources.” It is a business approach that enables leaders and managers to prioritize work and optimize resources (helping both organizations and their people—no matter their role or the way they get work done) adapt to the ever-changing environment, unique to their business.
Because the modern world is so fast paced and highly technical, it is up to leaders to ensure their plans are flexible and dynamic, incorporating input from geographical and virtual team members, shared resources, and different departments within the organization to achieve goals. To effectively manage so many moving parts, a work and resource management approach can help leaders continuously monitor and streamline processes through an integrated set of applications—something that isn’t possible using traditional applications and spreadsheets.
Additionally, a work and resource management approach helps project managers be proactive and respond to change, saving both time and money. And with better information into resource management, leaders can feel confident their people are focused on the most important work and leveraging their unique skills on the most relevant projects.
As I said in the beginning, change is inevitable. It’s progress that’s optional, so it’s up to you to evaluate the current state of business at your organization by looking at the technologies you use to deliver business strategy. While you may be comfortable with traditional project management systems, chances are they aren’t adequately supporting your organization’s needs. In the words of Einstein, “the measure of intelligence is the ability to change”—enhance your organization’s ability with work and resource management.
To learn more about the Ventana Research view on work and resource management, read up on the other parts of this series, listed below:
- Overcome Hurdles to Maximize Business Value: Part 2 – Advance the business with work and resource management;
- Assess the Current State of Your Organization: Part 3 – Review processes, take an inventory, align work and resources;
- Advantages of Work and Resource Management Applications: Part 4 – All for one and one for all;
- Work and Resource Management: Benefits to Bypass the Competition: Part 5 – Boost Your Organization with the Benefits of WRM; and
- How to Get Started with Work and Resource Management: Part 6 – 5 simple steps to minimize costs and maximize efficiency.
