Which resource management task deploys or activates personnel and resources? Before we answer this question, we need to explain the meaning and importance of resource management.
What Is Resource Management And What Are Its Tasks?
Resource management is a process of gathering all the money, technology, and people needed for a certain project. It also includes scheduling employees and allocating all resources in order to accomplish value.
Imagine that you work in a company and you need to complete resource management for a new product, or a new problem that throws the whole team off the rails. Resource management includes several tasks and steps in order to accomplish a full management circle.
The steps include:
- Identifying requirements
- Ordering and acquiring
- Mobilizing
- Tracking and reporting
- Demobilizing
- Reimbursing and restocking
Which Resource Management Task Deploys or Activates Personnel and Resources?
The short answer is Mobilization.
Mobilization is one of the most important steps of a project management process because it includes acquiring funds, personnel, and equipment needed for a certain project. Resource mobilization also includes making use of already existing resources while also identifying new ones. It activates personnel and resources for your project.
This process needs to be done carefully since projects have deadlines and you need to know who will work on what, how much time it will take for each of the tasks, and if the money provided will be enough for your project.
Resources/funds
Funds are what determine the project’s scope and duration. It is an important part of project management because these funds need to be correctly distributed through personnel, equipment, and other important parts.
Personnel
Mobilization activates personnel needed for the project. You need people whose skills, available time, and readiness match your company’s plan. Sometimes we can already have teams that fit these new tasks and are ready to go, but it is also common to hire new people who fit the needed skills. This is usually done when your product gets new features or your company gets new departments.
It is important to carefully choose the right people because the whole agile environment of your team and project depends on good personnel.
Equipment
Acquiring the right equipment is an integral step of the mobilization process because it provides everything needed for the project’s implementation. Without the correct equipment, your team members cannot work well and they cannot use their full potential.
Tracking all these things can be quite confusing for project managers and the best way to stay organized is by using time and task-management apps like Easynote, which will let you organize your time, correctly manage resources, and easily complete the mobilization process.
The Importance of Resource Mobilization
The main goal of resource mobilization is to be sure that acquired resources are accessible and that they are ready for deployment. This requires close communication with HRs, project managers, and other people who can ensure well-organized resource mobilization.
If you are wondering which resource management task includes collaboration between supplier management teams and vendors, mobilization is the task that ensures that.
Now that we know which resource management task deploys or activates personnel and resources, we need to learn about the importance of resource mobilization.
There are several reasons why resource mobilization is important, and we will mention and explain each one of them.
Resource mobilization diversifies and expands resources
Resources that you acquire are a great way to see how diverse your business will become. When you hire people from different cultures or different skills, your team becomes richer and there is a great opportunity for creativity and progress.
It is always good to learn about new viewpoints, opinions, and skills. Companies that hire freelancers from other parts of the world can also benefit from these new hires who bring a more unique approach to work.
Resource mobilization creates an independent budget
When you start a new project, you need a new budget. This is especially the case when everything included in that project has not been a part of your company before. This is important for budget planning which needs to be prepared to distribute the funds even before the project starts.
Resource mobilization allows spending and utilization of resources
The resources you gather will be used throughout the project and it is important to distribute them correctly. There are many things that need to be taken care of during project implementation and having the right resources will help you gather new ideas and motivate your teams.
Resource mobilization minimizes dependency on others
When you gather a good team that satisfies all your company’s needs you will become self-sufficient. There will be no need for external collaboration and that is a very gratifying position to be in. This can save you from different difficulties you might have when working with external teams. You do not have to worry about miscommunication, different goals, etc.
Resource mobilization sustains the organization and its progress
When you ask yourself which resource management task deploys personnel and activates resources and you find out that it is mobilization, this answers a lot of your other questions. When you think about the process, mobilization actually sustains the organization because it provides everything that your company wants.
Resource mobilization maximizes the use of domestic capital and skills
Using domestic capital and skills improves your company’s business and culture. There is no need for outside sources of skills and capital that can help the company stay as a whole and improve self-sufficiency.
Resource mobilization expands relations
When you employ people for certain tasks, you expand your relations and grow as a company. There are always many positive sides when hiring new people who can contribute to your company with new ideas and strategies.
Resource mobilization fulfills responsibilities for the community
It is your responsibility to have a good team who does not need any adjustments and that can rely on each other. This boosts the confidence of the whole team and they will be more inspired to act when they know they do not lack anything. All of this affects the community and overall satisfaction.
Possible Problems In Resource Management
Resource management, as expected, can have certain problems that you need to prepare for when allocating tasks and people to your projects. Here we will list some of them and how you can solve them as a project manager
Over-allocation of resources
Managers may allocate resources correctly, but what happens if you allocate more than necessary? It can happen so it is important to prepare for this scenario and try to allocate resources as correctly as possible. This will save you a lot of unnecessary expenses and bad overall quality. It can be a bit challenging at first but it will pay off in the long run.
Poor allocation of resources
Poor allocation of resources can happen when you do not allocate them in the most efficient and effective way. This can lead to wasted resources, difficulties in performance, and results that are quite sub-optimal. This is also solved by detailed resource planning and devoting time to the correct distribution of resources.
Inadequate planning
In case the planning process is incomplete, the whole resource management may have problems with unrealistic timelines, incorrect assumptions, or not enough resources. This also happens if the process lacks input from relevant stakeholders. It is important to pay attention to this beforehand and if it happens to correct them as soon as possible. Unrealistic timelines may lead to frustration and overwhelmed timeline which can turn against you.
Inadequate monitoring and control
If control mechanisms and monitoring are not executed correctly, it can lead to many different problems or setbacks during your project’s implementation. Some of the side effects of this are increased costs, missed deadlines, or low-quality outcomes. In order to prevent this, you should take care of the project during all stages of development.
Monitoring is important because it sets the tone for your team members that mistakes need to be quickly corrected and that bad results are not an option.
Inadequate communication
It is important to communicate with your team members because bad communication can cause problems along the way. Even if you monitor your team’s work regularly, and distribute the resources correctly, without good communication you cannot expect to have good collaboration.
Your Team members should feel free to talk to you and express ideas as well as concerns. When they do, you will also get a better insight into possible setbacks or problems. This can prepare you for some difficulties and you should value individuals who share their concerns and ideas with you.
Conflicting priorities
Cost, schedule, or quality are three different spheres that may be prioritized by completely different teams. Some teams may find schedule as a priority while others may prioritize costs. Resource managers have to balance conflicting priorities because if they do not, it can lead to miscommunication, not working towards the same goal, and staying inconsistent.
Lack of flexibility
If you are a resource manager, you need to prepare a plan that will be flexible. If your plan cannot adapt to sudden changes in teams or schedules, it is not planned properly. Without flexibility, it might be difficult for resource managers to respond effectively. Sometimes there are changes in priorities and costs that need to be implemented quickly.
If your plan is not flexible enough, your team members might be lost when a sudden change happens. This can lead to delays and poor quality. If you work in an agile environment, you should always make room for changes in your plan.
In order to avoid all these problems it is smart to have a good resource management tool or software. These tools can help you organize better, stay consistent and monitor all processes with just one click.
What Is The Resource Management Tool?
A resource management tool is any tool or software that can help you manage resource planning and mobilization. This software should be
- Easy to use: user-friendly software is desirable because you do not have to spend time learning how to use the tool.
- Collaboration oriented: you should easily collaborate with your team using the tool because it is crucial for you to talk to them from the app or tag them on important tasks.
- Able to integrate other tools: your tool should be able to integrate other tools like calendars or google meets into the app and save you a lot of time on finding these apps separately
- Show the project’s progress and deadlines: it is important to have a visual representation of the project’s progress, when the deadlines are and how much budget will be spent on certain features.
There are many tools that fit these criteria. Easynote is one of them. It is a 5-in-1 tool that integrates your personal and business calendars, timelines, and task management. It tracks deadlines, budgets, and your team members.
Other similar tools are Asana, Trello, and Monday.
Resource Management Tasks That Include Your Skills
All resource management tasks will test your ability to make a good management plan and will test your skills in project management. It is important to always learn new ways and techniques and stay up to date.
There are many tools and courses that will help you improve your skills and make you feel more confident in resource management or project management. This career path can be quite rewarding, you just need to make sure you have patience when you start and do not let potential problems take a lot of importance. Be aware of them and try to avoid them, but if they happen, see them as a normal part of the process.
We hope that this article gave you some important insight and answered some of the questions you might have had about resource management.
In case you want to learn about project planning you can read this article and get more information on the topic.
