Question related to Resource Allocation in Resource Management Workspace

[rafaelafae]

I’m currently working on a new implementation project with the Xanadu Release, and we’re facing some challenges in understanding the new resource allocation model and how to effectively manage it. 

Even when I attempt to input the allocation with FTE in the project and then move to the Resource Management Workspace, I encounter an issue.

For example, I have a user available for 25 hours/week, but I only want to allocate 10 hours/week to that user. However, the project manager has requested 40 hours/week (1 FTE), as the project schedule is based on a 40-hour workweek.

The problem arises when I allocate the task initially — it’s automatically assigned to the user for their full 40 hours/week even though the user's schedule is 25 hours/week. I only want this user to have 10 hours/week allocated, with the remaining hours (30) assigned to another resource. How can I either duplicate the task or return the remaining hours (30) back to an unassigned task, allowing those hours to be allocated to another user?

Shouldn't the unallocated hours be returned to the task and made available for reassignment?

Instead of automatically redistributing these hours to an “unallocated” status, the system simply reduces the total effort of the task in the project.

Looking forward to your insights on this matter!

Rafaela Faé
Technical Developer Consultant

[psyherin]

Hi @rafaelafae ,

Assuming you are on the updated version of Resource Management, you can utilise the Split feature on the RM workspace. What you will do is assign the task to the resource then click on the three dots on the resource task and click "split" .

Hopefully this answers your question and resolves your issue.

[rafaelafae]

The split solution is not what we need because when we split the task, it divides the task based on a specific time we choose. For example, if a task has a 5-day duration and we split it on the second day, the first user will only have the task for the first day, and the remaining days will be assigned to the second user.

I acknowledge that the application doesn't have validation in the background to check if the user has available hours before automatically assigning all the hours to the user.

My concern is about the hours that are changed after being assigned to a user. For example, the application automatically allocates 40 hours per week to a user, but if I only have 25 hours available for that user, I manually adjust it to 25. However, the remaining 15 hours simply disappear.

This isn’t ideal considering what the project manager originally requested versus what is actually allocated. Imagine if the project manager is handling 10 projects and requests resources for all of them. The Resource Manager then adjusts the hours on their side, but how does the project manager know if the hours they requested match what was actually assigned?

The project manager needs a way to track these changes, whether through annotations or a record-keeping system. Without this visibility, the system lacks transparency, making it difficult to ensure accurate resource allocation and alignment with the initial request. This creates inefficiencies and gaps in project management.