A Resource Planning Guide for Project Management

Resource management is the backbone of successful project management. As it ensures that the right resources are available at the right time to complete projects on time and within budget. By implementing resource management strategies, project managers can optimize resource utilization, improve project scheduling, and reduce the risk of resource conflicts and delays.

Project Management Vs Resource Planning

Project resource planning can be thought of as a component of project management, similar to how a single ingredient is a part of a recipe. Just like how a recipe requires multiple ingredients to create a complete dish, project management involves multiple components such as resource planning, risk management, time management, cost management, and more to create a successful project.

Project resource planning is focused on identifying and allocating the resources required for a project, including human resources, materials, equipment, finances, and time. It helps to ensure that the necessary resources are available when needed, and that they are used effectively to achieve project objectives.

In layman’s terms:

Susan is baking a cake for the wedding.

Resource: Susan
Task: Bake a cake
Project: Wedding

Why Project Managers Rely on Resource Planning

The benefits of using the resource planning approach are great. You are essentially extracting the ever-changing variables and planning around them. This simply eliminates unintentional overlapping of tasks. As well as the redundancy of making sure that a resource isn’t a part of other projects’ resource schedules.

Resource planning is essential in project management because it helps project managers to:

1. Allocate Resources Effectively: Resource planning enables project managers to allocate resources where they are needed most. This ensures that all resources are used effectively and efficiently to achieve project objectives.
2. Improve Project Scheduling: Resource management enables project managers to schedule tasks and activities based on resource availability, optimizing project timelines and reducing the risk of bottlenecks and delays.
3. Reduce Costs: Effective resource planning helps project managers to identify the resources required for a project and allocate them accordingly. This reduces the risk of overspending on resources that are not necessary for the project.
4. Manage Risks: Resource planning helps project managers to identify potential risks and develop contingency plans to address them. This reduces the risk of project failure and ensures that the project is completed on time and within budget.

Limitations of Project Management Without Focusing on Resources

The limitations of planning around projects include not being able to plan your resources’ time as efficiently. This mean many find themselves cross-checking a resource’s availability and work frequency across various projects. It is a time-consuming and redundant step! While all the while, resource planning in project management should be easy and flexible.

By incorporating resource management into your project management strategy, you can optimize resource utilization, reduce the risk of delays and conflicts, and deliver successful projects on time and within budget.

Steps Involved in Resource Planning

1. Define Project Scope: The first step involves identifying project objectives, deliverables, timelines, and stakeholders for your project and all its activities and tasks. Think of this as your work breakdown structure (WBS).
2. Identify Resources: Now you should identify the resources required to complete the project successfully. This includes human resources, materials, equipment, finances, and time.
3. Allocate Resources: Once the resources have been identified, the project manager needs to allocate them to the different tasks and activities within the project. This involves determining how many resources are required for each task and when they are needed.
4. Create a Resource Schedule: The resource schedule outlines when each resource is needed, how long it will be used, and when it will be released. This helps to ensure that resources are available when needed and nothing is wasted.
5. Monitor Resource Usage: Project managers should be sure to monitor resource usage throughout the project. This allows for resources to be used effectively and efficiently. The process involves tracking resource consumption, identifying variances, and taking corrective action as needed.

Best Practices for an Effective Resourcing Plan

When developing your resourcing plan, keep these things in mind.

• Involve Stakeholders: It is essential to involve stakeholders in the resource planning process to ensure that their needs and expectations are considered.
• Use Dedicated Software: Project and resource management software can help to simplify the resource planning process and provide real-time visibility into resource usage.
• Develop Contingency Plans: It is essential to develop contingency plans to address potential risks and ensure that the project stays on track.
• Review and Update Resource Plan Regularly: Resource planning is an ongoing process, and it is essential to review and update the resource plan regularly to ensure that it remains relevant and effective.

Start Today

Are you a project manager looking to maximize the effectiveness of your projects? Look no further than resource management software.

That’s why Ganttic is built for Project Managers who need to take on this challenge.

Topped with a user-centric interface, the once overwhelming projects’ data becomes easy to handle. And to allow flexibility, Ganttic has the project view feature that allows you to view data by project. Meaning in just two clicks, you will be able to scroll through all the projects, its WBS and tasks, plus its resources. It is easy to keep track of how each project is progressing while maintaining the ability to switch back to a more efficient way to plan across projects.

Ganttic is designed around the user and cater to all needs across industries. If you are looking for a versatile solution for resource planning, try Ganttic for free or request a free personal demo.