Resource planning: what is it and how much of it do you need?

No matter how good you are plans - There's always something. This impression quickly arises. Good resource planning cannot prevent this, but it can make contingencies calculable. Software can help.

What are a company's resources?

In order to carry out resource planning correctly, one thing is needed above all else: resources. A resource is any factor that contributes to the realisation of a Order to fulfil. This includes the workplace, machines and materials. More important for a good calculation of resources are employees and Working hours. Software can also be counted as a company's resources.

What does resource planning mean?

Resource planning is intended to answer the question of what is needed to fulfil an order. As a rule, this defines the time frame. Companies that work on a project basis require a long-term plan. calculationon which successful implementation can depend.

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How does resource planning work?

The function of resource planning depends on how it is displayed. Depending on requirements, resources can be calculated using different tools that enable different visualisations.

Depending on the metrics These can be displayed graphically or in a table, for example. A company must also take risk factors such as machine or employee downtime into account when planning resources. Holiday or working hours, public holidays and overtime are also relevant. Resource planning also includes the definition of individual task areas and the distribution of tasks, depending on the resources. Depending on the size and Effort of the order is such a calculation very complex.

The presentation of the key figures should provide quick and easy information on when and where a resource has been scheduled or is available. An overview should therefore also clearly display all orders and include time components. This allows a quick decision to be made as to whether a company still has the capacity to accept further orders or whether additional orders are required. resources for them.

Resource planning is only ever fixed at a certain point. Especially for companies operating in long-term projects work, a certain degree of flexibility is required with regard to resource planning. A good overview is also necessary here. This can lead to optimisation, which makes it easier to process future orders.

Why is resource planning important?

During contract negotiations or sales talks, it often sounds as if the end product is responsible for the success of an order. However, the path to the goal is much more decisive for the result. It is not just about meeting deadlines, but also about the quality of a service. Resource planning is an essential component of a good project management. The calculation of resources is the basis for making agreements and recognising danger zones in good time.

When do you need resource planning software?

To get an overview of the various factors, there are many options for visualisation and planning. Of course, such processes can also be visualised in a table, e.g. Excel, represent.

Up to a certain point, resources can be calculated well with Excel. However, when orders pile up and tasks shift as a result or beyond this, it quickly becomes confusing. Resource planning at this stage is prone to errors and, in addition to the increased workload, leads to deadlines not being met or the quality of the service suffering because not enough resources are available. This can also occur with large Excel-Competence can occur, as the program was not developed for this purpose and can cause errors simply due to lack of synchronization when many employees are involved.

Software for resource planning or with an integration for this is specially designed for these processes. Besides transparency Such a system displays a schedule that calculates all deadlines in the context of the capacities via the availability of the individual resources. Tasks can also be easily created, synchronised or postponed and assigned to those carrying them out. In the event of an employee absence, nothing is left undone and can be assigned to available staff. You can also see which employees still have time available.

What makes a good resource planning software?

Software solutions never work the same for everyone. However, almost every company needs resource planning. In many cases, it also makes sense to choose a solution that is integrated into the system basis, as resource planning and resource management can be combined. project management eg condition.

In addition, good systems today are able to provide a good graphical representation that simplifies quick understanding and brings together different components, such as projects and working hours. Various software also includes an integrated time tracking. This primarily enables capacities to be analysed in the long term and resources to be allocated sensibly.

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