Resource Planning with Requests/Approvals

Information

• The resource request/approval process in PLANTA project includes
  • the request of a required department by the project manager,
  • the approval of individual resources by the department manager,
  • and finally the planning of the approved resources in projects.

Note

• In order to be able to use resource requests, you first have to make several settings. Further information.

Attention

• Currently, the request/approval feature cannot be used on subprojects.

Resource Request/Approval Process

Information

• Resource requests can be posed on project or task level.
• You can configure per project or on a global scale on which level resource requests are to be used. Further information

Project resource requests

• If resource requests are active at project level, resources with activated Approval required parameter at project level must be approved before they can be planned.
• Requests will then be generated per project.

Task resource requests

• If resource requests are active at project level, resources with activated Approval required parameter at task level must be approved before they can be planned.
• Requests will then be generated per resource and per task.

Request status

The progress of the resource request process can be identified by the request status:

• Created: The project manager of a project has created a resource request.
• In process: The project manager has submitted the resource request.
• Released: The department manager has approved the resource request.
• Rejected: The department manager has rejected the resource request.

Notes

• When you use resource requests, you should consider its interaction with other resource settings, like e.g. load profiles.
  • If, e.g., resource request is effected with a linear load distribution and after approval the load is distributed to employees with CAP load profile, it may occur that the traffic light on the Remaining load field signalizes an exceedance.
• Only requests with created status can be deleted.
  • All other requests can only be archived
• When archiving projects, all requests are now archived as well, except requests with "created" status. They are deleted when the projects are archived.

Generate Request (Project Manager)

Information

• The project manager plans the resources (departments) which can be planned freely in the schedule.
• Subsequently he/she can generate a resource request from the planning and dispatch them in the  Resource Requests module.
• Here, a request will be generated per project and per resource (in the case of project resource requests) or per task and per resource (in the case of task resource requests).

Procedure

• The project plans his/her projects in the Schedule module and assigns department resources (which can be planned freely) to the individual tasks.
• Allocate the required Remaining effort for the individual resources.
• Click on the button in the module header to put requests from the planning and open them in the Resource Requests module.
  • Alternatively, click on the button to switch to the Resource Requests module and click on the  button there.
• The requests will be generated.
  • In project resource requests/approvals, one request will be generated per resource.
  • In task resource requests/approvals, one request will be generated per task.
  • The planned Remaining effort values are included in the request.
  • Write a comment in the Comment field if necessary.
  • Via  you can have a look at the utilization of the respective resource in the Utilization of module and the impact of the request can thus be simulated.
  • Click on to dispatch all requests or on to dispatch individual requests.
  • Confirm the query with Yes.
  • The requests will be approved and the status will be changed to in process

Details

• In the Resource Requests module, the project manager can monitor the status of his/her resource requests.
  • By clicking on the  button, a reminder can be sent to the department manager.
• Requested resources and the status of the requests will also be displayed in the Schedule of the project, or, for requests at task level, also in the Task module.
  • By clicking on the button in the Schedule, the request can be opened in the Resource Request module.

Notes

• For tasks the Actual end of which has already been set, as well as for (master)milestones, no resources can be requested.
  • When attempting to assign resources to such a task, a respective message will be displayed.
• Since the requested values are rounded, their display may deviate from the planned values.
• The planned values are summarized in the time grid which has been defined in the Resource requests: time grid parameter.
• PLANTA recommends to plan requested resources with the same load profile which is also to be used for planning the approved resources.

Request Processing (Department Manager)

Information

• As soon as the requests have been dispatched, the department manager can see all requests for his/her department in the My Resource Requests module.
• Here, requests can be approved or rejected.
• The effort requested for the entire department can be allocated to individual employee resources and be approved. Here, the department manager can have a look at a simulation of the resource utilization with the values to be approved. 
• After approval, the status of the request is changed to "Approved".

Procedure

• The My Resource Requests module is opened.
• Click on on the required request in order to allocate the requested effort to the individual resources.
  • The Resource Selection module is opened.
  • Select the required resources.
    • The resources of the department are displayed.
      • Here, resources which do not require approval may be displayed as well (Approval required = No).
      • Person resources will be displayed by default. In the Department module variant, department resources can be looked at.
    • Click on Add resource for distribution.
    • The module will be closed and the resources will be inserted under the selected resource request in the My Resource Requests module.
      • If the selection includes resources for which this request has already been approved, a respective message will be displayed and the resources will not be inserted for allocation.
  • In the My Resource Requests module, allocate the requested capacity to the added resources by entering values in the Approved fields.
  • Click on to display a simulation of the resource utilization with the selected values.
    • The utilization will be displayed in the Utilization from module and the display there will be refreshed as soon as new values are entered and saved in the Approved field in the My Resource Requests module.
  • By clicking on  or , the values to be approved can be moved forwards or backwards by one unit (depending on the selected time grid).
• In order to grant approval for the required resource request, click on .
  • In order to approve all resource requests for a task or a project, click on on the respective task or project.
  • Confirm the dialog message with Yes .
  • The requests will be approved and the status will be changed to Released.

Notes

• Values can no longer be edited after their approval.
  • When attempting to change the values of an approval which does not have the status in process, a respective message will be displayed.
  • It is therefore not possible to approve only part of the values at first and to amend the approval afterwards.
  • Approvals cannot be canceled.
• The department manager can configure the percentage by which the approval can be exceeded by the project manager in the My Department module in the Approval can be exceeded by (limit in %): configure by what percentage the approvals can be exceeded by the project manager.
  • He/she can furthermore have a look at the number of projects which currently exceed the approval limit (Number of projects which exceed the approval limit:).
    • Next to the field there are buttons via which the department manager can switch to the Approval Exceedance module in order to have a look at the projects.
  • If the actual planning exceeds the approval, the project manager can submit a change request in order to request the difference to the initial approval.

Quick approval

• Quick approval via the   button can be used to approve multiple requests at once.
  • Quick approval can also be used to approve change requests for resources already included in the planning.
  • After approval has been given, the approved records will be marked.
  • If there are queries which must be approved manually, a respective message will be displayed and the records which cannot be approved will be marked.

  
  

Include the Planning in the Project (Project Manager)

Information

• The project manager can track the status of his/her requests both in the Resource Requests module and in the Schedule module of the respective project.
• If the request is approved, the project manager can plan the resources in his/her project in accordance with the approval.
• For approvals at task level it is possible to have approved resources automatically included in the schedule.
  • Alternatively, resources can also be planned manually.
• For requests at project level, planning must be carried out manually.

Manual planning

• In the upper area of the Schedule module of the project (project resource requests) or below the respective tasks (task resource requests), you can see which resources have been approved and how many hours their approval comprises.
• The project manager can now remove the department resources planned during outline planning from the Schedule and plan the approved resources instead.
• They are now also displayed in the Assign Resources module in the approved resources area.
• Please note that here the resources are to be planned with a PM load profile which corresponds to the selected time grid. Further information

Include approvals automatically (requests at task level)

• Open the Resource Requests module (e.g. by clicking on the  button on an approved resource).
  • Approved resource requests will be displayed in the approved area.
  • Via the respective fields in the module header the resource requests can be filtered by tasks, resources, date, or status.
• Click on on the required resource request to copy the approvals to the project schedule.
• Confirm the dialog message with Yes.
• The approved resources will be copied to the Schedule and the query will be archived.

Details

• The new resources will be assigned to the respective tasks in the Schedule and the resources which had already been assigned will be updated.
• If department resources were requested before, they will be removed from the planning.
  • If you do not want this to happen, you can configure the Remove requested resources from planning parameter in the Global Project Settings module.
• The loads are planned via the respective PM load profile (depending on the global setting). Further information
• Here, the values will be copied from the approval periods to the schedule and will be adjusted during scheduling while the grid will be retained (depending on the global setting).
  • When copying values, no scheduling will be performed.
• If the planning is increased at a later point in time and the Schedule is recalculated, the Remaining effort field below the time scale is marked yellow (as soon as the approval is exceeded) or red (as soon as the approval limit is overrun). (See also Change Request)

Note

• The option to copy automatically is only available if the request has been made at task level.
  • For requests at project level, you have to carry out the planning manually.
• If the department manager approves a resource which does not require approval (Approval required = No) and which was included in the project planning before, the load profile of the existing resource assignment is adjusted to the respective PM load profile.
  • The existing loads are summarized along with the approved values and the user will be prompted to verify the values manually.

Change Request (Project Manager)

Information

• If the actual planning in the project exceeds the approved/requested value, the project manager can send a change request to the department manager.
• This change request will be generated based on the difference between request/approval and planning.

Details

• If the planning of a resource for which a request with Created status already exists is changed, the changed planning will be set off against the existing request and the request will be changed accordingly.
• If the planning of a resource for which a request with In process status already exists is changed, the changed planning will also be set off against the existing request. In such a case, the request will be generated anew.
• If the planning of a resource for which an approval already exists is changed, the approval will be subtracted from the changed planning and a new request will be generated from the difference arisen.
  • Here it does not make a difference whether the request has already been included in the schedule or whether it has been archived.

Procedure

• Project resource requests/approvals: Assign a resource to the required task in the Schedule or increase the value for an existing resource assignment in the Remaining load field in the With Loads module variant.
• Task resource requests/approvals: Increase the value for the required resources in the Remaining load field in the With Loads module variant in the Schedule in according to the requirements.
• If the schedule is now recalculated, the Remaining load field below the time scale will be marked red as soon as the approval limit is exceeded.
• Click on in order to generate a new request based on the difference and to open it in the Resource Requests module.
• The requests will be generated.
  • In project resource requests/approvals, one request will be generated per resource.
  • In task resource requests/approvals, one request will be generated per task.
  • The planned Remaining effort values are included in the request.
  • Write a comment in the Comment field if necessary.
  • Via  you can have a look at the utilization of the respective resource in the Utilization of module and the impact of the request can thus be simulated.
  • Click on to dispatch all requests or on to dispatch individual requests.
  • Confirm the query with Yes.
  • The requests will be approved and the status will be changed to in process

Notifications

Information

• It is possible to activate e-mail notifications for resource requests.
• If they are activated, the responsible department managers/project managers will be informed when resources are requested or approved/rejected.
• In order to be able to use notifications, you first have to make several settings. Further information