THE 2018 HOW-TO GUIDE Agile Resource Managementof a completed project. 8 AGILE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT....

AgileResourceManagementMOVE FASTER, MORE CONFIDENTLY, MORE STRATEGICALLY

THE 2018 HOW-TO GUIDE

Introducing A New Model: Full Cycle Resource Management 3

Phase 1: Estimate 6

Phase 2: Plan 12

Phase 3: Deliver 18

Phase 4: Analyze & Optimize 24

Final Thoughts & Takeaways 30

I N T R O D U C I N G A N E W M O D E L

Full Cycle Resource Management In services, success relies on getting the resources with the right capabilities,

on the right assignments, and at the right margins. Effectively managing this

process is important for client satisfaction and successful project delivery. It

is also is extremely valuable:

If 15 resources add 10 hours of billable work per

week, that means a total of 150 extra billable hours

each week. Assuming a bill rate of $200 per hour,

that means an extra $30,000 revenue each week, or

an additional $1.44 million profit each year.

The truth is, selling projects with good margins is not the hard part. It’s

managing the high degree of change that occurs mid-project that is incredibly

difficult. To combat this, an exciting new model has emerged that approaches

resource management as a dynamic, holistic process: it’s called Full Cycle

Resource Management.

In Full Cycle Resource Management there are four phases that mirror the

project delivery lifecycle from inception to analysis: Estimate, Plan, Deliver,

and Analyze & Optimize. Each of these phases involves a combination of

roles within an organization, including executives, consultants, resource

managers, project managers, services leaders, and department or team

leaders.

After each phase there is an evaluation step designed to inform both the

previous and next phase in the process. Furthermore, the fourth phase

of the process, Analyze & Optimize, is a feedback loop that will help

inform improvements across the other three phases. By treating resource

management as an iterative cycle, it becomes easier to prepare for conflicts

and proactively make changes to the project or team.

AGILE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 3

PL AN

ANALYZE &OPTIMIZE

ESTIMATE

DELIVER

Full Cycle Resource

Management

Estimate. The Estimate Phase occurs during the sales

cycle, when new business teams, account managers, and

project managers collaborate during the proposal process to

get an idea of the time, resources, and budget needed. This

phase is critical for setting the project up for success.

Plan. During the Plan Phase, project managers, resource

managers, and department heads determine how resources

will be allocated for a project in a way that maximizes

profitability. The ability to visualize the entire resource pool

and adjust variables in order to create various scenarios with

different financial implications is key.

Deliver. The Deliver Phase is when the project plan is

set into motion. Project delivery teams, project managers,

and resource managers must communicate and collaborate

on changes in project scopes, timelines, and budgets to be

able to adjust resources efficiently. This is the phase when

unexpected challenges or obstacles pop up, although the

impact of these is ideally minimized because of the prep

work in the Estimate and Plan Phases.

Analyze & Optimize. While listed as phase four, the

Analyze & Optimize Phase is not a final step — it’s a phase

that is constantly layered across the resource management

process to help make smart decisions quickly. Everyone

involved in a project has a hand in this phase, as it requires

constantly measuring results, maximizing what works, and

minimizing what doesn’t.

4 AGILE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

The most important quality of

Full Cycle Resource Manage-

ment is that it helps to create

order within the chaos. There

are a lot of moving parts, but

each phase encapsulates only

a few key items to consider,

making the model simple to

apply and adhere to.

It’s Constant.The phases are not meant to be linear, they bleed be-

tween each other. The ability to look forward and back

between phases is critical.

It’s Evolving.The phases are like the process of building blocks—

each phase builds on the next, and the final outcome

takes shape over time.

It’s Dynamic.Current processes are too rigid. Great resource man-

agement practices have flexibility. It’s almost like a

dance; take two steps forward, and then one step back.

It’s Strategic.Each phase has a purpose and a calculated method

that affects every part of the business. When executed,

it contributes to a strategy that makes projects more

efficient.

Valuable Aspects of Full Cycle Resource Management


estimateP H A S E 1

T I ME L I N

E

B U D G E T R OL E S

P H A S E S

E S T I M A T E

Many projects are actually doomed from the start.

That’s why the Full Cycle Resource Management model begins early with

the Estimate Phase, which is dedicated to setting projects up for success.

The Estimate Phase is intended to ensure that projects proposed to

potential clients are strategically designed. It is the time for new business

teams, account managers, and project managers to collaborate during

the proposal process to get an understanding of the time, resources, and

budget necessary for the project to be successful before signoff by the

client. Once the requirements for the project are communicated, it’s time

to estimate the types and amount of roles required for a given project.

Estimates typically start at a high level, since they have less certainty

around the exact details of the project. Individuals in sales and project

management begin to identify the roles necessary for the project. The

initial step would be to identify the roles required, as well as the high-level

deliverables before comparing those needs with current capacity. Roles

are referring to job title or position such as engineer, project manager, or

designer.

Therefore, the goal of the Estimate Phase is to adjust the variables that

will help to predict the feasibility and profitability of a completed project.

When done properly, this frees up time for project managers to fill in the

more granular activities later down the lifecycle, and feel better prepared

to respond to changes when they arise at any point throughout the project.

Part of the Estimate Phase is determining the complexity of the project—

high, medium, or low—and bridging the gap between what is ideal and

what is actually realistic. One strategy is to aim high with estimates and

then chip away as necessary based on resource or budget constraints.


Roles

- NEW BUSINESS TEAMS

- ACCOUNT MANAGERS

- PROJECT MANAGERS

These three roles will work together to estimate the scope of the proj-ect, the resources, and time needed, as well as the budget necessary to complete the project.

Scenarios

1 When working with a new client, it is important to put the team’s best foot forward. After hearing what the client is looking for, the team can estimate the resources required and the budget needed to complete the project. If the budget needed is $150,000 but the client only wants to spend $100,000, adjustments to the estimate need to be made. Consider scaling back on the scope of the project, or giving a discount with the hope of earning more business down the line. It can be tricky because a new client may not see the value in a high-cost resource that will deliver strong work on the project.

2 If a project manager already has a relationship with the client, the types of questions and decisions that go into a project estimate may change. For example, the appropriate staff may already be in place, so the estimate can then go straight to thinking about how long each resource is required to be on the project.

The goal of the Estimate

Phase is to adjust the variables

that will help to predict the

feasibility and profitability

of a completed project.


1Information RequiredHigh-level scope and information about the service being provided such as: skills required, necessary experience, and estimation details (time, difficulty, or effort level).

Key variables, including milestones, specific resources, and dates that are being committed to the client in the project agreement.

Availability of required roles (also known as capacity) to work on the project in the proposed timeframe, and their associated costs.

The client’s price sensitivity. That is, determine the price that the client will likely agree to in order to win this deal.

Other key projects on the organiza-tion’s horizon that may conflict or overlap.

Insight into historical data on sim-ilar projects or tasks for accurate planning.

Step-by-Step Guide

1 Start by setting standards on when the team should start resourcing projects. In other words, determine the confidence level of each project. A confidence level is the probability that a project is actually going to happen. Every company varies when it comes to what confidence level spurs the start of resource planning. It’s important to get this timing right so the team doesn’t waste time spinning wheels planning for projects that never come to fruition.

2 Determine the level of detail required for project estimates. If there’s high variance between project plans and actuals on completed projects, it may be time to go into a bit more depth on future estimates.

3 Now it is time to define the project scope in order to understand what types of roles are required on this project. The Estimate Phase is all about providing the confidence that there are adequate resources available at a later stage of demand.

4 Estimation doesn’t actually end at the Estimate Phase. There is additional value from using the estimation process to optimize success throughout the entire project lifecycle. Increase the success and profitability of future, similar projects by comparing how past estimates compared to actuals. More on this later.


ON

EPotential Roadblocks & Challenges

Common roadblocks, pitfalls, and issues that may arise in this phase:

Pressure to close.The sales team may be pressuring the estimation team to

minimize the costs associated with the project in order to close

a deal. However, if they fail to adequately estimate the resources

required for a project, the chances of successfully delivering the

service at the desired margins and level of quality, are low.

Poor estimation.Many service leaders fail to recognize the importance of proper

estimation in project success.

Lack of visibility into available resources.Often, organizations don’t have proper processes or systems to

see what new projects may be coming and which resources may

be available to meet demand when they may need them. This is

especially an issue when there is a lack of integration with CRM

applications.

Increased demand.As the number of service organizations grow, so do the number of

resources and projects. Previous resource management methods

will no longer suffice.


1

ESTI

MAT

E

Tips for the Estimate Phase

Involve the right people.Dependent on the organization, a number of different individuals

may be valuable for resource estimation; this could be a project

manager, account executive, or business development representative,

to name a few. There is often additional information required from

specific people to flesh out some of the project details.

Play out the “What ifs.”Due to the nature of the services industry, change is inevitable and

ad-hoc conflicts will occur. Expect resource demands to change

and project requirements to shift, but ensure that change doesn’t

spur chaos. Ensure that resources are not being chaotically shifted

when change does happen.

Learn from the past.Use lessons from past clients and like projects to hone estimates.

Don’t spread resources too thin. Ensure that the project resources

have adequate flexibility in case conflicts arise during the Deliver

Phase.

Estimate at a high level.The Estimate Phase allows an organization to get an understanding

of what resources are needed and what it will take to deliver a

profitable project. Investing too much time in granular details, too

early, is wasteful, as those details will get more refined and solidified

during project delivery. The following phases will allow the team to

get more granular with planning and assigning resources.


planP H A S E 2

S O F T T O H A R D A L L O C AT I O N

2The Plan Phase is focused on booking resources to

high-level projects.

At this time in the resource management process, a project is close to being

won, or, for other reasons, needs to be taken into account as part of the

constraints on the resource pool. In this phase, the project is almost a “go,”

but the phases, milestones, and resource demands are still in limbo.

This is the opportunity for the resource manager to take a closer view at the

requirements and expectations of the project and assign resources based on

skills, roles, and availabilities. Resource managers can use visual planning

tools to move resources from soft to hard allocation as the confidence level of

the project increases. Once hard allocated, resource hours are committed to

the project and those hours are no longer available for use on other projects.

A critical aspect of the Plan Phase is the ability to see all potential resources

in one place, which allows the team to swiftly manage change and limit

potential consequences. This is what many people call the resource pool.

In order to allocate resources properly, visibility is required on multiple

levels and facets including the available people, their makeup (skills,

roles, experience, geography), and cost rates and bill rates. The Plan Phase

requires the team to match this resource supply (resource pool) to resource

demand (projects, tasks, or clients).

The Plan Phase isn’t just about getting a resource onto a project, it’s about

managing resources in a way that increases profitability. For example, a

certain resource may be more expensive in terms of hourly rate, but due to

their expertise and efficiency, they could potentially complete a project in

half the time of a less expensive resource. By using a resource like this one,

the team may potentially get a better output for a lower total cost, helping to

expand margins on the project. Keep in mind, resource managers typically

balance more than one project at a time. Visual planning helps to balance

resources across multiple projects more efficiently.

The Plan Phase is also the final stretch of time prior to project kickoff.

This is important to note because the cost of making resource changes or

requests will dramatically increase entering the Deliver Phase. The chance

that a resource is only assigned to one project or client is often slim. Because

of this overlap, shifting people around during the live project can have a

serious domino effect on the execution and profitability of other projects.


Roles

- PROJECT MANAGERS

- RESOURCE MANAGERS

- DEPARTMENT HEADS

In the Plan Phase, project manag-ers set up the project and define the tasks needed for the desired deliverables. Resource managers look at the resource pool to decide the right mix for a project and co-ordinate with department heads to determine the availability of the needed resources.

Scenarios

1 For a resource manager that needs to staff multiple projects at a time, the Plan Phase involves deciding how to distribute work across projects. Keep in mind that not all projects take place within the same time frame. A resource manager may know they need a more senior developer for a project that begins in 60 days, which limits the ability to allocate that resource to larger projects beforehand. The goal is to come up with balanced teams for each project to maximize efficiency.

2 A project manager may be late to realize they forgot to bring a quality assurance resource near the end of the project. If this wasn’t planned on ahead of time, it places risk on the entire project and budget. A resource manager can bring a new set of eyes to the project, take a wider view and think about needs a project manager may miss. This kind of collaboration during the Plan Phase helps account for all of the resources needed to complete a project.

A critical aspect of the Plan

Phase is the ability to see all

potential resources in one place.


2Information RequiredThe number of resources the project needs in each role (e.g. 1 engineer, 2 designers).

The skill level, expertise or certifi-cation required at different phases of the project (e.g. Java engineer, beginner).

The moving parts, if any, that are still in limbo. The project scope is not set in stone until the project is in the Deliver phase. Keep note that timelines and expectations can still change—prepare for last minute ironing of plans.

Up-to-date information about a resource’s availability. What other work do they have allocated? What does their typical work week look like?

Bill rates. A more senior resource may cost double, but could finish their portion of the project in half the time. On the other hand, the low cost of a relatively unknown re-source adds risk to a project because the team isn’t aware of quality of work they’ll deliver.

Step-by-Step Guide

1 Begin to breakdown the project scope into tasks and deliverables. Understand what roles are required at what phases of the project.

2 Be ready for requests for specific resources (people) or roles from the project leader.

3 Look towards the resource pool for available and fit resources. If a project has not yet reached a high enough confidence level, start soft allocating resources to roles based on skill level, expertise, availability, and cost.

4 Once a project has reached the appropriate confidence level—change from soft allocation to hard allocation so that resource availability in the resource pool reflects these commitments.

5 The project manager will need to ensure that these assigned resources are aware of their responsibilities by confirming scheduled assignments with each resource and reviewing the project plan and requirements.

6 At this point, the project plan is beginning to take final shape with all associated resources assigned to the project.


TW

OPotential Roadblocks & Challenges

Lack of visibility into skills.In all but the smallest organizations, lack of available skills

information by person prevents resource managers from assigning

resources to roles based on expertise. This can have an impact on

both quality of execution and efficiency of the project.

Clarity of resource availability.The team needs to know when someone is officially unavailable

or conflict will occur sooner or later. Once a resource is moved

from soft to hard allocation, there needs to be an indication to

others performing resource planning that certain resources are

no longer available. This, again, requires enhanced visibility into

resources and project details.

Lack of resource pool.Many times, organizations not only lack visibility, they also lack

an actual resource pool. Many resource managers keep resources

organized across platforms or simply by memory, making it

impossible to have a holistic view of availability. The complexity

of projects today requires a resource pool for proper project

management.

Establish rules for specific resource requests.When resource managers allow the organization to request

specific people during the plan phase, it has the potential to set

a precedent that does not foster scheduling based on skill. So, be

sure to put skills first. If a client requests the resource, include

this in the project requirements and consider the profitability

when including this resource in the project.


2

PLAN

Tips for the Plan Phase

Set up a process for resource approvals and requests.Once a resource is chosen for a project, they are plucked from

the resource pool and then hard allocated to their respective

phase or skill.

Look to skills.Availability should not be the only concern in the Plan Phase.

Part of successful delivery is finding a resource who is both

skilled and available to do the work.

Set up for profitability.Profitability is determined by finding the perfect balance

between skill and cost of a resource.

Maintain communication.Ensure the project and resource managers have ample time to

sync on the project.

Update the skills database.Maintain an updated database with resource skills. There is

no use having a skills database if it’s out of date.

Consider a balanced team.It may be tempting to staff a project with all senior resources,

but that will make a budget skyrocket and also limit the ability

to use those resources on other projects. A more balanced

approach across projects will lead to more efficient results

across the board.


deliverP H A S E 3

3

A C T U A L S

H A R D A L L O C A T I O N S

R E S O U R C E M E T R I C S

The Deliver Phase of Full Cycle Resource Management

begins when the project is confirmed and agreed

to by the client, resources are hard allocated, and

billable project work is set into motion.

At this point, the details of the project have been thoroughly vetted by the

project manager—including the work breakdown structure, subtasks, and task

timelines— and specific named resources are assigned at the activity level.

During the Deliver Phase, the project manager and resource manager

must communicate frequently in order to understand if the resource hours

allocated are actually being used. If too many or too few hours are allocated

to a project, resources are not being used optimally. Keeping an eye on

how actuals are tracking against the hard allocations will help the team

determine what changes are necessary to get the project back on track.

It is common, if not an absolute guarantee, that in this phase the team will

have to react to change in real-time to project scopes, timelines, budgets,

and other factors that will affect resource needs. This is a very dynamic part

of the resource management process, and it requires a strategic manager

that can make swift changes at a very granular level—the more granular

the better. Best practices in this model suggest that resources are scheduled

hourly as opposed to daily or weekly. The resource manager must be able to

see how the changes impact the profitability of the work in order to make

the best decisions for the organization.

Another important aspect is having insight into projects that resources

are rolling off, or completing. Minimizing the non-billable time between

when a resource rolls off one project, and starts another, will significantly

improve utilization rates and gross margins.

It’s important to note that this phase is most successful when it follows

proper Estimate and Plan Phases. This makes it possible for organizations

to properly track expected versus actual hours billed against work. Tracking

time and keeping daily schedules allows resource managers to take a closer

look at performance and utilization metrics while the project is still in

progress, in order to make necessary adjustments on the fly to improve key

metrics. Additionally this helps to inform future work that may be routinely

over- and under-accounted for in proposals.


Roles

- PROJECT MANAGERS

- RESOURCE MANAGERS

- CONTRIBUTORS

The Deliver Phase includes project managers, resource managers, and project contributors. This is the most dynamic part of the process, as the project is actually live and changes must be handled in real-time.

Scenarios

1 The Deliver Phase is where the unexpected comes into play. The Estimate and Plan Phases help limit these situations, but an “expect the unexpected” attitude will help the team quickly react to issues that arise. For example, something may have taken longer than expected, or a resource unexpectedly used PTO. It’s not always possible to account for these situations in the Estimate and Plan Phases, so project and resource managers may need to recalibrate resources in order to meet project goals.

2 The unexpected doesn’t always happen on the organizational side. Sometimes a client takes longer to respond to a question or concern, or is late meeting deadlines in their own right. This may temporarily halt portions of a project and lead to delayed results. To make the most of this scenario, the resource manager can temporarily allocate in-limbo resources to other projects to help prop up areas of immediate need.

3 A resource or team member may get fired or promoted, resulting in a change in the makeup of the team as a whole. In this case, the resource manager may need to do a bit of pushing to secure resources that can be used to fill in for the missing pieces. It is during the Deliver Phase that it becomes clear how all four phases work together. Properly set aside time in the Estimate and Plan Phases, as this will help account for unexpected occurrences that pop up during the Deliver Phase.


3Information RequiredKeep note of all resources hard allocated to the project. Have con-tact information readily available throughout the entire project life-cycle.

All project details must be shared by the project manager. Scope, issues, complexities, or potential road-blocks should be anticipated.

Have a skills list or library accessible. Note the skill levels of all resources and determine the optimal way to arrange people across projects.

Label the most important KPIs and track throughout the project.

Step-by-Step Guide

1 Launch the project and begin work. All scheduled resources start their assignments.

2 Track resource performance as the project gets underway. Move around misallocated resources to enhance utilization or chance of project success.

3 Have each resource track his or her time spent working on the project so the resource manager can have a greater understanding of the actual hours required to complete a project. This is key to understanding utilization rates and seeing how the actual work compares to the client agreement.

4 Keep weekly schedules for each resource to ensure the most up-to-date project demands are in sync with resource supply. Check in weekly to ensure performance levels are high and resources have the tools they need to get the job done.

5 Establish a list of resource backups in case of conflicts along the project lifecycle.

It’s important to note that this

phase is most successful when

it follows proper Estimate and

Plan phases.


TH

REE

Potential Roadblocks & Challenges

Last minute changes in project scope.Timelines, expectations, or resource demand will occur and

inevitably disrupt the project momentum.

Resources on multiple projects.Conflicts may occur when multiple resources are spread across

projects. Many times a stall from one project bleeds over to affect

a number of others.

Complications with time tracking. Tracking time may seem like a minor matter but it is the only true

way to understand the utilization of resources. In order to track

utilization, track the actual hours worked on a project based on

data and not assumptions.

Lack of visibility into resources.After planning a resource, there is little visibility into how that

resource is working out relative to the plan (i.e. someone could be

done working and ready to move onto the next job).

The resource manager must be able to see

how the changes impact the profitability

of the work in order to make the best

decisions for the organization.


3

DEL

IVER

Tips for the Deliver Phase

Hold weekly resource check-ins with the project team.In order to keep up with the performance of resources, maintain

a weekly meeting or stand-up to check in on timelines, statuses,

and pending conflicts.

Dedicated RM & PM sync.Project and resource managers need to be in constant

communication. Generally, project managers are sharing what is

“on the ground” and resource managers are sharing what is “on

the horizon.”

Keep track of utilization rates.Take note of what resources are being under or over utilized. Move

people around if necessary.

Create a time tracking process.Create a procedure for time tracking, time submission, and time

approvals.

One communication channel.Agree on one channel of communication so that project or resource

changes don’t get lost in email.


analyze & optimizeP H A S E 4

4

P L A N

D E L I V E R

AN

AL

YZ

E

E S T I M A T E

OP

TIM

IZE

The Analyze & Optimize Phase of Full Cycle

Resource Management is the process of using

insights, data, and analytics to understand the

success, utilization rates, and profitability of a

project or client.

It is critical to then apply this knowledge to processes to make overall

operations more efficient.

The Analyze & Optimize phase is used to provide feedback on the project,

such as utilization rates or performance metrics. Consider an example: A

resource is planned that takes three times as long to finish a project than

average. At first glance, this resource is not cost-effective. At second glance,

they deliver phenomenal work and consistently get the biggest praise from

clients. In this case, the team may determine that this resource is best fit for

big pressure, high expectation projects. The ability to optimize resources at

such a granular level is only possible with end-to-end project visibility.

This phase has been historically skipped, often due to the lack of data. That

is, projects would be completed, but managers would fail to recognize if they

were actually profitable or if resources could have been allocated differently

to improve project performance. In order to analyze the success of resource

plans and tactics, it’s important to first recognize how to measure success.

Old-world thinking says teams should analyze a project when it’s complete,

and then apply what they learn to new projects going forward. One unique

aspect of the model is the Analyze & Optimize Phase occurs at the end of

all four phases, not just the final one. It exists throughout the lifecycle

of a project, constantly acting as a feedback loop for current projects and

future work. Think about it as a living part of a continual cycle that helps

organizations make smarter decisions, sooner.


Roles

- NEW BUSINESS TEAMS

- ACCOUNT MANAGERS

- PROJECT MANAGERS

- RESOURCE MANAGERS

- DEPARTMENT HEADS

Any team member or resource that contributes to a project can ben-efit from the Analyze & Optimize Phase. It’s all about learning what works and what doesn’t, under-standing why that may be the case, and then immediately apply-ing lessons learned to the projects currently being worked on. Rather than a final step, the Analyze & Optimize Phase is overlayed on top of the previous three phases to help make smart decisions quickly.

Scenarios

1 A resource manager may notice that one person consistently works at 120 percent of the normal capacity. By analyzing the hours this resource is putting in, the manager may sense that he or she will begin to feel strained or burned out. The optimization part comes in by staying on top of that resource and making sure their hours are more in line with expectations.

2 Department heads notice that many resources are not properly logging work hours on time. The problem may not present itself at first because the work is getting done, but later on it leads to strains on budgets and accounting. The optimization might be constant reminders for resources to log hours, or finding a more efficient way for them to easily do so.

The Analyze & Optimize Phase is

used to provide feedback on the

project, such as utilization rates

or performance metrics.


4Information RequiredMetrics of the most relevant KPIs across the entire project lifecycle.

Definitions of billable vs. non-bill-able work.

Feedback from the client on satis-faction, expectations, and overall project success.

Feedback from the resource manag-er on individual performance metrics across the entire project lifecycle.

Labels on significant challenges from the project to learn from mis-takes or highlight wins.

Understanding which resources or roles are in high demand and re-visit hiring priorities.

Original goals, project scope, and resource estimates available to com-pare to actuals during the project.

Step-by-Step Guide

1 Collect data and metrics from each phase of the project.

• This could include: time tracking information such as actual hours worked, client satisfaction reports, a collection of notes from weekly resource check-ins, task due dates and completion dates, increases in skill level, forecasted utilization vs. actual, billability target vs. actuals.

2 Measure utilization rates. Focus on “billable scheduled” and “billable actual.”

• Utilization = total hours tracked divided by possible hours. Possible hours are usually just a representation of a resource’s workweek or hours available to perform work.

• Scheduled Utilization = total scheduled hours, divided by possible hours.

• Billable Scheduled Utilization = billable scheduled hours, divided by possible hours

• Billable Actual Utilization = total billable hours tracked divided by possible hours.

3 Sync with project managers and others to gather data that may only be accessible to him or her.

4 Discuss the data with the team — pick key metrics to spur the first conversation about the success or failure of a project.

5 Take time to re-evaluate hiring decisions based on over or under utilization rates.

6 Note trends in certain roles or skills. Take notice to what types of roles or skills are scheduled more than others. Do certain team members need additional training?

7 Keep profits in mind constantly. Where can the team trim margins to save money? What resource-associated costs can be cut? Take note of any roles, individuals, practices or processes that add substantial overhead to the project.


FOU

R Potential Roadblocks & Challenges

Lack of visibility into data.The Analyze & Optimize Phase is literally impossible without data or a

measurement of success. Metrics must be collected constantly and at each phase

and organized in a way that stakeholders can access the information for reflection.

Information in silos.Too many systems, tools, variables, or the lack unified system where all data

resides.

Time tracking can be complicated.

The software typically used for time tracking exists outside of project

management software, as well as a resource planning tool, making it more

difficult to compare forecasts to actuals.

Lack of important metrics.Resources are not adequately reviewed and performance isn’t noted. If it is,

most times this is only for certain points in the project and not start-to-end.

Lack of visibility from the start to the end of the project.This makes it incredibly difficult to see why some projects are more successful

than others.

Inability to embed metrics into the process.Some aspects of projects are easier to measure than others, but a top-to-bottom

analysis of the entire project is needed to completely optimize the process.

Employees need to buy in.A more cultural challenge is getting employees and contractors with the

discipline to track various metrics by a certain date. Measures will not be valid

without discipline.

Lack of time to consistently evaluate.This may be due to a lack of an embedded reporting system — analyzing metrics

should be worked into the day-to-day process of managing the business.


ANAL

YZE

& O

PTIM

IZE

4

Tips for the Analyze & Optimize Phase

Focus on utilization rates.Use the data to compare resource forecast to actuals to see how

well the team planned.

Take note of trends.Across projects, are certain roles, people, or skills being over or

under utilized? This can indicate that it’s time to hire or spend

more on selling a particular service area.

Understand profitability.Calculate the potential or past profitability of a client, a project,

role, or even a set of skills.

Share and disseminate results.Many individuals can benefit from this information. Sometimes

a business development manager can leverage this for future

projects, c-levels have new visibility over projects, or human

resources can utilize this information for hiring and training

purposes.

Analysis and optimization is not reserved for post-project completion.Use the concepts associated with the Analyze & Optimize Phase

while moving through the project lifecycle.

Learn from mistakes.Reflecting on past projects, or individual steps within the same

project, in order to approach resource management differently

the next time.


Final Thoughts & TakeawaysResource management can no longer be

managed in a silo.

Projects are becoming increasingly complex and pressure to resource

and deliver quality services at a rapid pace has never been greater.

Lack of knowledge, coupled with lack of visibility, are the two major

factors exacerbating the complexity of resource management

today. As demand for services continues to grow and more resources

flood the market, a new, mature, and proactive model of resource

management is required for business success.

So, after learning about Full Cycle Resource Management what are

the next steps?

1 Acknowledge that there is a better way to be doing resource

management.

2 Adopt Full Cycle Resource Management. Start by making

incremental improvements to the process.

3 Hire a dedicated resource manager. This role will pay for

itself within months.

4 Get serious about tracking skills. Matching resources to

projects based on skills rather than availability alone will

have a dramatic impact on an organization’s bottom line.

5 Constantly optimize. Use data and experience to make

informed decisions and change practices.


Getting the right people on the right projects is critical to your success.

Master agile resource management with Mavenlink.

mavenlink.com/resources/ full-cycle-resource-management

LEARN MORE

http://mavenlink.com/resources/full-cycle-resource-management



MAVENLINK.COM • [email protected] • (800) 860-9544

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