The Importance of Resource Management in IT Projects

IT projects can easily get out of hand as various problems arise in the middle of the project. There are unforeseen bottlenecks, team members who fail to deliver their part, budgeting issues—all these and more can contribute to a delay in completion, or worse, a project failure. The necessity for effective IT project management and prudent resource management is crucial.

What is Resource Management?

Resource management is the process of planning, managing, scheduling, and allocating resources for a project to ensure maximum efficiency and optimization. A resource, in this case, is anything  vital to performing the task or project such as financial resources, people with specific skill sets, technology or equipment, and time. Effective resource management ensures  the availability of resources when and where they are needed.

Applying good resource management in IT projects allows the organization and the team to accomplish the most with the given resources at hand.

Resource management is the best way to ensure that projects are running smoothly and efficiently. Effective resource management:

1. Lays the foundation for a successful outcome. It aims to reduce idle time and prevents overutilization of resources, helping ensure that projects are delivered on time and within budget.
2. Serves as a roadmap for a project. A good resource plan properly calculates the opportune time for distributing resources so that the project timeline is matched, keeping the project on track.
3. Helps prevent unexpected obstacles. Having a good idea of what the project entails and what resources you have upfront can help you anticipate problems ahead of time and allow you to prepare for these as you move along.
4. Prevents boredom and/or burnout. Overworking or underutilizing your human resources can lead to negative outcomes. While work challenges can keep employees productive and engaged in their tasks, giving them heavy workloads to the point of overworking them can lead to burnout.
5. Builds transparency among teams. Resource planning offers management visibility into the workload and bandwidth of all teams, allowing them to identify which teams are at maximum capacity, and which are available to take on additional projects.

Here are some best practices in resource management that, when applied together with project management, lead to successful results.

1. Identify the resources that are in short supply early on. Focus on these, and find ways to get around the shortage or adjust timelines based on the availability of the constrained resources. Keep all stakeholders updated.
2. Create a process that objectively identifies priority tasks. Much of resource planning is being able to pick the tasks that need to be done first and allocate resources for these accordingly.
3. Be agile enough for any unexpected changes. While resource management should start with a well-thought-out plan, remember that circumstances may change. The resource manager should have the agility to adapt to changes in strategy and adjust resource distribution.
4. Consult with experts or acquire management services. If your organization lacks the necessary people and resources,  don’t set yourself up for failure. Instead, seek the services of project management specialists who can provide the resources you need to ensure your organization’s project is a success.

Resource and project management are valuable skills that many enterprises lack. For complex infrastructure projects beyond your company’s capabilities, trust a leading provider of IT project management services.

Whatever the project, CentricsIT provides a wide-range of service offerings―from infrastructure assessments to data center relocations to installations and implementations. We work with you and your team to understand your specific needs, develop the project and resource plan, and deliver with maximum efficiency.

CentricsIT’s high-level expertise in project management and global network of managed resources have helped countless clients with their infrastructure projects, regardless of where they are located in the world.

To learn more about our IT project management offerings, contact us today for a free consultation with a data center specialist.