Resource Management Iceberg

"You should either have a tool with visualization to clearly see the resources capacity, and a transparent resource management process that is compulsory for all; or better not to have sharable resources at all"

The common problem I see in companies is resource management across functional teams, or in a pool of sharable resources. When the team is dedicated to a project / product, this problem is not relevant. However, should there be a demand in sharing resources among several projects, this could become a real problem.

The issue comes up if there is no resource management process implemented; or if negligence in following the process is present. Should there be no process and no capacity tracking tools, no-one knows how much time the resources are really available VS dedicated to projects.

If no-one knows where the resources are, managers start to plan they can use them on demand. As a result, people are triple booked on projects, they do not have enough time for doing their job; projects are experiencing delays and require replanning. At the same time, while you are replanning the project, someone books the resource once again and you simply do not have it anymore. 

On one hand this could sound ridiculous, how can't people know the time they are available. On the other hand, if there is no centralized tool / department who tracks the resources availability, OR if people are not reporting on the loading / resources reservation accordingly, you cannot even imagine how / when you can get a resource for a project. 

Basically, considering the experience behind, if you have a pool of resources to acquire, you should either have a tool with visualization to clearly see the resources capacity,

AND a transparent resource management process that is compulsory for all;

OR it is better not to have sharable resources. 

Even if there is an accountable person / people who can track the resources availability, it is extremely important to track the resources allocation across the company accurately and to keep it visual.

What is not less important, is that usage of the resource tracking tool must be compulsory for everyone who is dealing with resource management.

Information about the resources loading & availability should be centralized, visual and accessible. 

There should be a clear resource management process implemented.

The process should be compulsory for everyone who is dealing with resource management. 

To make it even more efficient, projects should be clearly prioritized across the company.