What Is Resource Allocation in Project Management?

Resource Allocation in Project Management

Project management is a very wide area of work, particularly in business. It covers many different topics which can be broken into even smaller particles. Work of a project manager is not only about giving people orders and telling them what to do. Many people limit their work of a project manager to supervising their employees and making sure everyone meets their deadline. But a good project manager knows it’s more than that.

Resource allocation in project management is one of those particles which make work of a good PM effective and significant. And even though it may seem simple, it is actually crucial in delivering a great project.

Resource allocation in project management is concerned with creating a plan which can help achieve future goals. There are many resources which have to be allocated when managing a project, beginning from budget to equipment and tools, to data and the project’s plan.

Why Is Resource Allocation in Project Management Important?

Resource allocation in project management is so important because it gives a clear picture on the amount of work that has to be done. It also helps to schedule ahead and have an insight into the team’s progress, including allocating the right amount of time to everyone on the team.

Resource allocation allows to plan and prepare for the project’s implementation or achieving goals. It is also possible to analyze existing threats and risks to the project.

But above all, resource allocation in project management helps to control all the workload. This, as a result, contributes to team’s effectiveness at work and what follows later is a satisfying and exhaustive project.

How to Allocate Resources When Managing a Project?

Since resources refer to quite an extensive list of things and aspects of project management, it may be confusing when trying to properly allocate them all. But it’s not difficult and requires certain dedication and involvement. Here’s what you can do to allocate resources in the right way when managing a project:

• know the scope – to know what is your project about, what you will need to achieve it, and to be able to properly allocate resources;
• identify resources – to know which tools, equipment, etc. you will need it completing the project;
• track time – to have a deep analysis of the progress and current situation as well as be able to control it in the real-time;
• don’t look only at the big picture – the process of working on a project is not done with task allocation. Once you allocate resources you have to keep track of all of them. If you lose at least one tiny detail, your project may fail;
• don’t over-allocate – because your team will experience burnout and their productivity will significantly drop.

As a time tracking software, TimeCamp knows the importance of proper time and budget allocation (among others). That’s why extensive features provided by our software enhance resource allocation. But resource allocation is also about controlling reports and invoices. Without it, you will lose track of your and your team’s work.

Find out more about TimeCamp’s great features which make resource allocation in project management easy and comprehensible.

Discover the wonders of resource allocation with attention to details!

Resource allocation problems in project management

According to PMI’s survey, only 26% of companies always use resource management to estimate and allocate resources. It indicates that it can be a hard process with many obstacles along the way. The main problems project managers face are:

• Availability of resources – in companies that run many projects, managers have to compete over resources and they can’t make relocations without negotiating over the same resources with other PMs.
• Changes in project scope – clients can change project scope in the middle of the process, and they can force you to relocate resources.
• Use of inappropriate tools – if you use spreadsheets or simple task management tools to manage a project, it can be hard to analyze and relocate resources.

To Sum Up

Remember that sometimes it may not be easy or even possible to allocate all resources. It will take time for the project and its certain features to develop and only then you can allocate the rest or new resources. There is also the option of relocating resources, which sometimes will turn out to have positive effects on the project and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, keep in mind that altering the project too much may influence it negatively. That’s why it’s important to keep the balance.