Resource groups vs User groups

[attanhes]

We are planning to implement PPM and resource management. I am trying to understand what the best way is to manage the resource groups within the platform.

We have well defined group structure and all ITIL users are in those groups (sys_user_group) and
have the ability to assign tasks to members of these groups. Also, these groups are setup to fire notification, SMS and scheduled reports etc.... Eg:- Service Desk, Network, Infrastructure, Database …

But when it comes to resource management, should I use the existing groups by simply adding pps_resource roles to it or should I create separate groups with the same members only adding pps_resource role for resource planning purposes. So that the resource manager can manage these groups for resource planning, resource requests/approval, notification and reporting etc… Also, I can add some filter conditions to restrict these resource groups visible on the task assignment list.

Can someone who has real experience in this module please tell me in the long run what are the benefits of having a separate group for resource management planning?

In the future, we are planning to implement TimeCard and financial management etc…

I read most of the community articles but still could not find the best answer yet.

[Angela Olson]

Hi,

We have been using resource management for about 2 years now and we have some groups setup using the same one as assignments and others have a separate resource group.  I don't think there is a wrong answer and you can change it at any time.

For example, we started out with every team just adding the pps_resource role to their existing group.  That worked great for about a year and still does for most of our teams.  Some teams though realized that their resource groups weren't right and we needed to combine "assignment" groups to make a new resource group and rely more on the roles.  So in the last 4 months we have created new "resource only" groups for those teams.  That way they still have 4 groups for assignment and when it comes time for resource managing the manager only has 1 team to work with.  It isn't hard to do and the users see no impact.  

I am a try it and see how it goes person so I would add the pps_resource role and just see if it is the right fit for the managers, if not let them tell you what they need and see if that works better.  

[stevegillespie]

Thanks for the info. We are just deploying now and I have read in some posts that a concern with using assignment groups is if a user is in more than one assignment group they will get double counted as a resource.

Also we have some managers that like to be in the assignment groups for awareness of group activities but they are not really a full working resource for the group.

As @Angela Olson said the fit may vary by assignment group.

[Amit Gujarathi · Accepted solution]

HI @attanhes ,
I trust you are doing great.

To make a decision between the two options, let's consider the benefits of having a separate group for resource management planning in the long run:

1. Clear Separation: Creating separate groups dedicated to resource management allows for a clear separation between regular ITIL tasks and resource planning. This ensures that resource managers have the necessary control and access to manage resources effectively without interfering with other group activities.

2. Specialized Resource Management: By having dedicated resource management groups, you can tailor their roles, permissions, and functionalities specifically for resource planning purposes. This enables resource managers to have granular control over resource allocation, requests, approvals, notifications, and reporting.

3. Filtered Visibility: If you choose to create separate groups, you can apply filter conditions to restrict the visibility of these resource groups on the task assignment list. This helps in streamlining the task assignment process by presenting only relevant resource management options to users, reducing confusion and improving efficiency.

[Brandon Davis]

Amit - I noticed pps_resource is embedded under project_user. Does this mean that, in your situation, the teams had to work on their projects as members of those groups going forward? OR did you do something like remove pps_resource from he project_user and demand_user roles?