Barry MuirThe challenges faced in managing a portfolio of IT projects with a limited pool of resources are wide ranging and can vary considerably. They can be difficult to classify, but one way is to distinguish between internal and external projects. The challenge facing the management of external ones is generally greater,
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Barry MuirTo effectively managing resources across multiple projects, two key processes need to be in place. The first is demand and capacity management. This ensures that sufficient resources with the right skills and experience will be available so that each and every project commitment can be met. Resource allocation methods in project management,
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Barry MuirManaging resources across multiple projects can be a rollercoaster ride. The challenge is to keep your resource capacity closely matching the skills demanded by your projects. Striking the right balance is difficult. Whilst there must be sufficient skills available to ensure that each project commitment will be met, having spare bodies hanging around ’just in case’ will reduce utilisation levels and erode operational profits.
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Barry MuirWhilst implementing a resource management system for a team or small department is quite straightforward, the complexities and challenges rise exponentially when implementing a global resource management system. This post looks as these challenges and draws on Innate’s 25 years of experience to explain how they can be met.
The starting point for implementing a global resource management is usually a mix of regional based systems,
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Barry MuirManaging multiple projects with a limited pool of resources is challenging for many industry sectors. Workforce planning tools have a large role to play as organisations strive to optimise the utilisation of their staff, whilst ensuring that individual project commitments will be met.
Within engineering services,
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Barry MuirManaging a portfolio of projects with a limited pool of resources is a rollercoaster ride. No sooner do you have the skills capacity nicely balanced with demand when a new project arrives, seeking resources that are already fully-committed. Where the projects are for external clients, this can jeopardise key dates,
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Barry MuirMany projects fail to meet their expectations, not only when the deliverables are examined, but also in their costs and timescales. Too often the project estimate is wide of the mark because the project’s risks turn out to be greater than expected. Experienced project managers know the importance of understanding what’s being taken on before setting expectations.
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Barry MuirAs new projects emerge, resources get allocated and project teams are formed. Often the source of these teams are departments that need to manage other tasks as well. For effective Team capacity planning, each team must efficiently manage their incoming tasks. This can be particularly difficult when team members have to balance conflicting demands between project and departmental tasks.
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Barry MuirNo sooner is the new project plan signed off than something changes. A project plan is simply an estimate of the work required to achieve the project ‘s goals, spread over what is hoped to be a realistic timescale. Yet, for all but the simplest projects, progress is unlikely to go according to plan.
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Barry MuirThe need to improve the UK’s productivity post Brexit is back on the Agenda. David Smith, the respected Economics Editor of the Sunday Times has published a piece arguing that Improving productivity is essential to survival in a post-Brexit world. Ben Broadbent, Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, has confirmed that the Monetary Policy Committee,
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