Though resource management holds services teams together, each stakeholder pulls meaning and priorities from it differently. Here are seven different personas and what could make them happy.
Resource management sits at the heart of every successful services organization. Yet, each stakeholder approaches it with different priorities, pressures, and definitions of success. Understanding these perspectives is essential not just for selecting the right RM tool, but for building alignment, reducing friction, and helping teams feel supported rather than stressed.
Below is a look at the key stakeholders involved in resource management – what matters to them, what doesn’t, and what ultimately makes their work feel like a win. This list was kindly provided to us by Csaba Muha, Head of Goverance and Operations, APAC at Ollion, Runn's dedicated customer and partner, as part of our webinar How to Find the Right Resource Management Tool.
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Business leaders are strategic visionaries overseeing the entire operation. For them, the big picture matters most.
What’s important:
Accurate forecasting, group performance, profitability, and board-level reporting. They need to trust the numbers – and quickly.
What’s not important:
Day-to-day operational details or individual project statuses.
What makes them happy:
Dashboards glowing green across key metrics and forecasts that align with actuals.
What causes stress:
Forecasts that are off – leading to uncomfortable board meetings and loss of confidence.
Sometimes, focusing on what we don’t want is more important than listing our ideal features. Everyone wants perfect forecasting or ideal resource utilization, but real value comes from understanding what trade-offs we can accept – and what pain points we must avoid. For many personas, the true priority isn’t just what they want, but also what they’re willing to live without.
For example, a business lead may want accurate forecasting but doesn’t want the burden of day-to-day operations – they just want a clear dashboard, not the details behind it. For many personas, the true priority isn’t just what they want, but also what they’re willing to live without. For example, a business lead may want accurate forecasting but doesn’t want the burden of day-to-day operations – they just want a clear dashboard, not the details behind it. - Csaba Muha
Related: Business Resource Planning for Busy Department Leads
Delivery leaders are tactical orchestrators responsible for one or multiple accounts and their P&L.
What’s important:
Weekly progress, actuals vs. forecast vs. baseline, and resource allocation.
What’s not important:
Long-term strategy or minor operational details.
What makes them happy:
Projects on track, healthy margins, and optimized resource allocation.
What causes stress:
Delays, margin leakage, and inaccurate 90-day forecasts.
Related: 5 Signs Delivery Teams Have Outgrown Resourcing in Spreadsheets
Operations teams make sure resources are available, costs are managed, and plans are operationally executable.
What’s important:
Resource demand, hiring/firing needs, timesheets, and utilization.
What’s not important:
Project-specific accounting or client relationships.
What makes them happy:
Resources fully utilized and costs in line with forecasts.
What causes stress:
Unforeseen demand spikes that force hiring scrambles or layoffs.
Time entry data influences everything: revenue forecasts, cost projections, invoicing, and customer disputes. That information get picked up by the project managers, by the team, team leads, by the portfolio leads. It goes into our forecasts, on revenue forecast, cost forecast. It goes into invoicing. It also goes to any kind of customer dispute. The same information pillar connects HR, finance, legal, operations, and executives – right up to the CFO. - Csaba Muha
Related: Operational Visibility – Achieving Clarity for Better Decision-Making
Finance teams care about the bottom line and depend on accurate numbers they can reconcile.
What’s important:
Revenue forecasting, recognition, invoicing, and YTD actuals.
What’s not important:
Project-level resource management or client-side details.
What makes them happy:
Numbers that align perfectly for revenue recognition and smooth invoicing.
What causes stress:
Reconciliation issues and revenue forecasts that fall out of sync.
Finance teams want to reconcile books, track invoices, and ensure statutory accounting is correct – but they don’t care about project-level details. For finance, only the final numbers need to match. - Csaba Muha
Related: 4 Common Mistakes Leaders Make When Justifying New Headcount
Project managers are the conductors coordinating task, timeline, and resource orchestration.
What’s important:
Real-time project accounting, resource allocation, and completion estimates.
What’s not important:
High-level business strategy or sales activities.
What makes them happy:
Projects running smoothly and aligned with contractual commitments.
What causes stress:
Projects going off the rails or forced course corrections impacting profitability.
Related: What is the Difference Between a Delivery Manager and a Project Manager?
These stakeholders lay the groundwork long before delivery begins.
What’s important:
Scope capture, resource placeholders, WBS creation, and demand reporting.
What’s not important:
Post-sale customer management or detailed accounting.
What makes them happy:
Accurate estimates and a well-defined scope that sets delivery up for success.
What causes stress:
Estimates that fall short, scope creep, or resource mismatches.
This group manages client relationships and approval cycles.
What’s important:
Quick cost estimates, deal approvals, forecasting, and client account views.
What’s not important:
Internal operational details or resource-level accounting.
What makes them happy:
Deals that close smoothly and forecasts they can trust.
What causes stress:
Stalled approvals, inaccurate forecasts, or unexpected roadblocks.
A resource management tool isn’t just software – it’s a shared source of truth across teams with very different goals. When it delivers meaningful value to each of these groups, organizations benefit from:
– Fewer surprises and smoother operations
– Stronger cross-functional alignment
– More predictable revenue and margins
– Happier teams who feel supported rather than firefighting daily
Resource management works best when it works for everyone – from the strategist to the spreadsheet guardian, from the project maestro to the deal-maker. By designing processes and tools with empathy for each stakeholder’s reality, companies can unlock their full operational potential.
