How project managers can allocate resources to projects directly

Some smaller organizations don’t have a dedicated resource manager. In these companies, project managers (PMs) may be allowed to pick their own resources for projects directly.

To allow this in Polaris, you must assign these managers PM permissions AND resource manager (RM) permissions, so they can both access projects and allocate resources.

With both permission sets assigned, a manager can:

• Allocate resources directly from the Resource Plan tab
• Add, edit, or delete resource plans
• Compare actual hours worked to allocated hours, for each task
• Viewing total requested and allocated hours/costs

Allocating resources from the Resource Plan tab

 There are two ways PMs with RM permissions can allocate resources via the Resource Plan tab:

• Using a shortcut to the resource allocation page
• Directly choosing a resource to allocate

Using a shortcut to the resource allocation page

Managers can access request fulfilment features like SmartMatch without having  to submit a resource request, or navigate back and forth between the projects and resource allocation sections of the app.

To add an allocation from the Resource Plan tab:

1. Go to Resourcing > Resource Plan.
2. Click the Request Resources link:

3. Enter any requirements you have, such as the role and date range.
4. Click Allocate Resource.

You'll be taken to the request matching page where you can fulfill the request yourself.

Directly choosing a resource to allocate

If managers don't need advanced features like SmartMatch, or if they already know exactly who they want to allocate, they can skip visiting the resource allocation page altogether, and directly choose a resource.

To do this:

1. Go to Resourcing > Resource Plan.
2. Click the Allocate Resource link.

3. In the dialog that displays, choose the resource you want to allocate, and the allocation start and end dates.

4. Click Allocate.

Adding, editing, or removing allocations in resource plans

PMs who also have RM permissions can add, edit, and remove allocations via a project’s Resource Plan tab. Refer to the table below for information.

Editing an allocation	You can edit the amount for any allocation that already exists, of any status, on the Resource Plan page. To do this, click an allocation, and update the hr/% value. You can see how the resource’s availability is impacted by your change directly below the edited field. You can also extend or shorten an allocation’s date range by clicking and dragging the  located at either end. Hours will automatically populate the new range, based on the resource’s availability.
Adding an allocation	You can add an allocation for any resource who already appears in your resource plan. If you need to add an allocation for a different resource, you’ll need to click + Request Resource, and allocate that resource. You can’t add allocations outside a task’s date range; The white background shows the date range. To add an allocation: Find the resource you want to allocate. Click the white cell for the desired time period. Enter the hours or the percentage of available time to allocate to the resource. If the resource you select has availability conflicts with the proposed allocation, a dialog showing SmartFit options will display. Refer to Handling availability limitations when allocating resources to a project for more information about these options.
Removing an allocation	To remove all of a resource’s allocations for a row, click the icon, select Release Resources, and confirm the release. To remove individual allocations, click the allocation and set the value to 0. The allocation bar may still display, but won’t contribute to the total.

Viewing actual hours worked on the Resource Plan tab

You can compare actuals and allocations to estimate whether the project will be completed on time or cost more than planned.

To display actual hours recorded in timesheets (or via SmartBeats):

1. Go to Resourcing > Resource Plan.
2. Turn on the Actuals toggle.

The actual hours will display on a black entry, beneath the corresponding allocation.

To see the actual and allocated hours for that period, and the difference between the two, click the actuals entry.

Viewing total requested and allocated hours/costs

On the right side of the Resource Plan page, the total for the Requested and Allocated hours/costs along with the Grand Total for the project display.

If you click the total, a pop-up will display, showing the total Allocated hours/costs vs the total for the Requested hours/costs that are still awaiting fulfillment.

This breakdown helps project managers know where their budget stands. They can use this knowledge to adjust resources (by cancelling or adding requests), or to request a change to their budget allotment.