<aside> 💡 The case is not finished yet

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Domain: Project management SAAS

Feature kickoff

Resource managers were happy to use Easyprojects’ resource allocation feature for allocations with 100% certainty. But possible future allocations and different allocation scenarios were tracked using 3rd party tools, spreadsheets, or workarounds. Decisions to apply or change allocations were made based on the information scattered among multiple sources. Some information, such as employee personality, preferences, or attitude, was well-known by employees’ superiors, but not shared or documented. Employees’ skills were not updated after completing projects.

Due to the complexity described above most allocation decisions will always be made at meetings. But there was room for improvements in information availability. Based on customers’ requests and feedback on lost deals we’ve decided to start resource loading improvements with an industry-standard resource management feature called “Soft” Allocations.

Process

3 days design sprint with a remote collaboration has been used. We’ve started with a feedback review, mapped a journey, and activities. Decided on personas and roles. Brainstormed HMW notes. Competitors’ solutions were presented by team members.

Scope draft

Research led us to a list of cases we should support:

• 3 critical scenarios: Staffing — Project level, Hiring — Role level (planned availability/demand ratio), and Resources workload optimization — Resource level
• Ability to allocate resources that are not yet hired — Unnamed resources
• Soft, Hard, and Draft (not shared) allocations
• Drag’n’drop should be available
• Allocations vs. Actual work (WBS) — BI report
• Original allocation requirements vs. assigned resource skills — BI report

Resource management domain on its own is enough to build a new product. A lot of usecases have been backlogged: