Is it going to be hard? Yes. Is it going to be worth it? Also yes. Here’s the trade offs of resource management – and why they’re totally worth it.
Effective resource management requires strategic trade offs that support long term organizational goals.
If you want to optimize your resources to drive higher productivity and profit, it’s not going to happen without work. You have to choose your challenges and stay focused on the payoff that comes after moving through the difficulty.
After all, if you want to see the sunrise, you have to get up early. Like the idea of running a marathon? You'll need to put in the hours and train. Want to play the piano? Won't happen without lots of practice.
And in your organization, do you want to struggle on with the status quo – resource constraints, project delays, skills gaps, data confusion, spreadsheets – or push through a little pain to make significant progress?
So, in the spirit of ‘no pain, no gain’, here is an honest appraisal of the risks and trade-offs of resource management – and why it is still absolutely worth it.
Implementing any new organizational strategy is inherently disruptive; there’s no way around that.
Introducing resource management is going to necessitate new processes, workflows, and tools – perhaps even new roles and structures in a larger business.
However, this disruption is a short-term sacrifice in service long-term improvements. Once the changes are in place, your organization will experience a step-change in:
Day-to-day, you’ll experience improved resource visibility, which means:
Strategically, senior decision makers will have the business intelligence and insights they need for stronger capacity planning and workforce optimization.
This, in turn:
Getting to the point where you can successfully implement centralized resource management isn’t always straightforward. You may have to consolidate siloed data, standardize disparate processes, and train multiple teams – all of which adds short-term complexity.
And when you’re in the trenches, it may seem too much to take on.
However, once this work is complete, life is going to get so much simpler.
And don’t forget, if you work with the right partner, they can guide you through the transformation process to minimize your stress and strain (see Risk #4 below).
If your resource management improvements include implementing resource management software, there will be a financial investment – software licenses, consultancy support, internal training, staff time, reduced capacity, etc.
However, these costs are an investment, not an expense. Once the new systems are embedded, the ROI of resource management becomes clear.
This means professional service firms like yours can deliver more projects, more profitably – which offsets the initial spending.
Resource management isn’t always the easiest sell to your colleagues. Just like any big change, it is likely to meet resistance.
Let’s honestly compare what you intend vs. what they might perceive:
Resistance risks the success of the transformation, and you don’t want your colleagues to be stressed and unsettled by what’s happening.
This is why change management processes are essential – and a listening tour is advisable – so you can hear, understand, and alleviate concerns, then communicate the benefits to come.
Like any transformation initiative, implementing resource management processes will take time and resources. This means it will temporarily reduce your overall organizational capacity.
So if you are already engaged in activities that stretch capacity beyond normal levels, now may not be the right time.
For example:
However, if your capacity is ALWAYS stretched – simply because you never know what people are working on, or can’t accurately match staff supply to client demand – you may need to go ahead anyway, as the only way to relieve that pressure is to implement better processes. We refer you to the trade-offs above!
Implementing standardized resource management is transformative… when resource management is your problem. But it isn’t a cure-all for everything that ails a project-based business.
Some organizations use resource management as a sticking plaster to patch up much bigger problems, and are surprised when it still falls apart.
Implementing resource management for the first time needs the right pace and preparation. Some organizations are so impressed by the benefits of resource management that they try to jump from relatively low RM maturity to advanced practice.
It’s like going straight from 'Couch to 5K' to the New York Marathon.
Yup, it’s bold and will certainly create a big impact; it’s also risky. Because you might burnout teams by going too far, too fast, too soon; or fail to perfect foundational practices and undermine future success.
As you advance in resource management maturity, it will become necessary to implement a dedicated resource management software.
There’s no way around it. To manage resources effectively, you need the right business intelligence, insights, and tools at your fingertips. Spreadsheets like Excel simply aren’t suitable for resource management.
The good news is that choosing a resource management platform also means choosing a partner in your transformation project.
At Runn, we are seriously invested in your resource management success. So we don’t just help you get our system set up right, we can guide you on how to set up your resource management function, full stop – all our experience and best practices pouring into your processes to help you succeed.
Our team of resource management experts would be happy to chat through what this transformation might look like for you.
Implementing effective resource management is transformative – helping your resources go further, faster. Like anything worth doing, it takes a little effort. But push through the initial discomfort and you’ll soon hit your stride.
Remember, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Take yours today by signing up for a free 14-day Runn trial. No commitment, no credit card… just use your email and explore how Runn can help you run more productive and profitable projects.
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