Key Benefits of Implementing a Resource Scheduling Software

There is a beautiful meeting room in your office with excellent view. You love to take your guests there to show off and earn their respect!

Today, you have few important guests. You take them to the usual meeting room. But, someone else is sitting there. Apparently, you forgot to book the room. So, you are forced to take the guests to another room which has a very dull view. Not a great start for your meeting!

This is just a small example. Every day, you are sharing various kinds of resources such as meeting rooms, printers, projectors with others in your organization. It also happens at home, school and college. If they are not effectively planned, it is impossible to extract best value from them.

It becomes a bigger problem when you talk about human resources. For example, you have a designer who can make superb drawings. At the same time, you managers complain that they don't have anyone to make their digital designs. When you tell them about the designer you hired few months back, they are surprised. 'Wow, we didn't know that!'

On the flip side, when you speak to the designer, he says 'I am sitting idle 36 hours a week. Nobody gives me any work!'

Think of it: On one side, you have a resource which is underutilized, on the other side you have people searching for the same resource. If these two can be connected, it will be a WIN:WIN scenario!

Introducing resource scheduling software! These are simple software programs which help you track your resources and schedule them effectively, so that they can be utilized in the best possible manner. They make sure every resource works to its potential by ensuring a way for everyone to search, find, assign and release the resource.

There are many software solutions available in the market which can handle this problem. Some of them are free; some of them are paid solutions. They all run from internet or from intranet, accessible from computers as well as mobile devices.

Features:

Generally, a resource scheduling software would have the following basic features:

1. Register a resource (person, room, asset etc.)

2. Uniquely track a resource (by assigning an ID)

3. Allow adding a profile about the resource (Skill sets, facilities etc.)

4. Allow search of resources

5. View schedule of resources (existing assignments)

6. Block a resource for certain duration

7. Release the resource (after use)

8. Provide feedback about the resource

9. Reports on resource utilization

10. Reports on system usage (For example: Top 10 resources, Underutilized resources).

Process:

Resource management systems are used by various people such as resource managers, project managers. These people follow a standardized process to extract these benefits from the system:

* Every new resource is entered in the system with all the required details

* Resources can be made visible to everyone in the organization or to a limited set of users

* Those who want to use these resources can search and find the required resources.     They can reserve the resource by providing the date and time

* System can send reminders about the resource utilization

* During utilization or after the task is completed, it is possible to provide feedback comments. This will be very useful for others who use the same resource

* Resources can be retired from the system (machines getting replaced, people leaving the organization).

Benefits:

A resource management solution helps in many ways for any organization and individual. These are the top benefits from such a system:

 * Effective utilization of available resources

* Ability to match the requirements with resources available in the system

* Quick snapshot on the availability of resources to plan next activities

* Effective reports to identify underutilized resources and over utilized resources to take corrective actions

 * Self-service mode to save time for everyone.

Conclusion:

It is important that resources in an organization or any other environment be managed effectively by scheduling them in a centralized system. These software applications help you achieve this goal by providing an efficient system for managing the scheduling process.

Efficient Resource Scheduling & It’s Benefits

One aspect of resource management is efficient resource scheduling, a complex task. Efficient resource scheduling means making the best use of available resources by allocating the right work to the right resource at the right time to make your workforce more efficient. It ensures effective and efficient use of resources to accomplish organizational goals with economic benefit in mind. Firstly the activities of the project need to be scheduled followed by allocation of the resources by Coordinating staff credentials and the activities, keeping in mind the availability of the resource during that specific project time. 

In companies with large or multinational projects or running multiple projects simultaneously, resource management would include allocating the right available resources for the specific tasks among the various projects or business units. For this information is needed to be shared consistently throughout different parts of the organization.

A company which meets the customer demand of delivering a good quality product in time and budget meets the aspiration of the client.  The reliability of services or the assurance that services are provided in a consistent and dependable manner increase the credibility of the company a satisfied client translates into a good brand image. Brand image & customer satisfaction can be achieved by a resource planning software which is used in multinational companies for managing projects on a large scale.

Advantages of Resource planning and scheduling are many.  Efficient Resource planning and scheduling lead to development of systems which makes a job easier.  It makes the organization more effective by re-alignment of traditional working practices. Resource scheduling ensures effective and efficient use of human talent to accomplish organizational goals and empowers your organization to meet deadlines, in addition to safeguarding profitability.

Resource scheduling helps to maintain employee harmony in the workplace. Employees seek increased quality of life which may mean less time spent at work, with more time for other activities whereas businesses seek high employee productivity, reduced absenteeism and retention of talent. 

A good resource schedule which has a definable work flow is viewed by the employee as an integral part of business management associated with company goals and is therefore treated with respect. A collaborative resource planning software tends to reduce workplace stress. It does not invite ad hoc changes, and is not perceived as being arbitrary. A good schedule leads to confidence and trust among the employees. Trust provides the foundation for a positive cultural environment, which in turn provides the driving force necessary to achieve performance improvements leading to the basic goal of achieving profitability in the business.

Preparing a good resource schedule manually is a tough job with more variables to be taken into consideration than actually feasible. A good software “eResource scheduler” is available which overcomes the obstacles of manual scheduling, fits the needs of the managers and staff, and is flexible and robust. It is easy to use and operationally proven by different organizations. It is well supported via help desk and maintenance releases for user confidence. It delivers fast schedules even in complex scenarios to match staff supply to business requirements.

Enbraun's Resource Planning Software - Quick Tour

A Bosses Guide to Significance of Efficient Resource Planning

In both medium and large size companies, it is necessary to learn early on the importance of efficient resource planning. This is needed for a variety of reasons. Employees all have different strengths and weaknesses. If two people are put on the same shift and have very similar weaknesses, it can vastly hinder productivity. They will slow down work by making the same mistakes or taking extra-long to do tasks that someone else could have done much better. 

Setting up minor management and always having one on staff ensures that work will go smoothly. Many workers need some form of direction to ensure that their work does not slack. Having a resource planning software can result into efficient management and appropriate arrangement with maximized profits. Observe the way the company functions carefully. If management is doing a poor job, it is time to have them reassigned or have them work on shifts only other higher management to help correct the poor behavior.

 

Enbraun's Resource Planning Software - Financial Report

Workers also have different skill sets. Some workers can execute certain tasks very quickly, but with poor quality. Others can do tasks quite slowly, but will provide great quality work once finished. However, having only people that make each other’s skills better can hinder growth as well. Making a good decision requires many different factors to be considered. Creating set workplace roles can also help with this much needed growth.

Good management can be left to work on their own they will ensure that other people are getting their work done as well. After all observation is done, it is easy to organize management with collaborative resource planning software and the workers that need them most. Different projects require different people to be on schedule at different times. For example, working in a consulting firm means that when scheduling meetings with clients that need to speak with different specialty departments, different workers than usual will need to be called in to ensure that they can collaborate on the project.

Some people will simply not get along with one another, and this also needs to be considered. Although it is very unprofessional to simply refuse to work with another person over a minor issue which can result into low performance. Sometimes it becomes easy to reschedule workers by a configurable resource planning software. It is up to the boss to put people who work well together on shift at the same time. This will ensure that these people can complement each other’s skills while maximizing productivity. This is the importance of efficient resource planning.

Increasing workflow capabilities with resource scheduling software

If your company is on the fast track to success in today’s global marketplace, you may be trying to achieve goals within a leaner work environment. Setting deadlines and meeting scheduling goals may be crucial in your customer development database. Increasing productivity extends beyond the production floor in today’s manufacturing arena. Support areas such as sales, marketing, planning and scheduling are learning about efficiency and working to develop a more reliable system of team oriented supported networking.

For help with your marketing needs, collaborative resource scheduling software may be worth considering. Customers require definitive time frames with the implementation of daily or weekly verification for confirmation of impending deadlines for shipments. You have to take into account that your customers also have customers. It is this intricate networking that a scheduling software package will help you to master with professional ease. As your customer load increases, demands for on time delivery can become a recipe for disaster if you don’t have a software package integrated into your system with updated tracking abilities.

Configurable Resource Scheduler - Booking Chart

Tracking orders begins at order placement. Components needed have to be obtained from outside which requires scheduling vendors to complete tasks in advance of your customer deadlines. Scheduling software has taken planning to a whole new level of efficiency allowing a smoother work flow and greater visibility to both you and your customer.

With greater visibility, bottlenecks or issues can be identified early on and addressed before scheduling ship dates are affected. For example, you may have a product which always gets held up in a final testing stage but your sales people and schedulers don’t recognize this when setting ship dates. The software can automatically show extra time needed for a specific task thereby allowing a longer lead time up front. The customer can understand longer lead times. They are not experts on what you supply them with and usually will understand when you give them longer lead times. What they can’t understand is when you promise shipment at a particular time and it just doesn't happen. This increases the lead time on their side for the end customer; and like a snowball rolling down hill, it will simply get worse as it moves down the chain.

Another issue commonly seen in scheduling is when more than one order needs to be running at the same time but no one was aware at the order entry end. In the past, when a customer called with an order, all that happened was that a sales person entered the order with no knowledge of what was currently going on. With this enhanced software, issues such as these are eliminated entirely.

Most software packages today have graphical interfacing which allows for ease of interface between users and software. Gantt and bar graph capabilities are great tools built in to most software. In addition, they offer fill-able templates for increased order entry speeds. If your company is trying to work in tomorrow’s world with today’s technology, you may want to move into the realm of resource scheduling software.

Accelerate Organization Production with Resource Planning Software

The nature of projects and tasks in the modern businesses demands that it is of paramount importance to make sure that all players in a particular project fits in with the projects programs. In order to enhance high efficiency and cost reductions, manual scheduling of tasks has become old fashioned and can no longer work. As such it is important to ensure that a project manager needs to assign the right resources to the right project. This requires resource planning software.

These software have been designed with configurable collaborative resource scheduling tools to help you schedule your resources effectively in a particular project. With them, you will be able to efficiently plan, schedule & manage resources. Facilitate financial reports, drag & drop scheduling, forecasting reports, etc.

Resource planning software connects your Financial Accounting package (ERP) at the back end and your CRM systems at the front end. This gives a chance to effectively bridge your planning and execution gaps to acquire complete control and visibility over your entire business projects.

Resources with Profile window

Improve Project Delivery

Good software will have comprehensive project management applications to ensure your service delivery and business projects are more effective and efficient. From de-risking to effective planning of projects as well as scheduling resources, good resource planning software enables you to continually refine and optimize your projects and service delivery processes.

Advanced billing and Contract Management

Effective project management software has its service resource planning applications created from the ground up alongside some of the leading professional service organizations functions including the most configurable and robust contract management and billing system available.

Business Visibility

A resource planning software comes with a fully integrated project resource planning applications that ensure alienates you from any worries regarding consolidating some deciphering facts or another spread sheet and figures that might be presented in emails. A resource planning software will be able to receive real time visibility into some key metrics that constitutes to the success of your PSO including cost, resource demand, utilization, capability, revenue, shortfalls, billing milestones, budgets and profitability.

Integration

A resource planning integration system ensures that you can comfortably connect to the most common ERP, CRM and finance systems. Even if your integration needs are for real time updates, batch transfer or data imports, a resource planning software offers numerous integration options to ensure you successful interchange your data.

Optimize Resource Usage

Software has an intuitive resource planning application that enables you to effectively manage your project's resource capability through maintaining optimal staff levels, prioritizing resources and in gaining real time visibility of chargeable and productive utilization.

Forecasting and Financial Management

Software will enable you to accurately predict the future of your business which is vital to the continuity, success and an improved effectiveness and efficiency of any business entity. The comprehensive forecasting and financial management features enables you to accurately measure and predict future costs, revenue as well as profitability.

If you have a business that is projects intensive and you have many balls hovering in the air (which business doesn't?), then you might want to take a planning software out for a spin.

Strength of Present Day Managers – Dynamic Resource Management Software

Highly competitive and globalized environment is forcing companies to look for new ways to enhance productivity and reduce working costs. Traditional ways to manage resources like spread sheets and basic calendaring tools are turning out inept in handling the current situation. Now more and more businesses are switching to dynamic resource management software for administering their resources and countering all present day obligations in an efficient way. Automated resource management systems are proving as boons to the managers solving most of their predicaments and saving them a lot of time.

Generally human resources in a company are categorized into various departments, projects and teams spread across different cities and often different countries. This makes it quite difficult to keep a track of everything through old methods of record keeping. Enterprise-wide visibility gets further blurred when there is an outsourcing relationship with a number of vendors that are more than often located in different parts of the globe. This visibility constraint adversely affects uniform work distribution, reduces resource utilization and brings down accuracy in resource hiring. Thus a centralized system is the need of the hour that records and displays all the relevant employee details, their capabilities and availability on a single platform. Dynamic resource management software has been designed for this very purpose of managing all your resources smoothly and efficiently.

To improve the productivity of the current work force, it is vital to assign the right kind of work to the right person. In other words, there is a close connection between skills; acquired training, qualifications, liking and availability of employees, and these factors play a significant role in deciding the type of work assigned for maximum performance. The traditional record-keeping ways have their own limitations and lack repeated data retrieval and data implementation convenience. All such hindrances have been outdone by the dynamic resource management software, and now you have the facility to feed, store, retrieve and utilize data on and from a single platform and that too with utmost ease, great efficiency and high accuracy.

Booking Chart

The software ensures optimum utilization of resources across the departments and keeps a track of the entire process. Employee details are readily available, and this highlights the areas with over and under allocation of work. Accordingly workloads can be scheduled and rescheduled without any delay, favoring maintenance of a balanced distribution of tasks across an organization.

The software has been crafted to keep up with the changing employee status round the clock and data can be updated on regular basis leading to speedy communication between managers and employees. Demand and supply status of resources are under constant vigil, and last minute leave requests can be answered promptly with proper suggestion/scheduling of a suitable substitute. Thus, output and overall performance is protected as a whole. Another important feature of the software is the facility for report generation. Reports can be generated anytime in form of texts or graphs on the basis of factual data. This is extremely crucial for preparing presentations and planning for future. In short it can be said that the resource planning software is quite indispensable for present day managers.

Reduce Operational Planning Cost by Using Resource Management software

Managing company in a manual manner can be a daunting task especially so when trying to manage employees and keep track of appointments that are considerably vital to the operation of an organization.

In many occasions, the use of traditional methods of pen and paper, or spread sheets has proved to be overwhelming to majority of human resource managers. Without any doubt, there are tools, which come handy to ease human resource management and also help increase productivity in an organization.

Many companies are embracing the use of productive resource management software to manage resource files without any strain. The benefits of the software are enormous. It helps in easing the management of an organizational human resource thus increases the productivity of human resource department and the entire organizational.

Considering how a customer is important to a business, no competent human resource manager would wish to fail in his or her line of duty. Despite the uncertain nature of demands of customers, every customer demand must be treated with professionalism. This situation can be a headache if human resource department sticks to manual handling of employee information. This is so because human resource information is vital to organization and if lost can have a devastating effect on an organizational productivity.

The process of managing employees can be made efficient with the right productive resource management software. There are various approaches to handling different staff levels. The software can help a human resource manager to monitor and manage different levels of staff by keeping records of employee’s qualifications and skills without necessarily employing more human resource employees thus reducing operational costs.

Utilization report with pie graph

The terms and conditions of work in an organization can be volatile in certain circumstances, since tend to change from time to time due to changes in legislation and length of service. If there are many employees to keep on watch, it can be frustrating to manually keep track of their requirements and entitlements. This is the point where the power of the software plays a vital role. Manual monitoring of employees will require more human resource employees, hence increased operational costs.

The software can also be used in the maintenance of employee profile. It can help an organization to link its business to automated systems so that the employees can log in and out of the on-going projects. This log in feature can help human resource department to share vital information with the employees in an efficient manner requests of leave can be submitted to the department in a digital manner so that proper records are kept for future reference. The software also helps in combating absenteeism problems.

The benefits that are brought forth by the software are numerous. They range from easy resource handling to monitoring. However, it is worth knowing that not all software that manage human resources is capable of bringing forth the benefits.

The most important thing to consider is buying the software from a well reputed provider. Client reviews on various providers should act as a guideline on how to choose genuine software. The other thing to factor in when purchasing the software is the features. There are some manufactures that produce the software without the vital features, hence hindering the achievement of the desired organizational productivity.