Conquer the Challenges of Resource Management

Just like in the wilderness, even in project management, you'll have to face obstacles every day. Don't be caught off guard and learn how to deal with each one of them effectively.

Do you know the pitfalls of project management?

Obstacle 1: Balancing resources across multiple projects

In the project management jungle, you often have to deal with multiple projects at once. Therefore, it is important to prioritize and effectively allocate team time between different clients or projects.

How to tackle the obstacle

• Start prioritizing: Use an Agile Resource Management tool to see the number of your projects at all times.

• Learn to say ''no'': Did you find yourself in a situation where your team's capacity is all used up, and suddenly another project appears? If you know this project can't be completed, be honest and say it right away. This way can the issue be addressed sooner, and your team will thank you.

• Assign the right people to projects: It's crucial to be aware of the skills and capacities of your teams. And that brings us to the next obstacle…

Obstacle 2: Lack of clear capacity overview

Without a complete picture of who is working on what and how busy the team members are, you can't use your resources to their full potential. Then you may find that you can no longer meet deadlines or that some teams are significantly busier than others, which increases their stress level.

How to tackle the obstacle

• Gain an overview of your team's workload: Distribute work evenly, simply, and quickly with Agile Resource Management. It gives you a view of who's working on what, where one person is overlapping on multiple projects at once, and who's on vacation.

• Keep all your information in one tool: If you and your team work together using just one tool, it saves time for everyone. No more switching! Try Easy Project, where you'll find everything you need in one place.

• Get your team involved: Your team needs to work together to keep things running smoothly. Make sure they regularly update the status of projects and record time spent working on specific tasks.

Obstacle 3: Unrealistic deadlines

Setting an unmanageable deadline can be more dangerous than it seems. Your teams immediately feel under pressure, they are unable to work creatively, the whole work is rushed, and it loses quality. It's simply never a good idea to rush a project.

How to tackle the obstacle

• Always have a ''buffer'': When planning projects, don't forget about the buffer time. You should count on delays, feedback, or unexpected events.

• Create a checklist: Use a tool that allows you to create checklists. This way, you can have a checklist of all the deliverables you need, plus you can use it for other projects.

• Plan a standup with your team: You can never fully know how projects are moving forward when you're not directly working on them. Schedule a standup with the team to summarize what's finished and what needs more time.

Agile Resource Management

Obstacle 4: Assigning the right person for each project

Choosing the right person to work on a project is key to successful project finalization, that's why it's important to know the skills of each member of your team.

How to tackle the obstacle

• Get an overview of the skills of team members: In the Agile Resource Management tool, you'll find a ''Skills Management'' feature where you can see who has what skills.

• Train your team members: Allow team members to improve their skills. This will prevent a situation when only one specific team member has the skills to do a certain task.

Obstacle 5: Poor communication

Everyone has encountered miscommunication at work. Sometimes it's a small thing, other times it can lead to project delays or even the loss of a client. That's why you need to learn

to communicate effectively – not only will you avoid unnecessary mistakes, but you'll also strengthen the relationships in your workplace.

How to tackle the obstacle

• Have professional project management software: The first step to better communication is having a tool that allows you to manage all your work from projects through time tracking, to resource allocation. Try Easy Project, which will help you communicate effectively.

• Talk to your team: Sometimes, there's nothing like talking to each other in person, whether at a regular standup or a different meeting. Try to figure out what led to the last communication error and think of ways how you can improve your communication.

Ready for any challenge!

Coping with all the pitfalls of resource management can be a lot. Fortunately, we don't have to face them alone! With the right resource management tool, you'll be able to communicate seamlessly, distribute capacities efficiently, and track project progress. With Easy Project, no obstacles will surprise you anymore. Find out more about Agile and traditional resource management on our website.