Legacy Resource Planner to new Resource Tools-Need guidance on FTE Allocation

[SaraTo1]

We are transitioning to the new resource management suite off of the legacy capacity planner. The huge benefit in the legacy tool was we could set a set a cap on FTE allocation for a Job Role in a resource pool. So, the Project Manager job role is assigned to 10 people in Workfront, but we could set our allocation to only 2 available to a resource pool. We did not need a separate job role.

In the new Resource Tools (not ESP), there is not a way to set an FTE cap in a resource pool, the pool brings in every FTE (So all 10 PM roles are 'available' to work).

How are others getting around this? I currently have 25 job roles that all need this FTE Cap for this resource pool, so I would need to create 25 new individual job roles with different allocations and somehow keep them updated if the teams change, such as add new members or lose some (i.e. if the PM team dropped to 8, I would have to redivide the % on the new job role for all 8 members to get us back to 2 FTE total).

I think this is my only choice, but....I would love any insight or suggestions that others have on transitioning from legacy tools! Or, if someone agrees that this process makes (any) sense, or has ideas for another way.

Thanks,

Sara

[Doug_Den_Hoed__AtAppStore]

Hi Sara,

Many thoughts, but will start gradually...

In lieu of a cap, could you “monitor” for upcoming peaks that exceed 2 FTE’s of assigned work in a given timeframe (eg day, week, month) and then “reprioritize and push” that work so that it stays at or below the 2 FTE target?

Regards,

Doug

[SaraTo1]

Thanks Doug! This could work on a singular job level, but for this resource pool, it will be over 25 job roles that could be applied to the project, so the team managing the resource pool/portfolio would have to then remember what each peak is for each job role, so the PM peak may be 2 FTE, but the other teams on that project could be 1, .75, .5, etc.

[AnthonyIm]

Question: Why can't you just put twp of the project managers into the resource pool and not the others? That way you could still budget projects based on the two PMs. Now I'm not sure how you are doing comparisons, but that would help with the budgeting part.

[SaraTo1]

Thanks Anthony! This would work for teams who have whole number FTE availability, but maybe of the teams that I need to work with will be .5's or .75's, for example

[AnthonyIm]

So, a possible workaround for you (from a general planning), is the resource estimate. I have one account in my Chicago office that loves it. They have 15 FTE for their Art Director team so 600 hours. I created a resource estimate report (which is at the role level) that takes all the different Art Director roles we have and then they compare the weekly number. If it is over 600, they know they need freelancers or have a serious talk with PMs. They like it so thought I'd share.