introduction
The project resources require regular, ongoing control procedures to ensure they are being used most efficiently, that they are performing the required tasks, and so on.
The Resource Management Plan must be consulted regularly to ensure that project resource usage is according to plan.
Cost-benefit analysis and alternatives analysis are utilized to optimize the use of resources
This process ensures the availability of planned physical resources, monitoring them against the plan, and taking corrective actions when required. By doing this, the right resources are available to the project at the right time and place and released when no longer required. Physical resources include materials, equipment, infrastructure, and facilities.
Usage of resources is tracked along with their expenditures, shortages, surpluses, their use, and release. Factors influencing their utilization and change management are also addressed. This is achieved using a variety of techniques like cost-benefit analysis, performance reviews, alternatives, trend analysis, problem-solving, negotiation, and influencing.
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Process Inputs - Techniques - Outputs
Inputs
- Project management plan
- Project documents
- Work performance information
- Agreements
- Organizational process assets
Tools & Techniques
- Data analysis
- Problem solving
- Interpersonal and team skills
- Project management information system
Outputs
- Work performance information
- Change requests
- Project management plan updates
- Project documents updates
Process inputs
Control Resources Inputs
Project Management Plan
The resources management plan gives guidelines regarding all of the resource management processes. Those that affect this process include
- Methods for ensuring adequate physical resources are available as needed. Includes management of inventory, equipment, and supplies throughout the project life cycle.
Project Documents
- Issue log–issues relating to the lack of resources, or delays in procuring them for the project identified as a result of this process are recorded in this document.
- Lessons learned register–lessons learned as a result of this process will be added to this register.
- Physical resource requirements–the output of process Acquire Resources. This gives details on the physical resources that will be controlled during this process.
- Project schedule–this gives information on when the resources are to be used on the project.
- Resource breakdown structure–this gives the type of resources needed on the project. This provides a reference in any case any resource needed to be replaced or re-acquired during the course of the project as a result of this process.
- Resource requirements–This identifies the quantity of resources needed to carry out the activities of the project.
- Risk register–if any risks related to the availability of resources are identified as a result of this process, they are added to the register.
Work Performance Data
- Data on the amount and type of resources used to carry out the activities of the project are inputs to this process.
Agreements
- Agreements with other organizations to supply resources for the project are inputs to this process.
Organizational Process Assets
- Organizational policies regarding assignment and control of resources.
- Escalation procedures for dealing with conflicts within an organization regarding resources
- Lessons learned repository from previous similar projects
Process Techniques
Control Resources: Tools and Techniques
Data Analysis
Here are the techniques used in this process that deal with data analysis:
- Alternatives analysis–if an activity needs to be done, alternates can be analyzed to decide which resources to use in order get that activity done as a part of process Acquire Resources.
- In this process, if there is a variance in resource utilization (i.e., if resources get used in different amounts than called for in the plan), then alternatives can be analyzed to figure out to correct that variance.
- This may include such measures as paying additional for overtime for additional human resources or late delivery charges for additional physical resources.
- Cost-benefit analysis–if a corrective action is called for in order to correct a variance with regards to resources, then this analysis can determine the best action to take with respect to cost.
- Performance reviews–this is not a review of the performance of team members; this is a review of the performance of the project, in this case how resources are being utilized.
- Trend analysis–as opposed to corrective action, which takes care of problems that currently exist on the project, trend analysis can determine whether preventive action needs to be taken that prevent problems from occurring if current trends prevail.
Problem Solving
- When it comes to problems with resource utilization, it is important to analyze the cause of the problem, and then data analysis techniques like alternatives analysis can come up with potential solutions.
- It is important to use a methodological approach (like Six Sigma, for example) so that you can demonstrate the effectiveness of any solution that is implemented. If the follow up shows that the problem is not resolved, then you may have to go back to the proverbial drawing board and come up with another solution.
Interpersonal and Team Skills
When it comes to utilizing resources, the following interpersonal and team skills are useful in this process:
- Negotiation–if additional physical resources are needed, the project manager may need negotiation skills in order to obtain these resources from the organization.
- Influencing–influencing functional managers and/or stakeholders may be required in order to obtain additional team resources for the project.
Project Management Information System (PMIS)
- A Project Management Information System or PMIS, such as Microsoft Project, can be used to manage resources in terms of the type and amount of resources and to manage the schedule of when they will be utilized on the project and when, in the case of team resources, when they will be released on the project.
Process Outputs
Control Resources: Outputs
Work Performance Information
- Work performance data on how the resources were actually utilized is compared to the resource requirements as sort forth in the Resource Management Plan.
- This comparison is Work Performance Information, and it is used to see if there is a variance between the actual resources used vs. the resources that were planned to be used.
Change Request
- If as a result of the work performance information , a variance is discovered between the resources actually used and the resources that were planned to be used, then the project manager needs to decide whether a corrective action needs to be taken.
- Such action is a change request that is then an input to process Perform Integrated Change Control.
- If the changes are accepted, then these changes are made, either whether they are updates to the project documents (if the work is going to be changed to fit the plan) or to the project management documents (if the plan turned out to be realistic and the plan is going to be changed to fit the work).
Project Management Plan Updates
The components of the project management plan that may be updated as a result of this process are as follows:
- Resource management plan–if the result of this process is that the original plan for utilizing resources is seen to be unrealistic to meet the demands of the actual work involved on the project, then the resource management plan may be updated to reflect the additional or alternate resources used.
- Schedule baseline/cost baseline–if additional resources are identified as being needed as a result of this process, then the cost of those resources may be added to the cost baseline, and the schedule baseline may be updated to reflect when these resources are added to the project.
Project Management Updates
- Assumption logs–if new assumptions regarding physical resources need to be added, or the old assumptions already in the log need to be changed as a result of the actual experience in managing project resources as a result of this process, then these changes are made to the assumption log.
- Issue log–if performing the process uncovers issues that need to be resolved, these are added to the issue log.
- Lessons learned register–as with a lot of other processes, if in doing this process techniques were found that were effective in managing resource logistics, managing variances in resource utilization, and/or corrective actions recommended to respond to those variances, these are added to the lessons learned register to improve the process throughout the rest of the project.
- Physical resource assignments–an output of process Acquire Resources, this document may need to be updated if the quantity or type of physical resources used on the project are changed as a result of this process.
- Resource breakdown structure–an output of process Estimate Activity Resource, this document doesn’t give the quantity of resources, but merely breaks down the types of resources used on the project. It may need to be updated if additional resources are added as a result of this process that were not in the original resource breakdown structure.
- Risk register–if as a result of this process new risks are uncovered that are associated with resource availability or utilization, then these risks are added to the risk register.
