Is your organization struggling to effectively align resources to your projects? Enhance your department’s efficiency and reduce costs with ServiceNow’s Resource Management application. The app gives project and resource managers visibility into your organization’s resource structure and allows you to quickly assign resources to the project pipeline. You can promptly identify needs from project level to task level, and everywhere in between.
Resource Management is a part of ServiceNow IT Business Management (ITBM) and comes installed with ServiceNow’s Project Portfolio Management (PPM) application. The application comes ready to use “out of the box” meaning little to no configuration costs associated with installation. For more information on how Infocenter, a ServiceNow Elite Partner, can help you plan (RADIUS™) and provide ongoing support (DEVSHOP™) for your Resource Management and across the ServiceNow platform, contact us today!
How It Works
Resource plans are the key element in Resource Management. A resource requester creates these plans to request items, arrange time for projects and track costs. Each resource plan contains tasks related to projects or other planned efforts. Requesters will submit plans in order to request individual or group resources. Once the plan is approved, the resources are allocated and the team can begin work.
The beauty of Resource Management is it can integrate with all tasks on your ServiceNow platform, like project tasks, incidents, problems, or changes. Resource Management is not limited to projects only within PPM, but can be extended to oversee resources working on other areas of your platform, like IT Service Management (ITSM), for example.
Resource Management addresses common pain points that arise from managing resources via spreadsheets and email. Often times, poor communication and organization lead to a wasted effort that could be spent on more appropriate tasks. Resource Management resolves these communication gaps and streamlines the staffing process with the following application tools:
Resource Workbench
The Resource Workbench comes standard with two application tools: Allocation Workbench and Capacity Planning. The Allocation Workbench is a user interface that lists an organization’s resource plans and the planned hours required to complete the effort. The information on this page is completely interactive with the ability to view current and future allocations, filter resource views, and approve resource plans.
Capacity Planning provides users with a resource forecast overview and utilization report. The data displayed in the forecasted is pulled directly from the Allocation Workbench and is updated in real-time. This allows resource managers to perform a “what-if” analysis by shifting resource plan dates, planned hours and other criteria to assess the impact on an organization’s resource availability.
You may also link cost information to each resource plan, allowing your department to forecast the cost of the planned effort. Cost information can be saved automatically for each resource which then updates the plan every time they are allocated.
Resource Schedule
The application features a resource schedule and calendar giving managers and requestors an accurate view of availability across the organization. Resources are assigned a default schedule and capacity for work hours. Both schedule and capacity can be modified to fit the resource’s normal working day. Once the schedule is set, the resources can be designated to the task(s) within a resource plan. Additionally, multiple items can be paired to the same task with various start and end dates, giving the manager additional flexibility when staffing projects.
Resource Workflows
Standard workflows come included with the Resource Management application. Resource plans can be created by the user and then sent to the resource manager for approval. This action triggers a workflow that sends approvals and notifications to the appropriate individuals.
Workflows reduce the need for manual collaboration via email. Request records are housed directly in the application, giving you an activity trail. Most importantly, automated workflows create a system of controls for staffing projects and prevent users from circumventing the process.
Resource Management Reports
Resource Management provides resource requesters and resource managers with standard reports regarding availability, utilization and allocation. Each report can be filtered for a certain individual, group, project or task. Although many resource reports come standard, users can create their own reports and share them with individuals in their organization.
Speak with an Expert
ServiceNow Resource Management provides managers with a real-time view of IT availability. This app is simple, user-friendly and can be tailored to fit your organization’s business model. Achieving your business goals starts with proper planning and management over the resources that work to execute your vision every day.
Infocenter, a ServiceNow Elite Partner can help you plan, build and manage your Resource Management through our planning engagement, RADIUS™. We begin with on-site workshops and leverage our Certified ServiceNow and business-area experts to help you achieve digital transformation. Speak with an expert today to get started!