Resource Allocation

Problem

The client is regularly tasked with the management of large and complex engineering projects which present protracted and unpredictable (Temporal) demand for available resource (personnel/budget) required for successful delivery. Major programmes invariably experience fluctuating demand peaks which can impact on short, medium and even long-term resource planning. This is often very difficult to manage. Resource shortfalls can be compounded by poor or inaccurate visibility of what is required, including where and when. This can be further exacerbated by the volume of collaborative work-streams attempting to synchronize site activities via meetings, phone calls and e-mails. Divergent business units employed a range of resource management methodologies, including large volumes of work-stream related spreadsheet-based tracking tools. Dedicated project teams regularly require short term support from contractors and or from Operational teams, often simultaneously engaged delivering business as usual tasks, both planned and reactive in nature.

Primary issues included the lack of a single system tasked with resource co-ordination, and the inconsistent, random methodologies employed to communicate the requirements, resulting in poor resource planning - even over relatively short portions of project timelines. The lack of meaningful resource plan reporting due to the disparate nature of workstream resource trackers. The inability to dynamically react to programme change, often leading to a complete loss of work-stream activity synchronization with missed required visits to sites, potentially multiple unnecessary visits to sites, personnel double booked at different sites, cascade knock on implications, missed milestones and the subsequent negative impact on project budgetary performance and late programme delivery.

Solution

GD worked with client to design an easy to use RESOLVE based system tasked with solving the issues detailed above. The primary objective was the creation of a unified multi-business solution, available to all participants as a central resource management toolkit and linking up project planners, project managers, change managers, project engineers, site mangers, operational engineers, contractors and other departmental teams as required.

Resource request governance is processed exclusively via the system. This is a mandatory requirement for engagement with all programme work-streams and for access to associated project support resources.

Resource request templates are completely consistent and harvest the same meta-data for every resource access ticket generated. The system features comprehensive rule-based workflow governance embedded in all module statuses. This includes management of multiple short notice change requests. All participants–requestors and resource allocators are auto-notified of resource status and requirements. This includes early visibility of resource demands in the pipeline. All parties are connected to the resource landscape, and all resource requests are recorded in a central database.

The system also features automated delta reporting data check facilities and it includes application of reason coding for changes to any resource request which has subsequently been released for action.

API Gateways are available for automatic and real time updates to project planning and roll out scheduling tools (E.G. Primavera P6). This client also purchased these RESOLVE Modules to work alongside this module:

• Risk management
• Lessons Learned (Knowledge Module)
• Change management

Benefits

• Planning issues are identified earlier; costly mistakes are avoided.
• Identified saving of 7 man hours a week per project manager (x 20 in the programme) not analysing multi-format request data and examining multiple sources/raising requests and chasing up resource allocators.
• Reduced project coordinator headcount by 2.
• Extended the viable release window chronology for new resource requests facilitating higher quality planning deeper into the delivery timeline.
• A two-hour weekly management/planning meeting reduced to a cursory five-minute check of the report dashboard.
• KPI dashboard provides valuable metrics and reason codes allows for lessons learned to be analysed and improvements made on the requestor/allocator ends of the process.