Resource Planning

Owned by Luka Mirosevic
Last updated: Mar 15, 2022 by Sara Maruncic (Unlicensed)
4 min read

Status: LIVE

Resource Planning

  • It’s a self-service system by default.

  • PM’s should plan resources for their own projects on their own in most cases (see below when not).

  • “Long-term” planning is anything further than 1 week into the future. Anything for the upcoming week is defined as “short term”.

  • If there is a conflict, talk to the other PM. You are encouraged to solve the conflict yourself (“hey, can I borrow person X for Y hours?”). Do this in Slack in the resource planning channel visibly (use threads). If it snowballs and it affects other projects, then bring it to the resource planning meeting.

  • The Resource Coordinator is there to keep an eye on the process but is not there to plan time for you.

  • Sometimes you have the choice of several people that could fill the role (we have more than 1 Android developer). Sometimes there is an affinity and you can express that. Other times there genuinely are multiple options, in this case, discuss it during the resource planning JF.

  • Bookings vs reservations. You can plan either. The implication when a resource has a reservation is that you need to ask the other PM if you can take this time. But we all understand that this reservation might not materialize so your chances are good. But you need to ask nevertheless. This is useful for the CRO to reserve time for estimations, or for SLAs.

    • If it’s a reservation, add a grey background fill.

 

Rules

  • Only PMs and Sales Reps should plan.

  • For long-term planning, the high watermark is 75% (in most cases that’s 30 hours/week).

  • Short-term, you can plan up to 100%.

  • Add tentative time in between projects. You can’t stick projects together. The gap should be roughly 10% of the preceding project, but at least 1 week and at most 1 month.

  • Once something is planned, mark the Slack resource request with a 🗓. You as the PM are responsible to mark this.

  • Always put in a resource request (even if you can solve it yourself) and resource updates. This is so that everyone is up to speed.

  • Reservations get summed up just like bookings. And they should respect the watermark.

  • Plan long term (as far as you can predict). Don’t be scared to book a resource for 4 months, if you know that this is how long you’ll need them – that’s a good thing to do.

  • If PM does not enter his resource request on Slack, this will be considered not valid, and resource time will be removed from Runn.

  • Tentative time, phases and projects should be marked with turquoise colour

 

Process for the PM

  1. As the PM, post a resource request and resource update in Slack in the resource-planning channel. (See below for template).

  2. Check the resource plan and try to plan your request yourself.

  3. If you see a conflict, and it’s a simple one, talk to the other PM and see if you can make it happen. Do this in a Slack thread under the resource request.

  4. If you solved it, enter it into the resource plan, and mark the resource request with a 🗓.

  5. If you cannot solve it, discuss it during the next resource planning JF meeting.

  6. As the PM, inform the people you’ve scheduled in your projects so they know what’s happening. (Don’t forget this!).

  7. If at some point there is a change, repeat the process. If you no longer need the resource, then post a message in the resource planning channel that the resource has suddenly become available, and remove the planning in the sheet.

  8. As a PM add your own hours in Runn.

  9. Check if your projects are covered with resources.

 

How do we use Team Planning meeting notes?

  • before Team Planning JF you (as a PM) can write down topics you would like to discuss during the meeting

  • if there is any topic that is discussed between PM they will create a child page of the ongoing week meeting notes

    • the reason for that is resource coordinator does not need to be included in the meeting but she will be in the loop

 

Process for the Resource Coordinator

  1. Conflicts

    • Act as a mediator

    • Help solving conflicts, if the PMs were not able to solve them themselves

      • If PMs did not try to solve it themselves, it’s not the RC’s duty

    • HoP will give input regarding priorities and similar

  2. Address over- and underutilization

  3. Make sure everyone sticks to the gameplan

    • Only like this, we can achieve the best outcome for the whole team

  4. Unresolved Requests (Should rarely happen)

    • RC brings them to the agenda

    • PM presents it

    • Team discusses and reaches consensus

  5. Help to identify suitable resources

    • If there is an uncertainty about it

    • PMs have to first check on Runn themselves


Resource Request Template

resource request Red Bull New Logo

- Daniel for 20h/wk for 4 weeks. Starting w/o 8th of March. To do a new logo design.

- Need an Android developer for 20hr/wk for April and May.

- (optional) whatever else might be relevant. E.g. if the person is required on a particular day of the week, or if they need to speak German, etc.

 

resource update Red Bull New Logo

- Daniel for 20h/wk for next 4 weeks is not needed anymore

or

- hours for Daniel in next 4 weeks are reduced from 20h/w to 10 h\w

 

 

Open questions

  • Anything that’s under 1h does not need to be planned. Anything over does. Even if it’s short-term planning.

  • Buffer time, education time, 1::1+roundtable+etc time… how do we accommodate for that? How does that time get allocated?

 

 

Owner

Reviewer