5 Questions to Answer to Start Strong in Resource Management

With resource management, you need to put in the leg work before you can hit the ground running. Asking the right questions from the very beginning can help you start strong. Why do you need resource management? What do people expect from it? Who is going to benefit from it and how? What timelines are you looking at? What are the challenges you need to anticipate? And is resource management right for you to begin with?

In this article, we're walking you through the foundational questions that will help you build a sustainable resource management plan and get everyone aligned in their expectations.

1. What is the value of resource management for the business and the people?

Before plunging into the process of resource management - be it allocating budgets, deploying people, or scheduling - we must first understand the benefits it brings to the business and the people.

By clarifying the value, we ensure that resource management initiatives serve broader business goals. It prompts us to consider how proper resource allocation can improve profitability, support business growth, improve employee retention, etc.

For this purpose, Laura Dean Smith, Resource Management Director from Clarivate, suggests starting with a listening tour, where you go around the organization, speak to all the relevant stakeholders, and determine how they think about resource management:

Through my listening tour, I identified some common themes that I saw as some areas where people were struggling, finding some challenges...some experiencing some overload that I thought resource management could come in and help and best serve the business. So I outlined all of the problems and challenges that I had heard from the different groups, and then I gave a proposal for how I could address each of these different areas.

We've got a lot of content to help you answer this question and support you with this step. Here are our favorite articles:

• Why Organizations Are Prioritizing Resource Management
• A Value Proposition for Resource Management
• How to Build a Resource Management Function - A Comprehensive Guide

2. How mature are our current resource management processes, if any?

There's a possibility that you aren't starting from the ground up. Perhaps you've heard that someone in the business has been doing resource management ad-hoc. Resource management maturity scale can help you understand where you're starting from exactly. It will show you how advanced your company's resource practices are, how you approach resource allocation, which tools are used in the process, and how well-oiled those processes are.

To assess your level of resource maturity, you could really benefit from using Runn's Resource Management Maturity Model, which was inspired by the RMI’s approach. Click here to view our two-pager.

The model progresses from reactive and informal practices (Level 1) to a fully strategic and integrated function (Level 5).

• ‍Level 1 is defined by ad hoc, reactive resource allocation with little visibility or standardization.‍
• Level 2 involves basic attempts at visibility and prioritization, often through simple spreadsheets and limited processes.‍
• Level 3 shows proactive management with standardized processes, dedicated tools, and the ability to prioritize and forecast resource needs.‍
• Level 4 centralizes resource management, often via a Resource Management Office, and leverages integrated tools and data-driven insights to support organization-wide staffing decisions.‍
• Level 5 treats resource management as a strategic business function. It influences executive decision-making, aligns closely with organizational strategy, and relies on advanced forecasting, analytics, and continuous improvement.

Continue reading: How to Assess Your Resource Management Maturity Level

3. What resource management model can work best for us?

A resource management model refers to the way an organization structures, organizes, and manages its resources. There are three broad resource management models:

Centralized resource management

In a centralized model, resource management is handled by a single authoritative body—often a Project Management Office (PMO) or a dedicated resource management department. This central hub oversees all resource allocation decisions, maintains a global resource pool, and enforces consistent processes and standards. By having a “big-picture” view, the organization can better ensure that resources are deployed efficiently and equitably across all projects and teams.

This model is commonly a favorite among large enterprises and highly regulated industries where strategic oversight, uniformity, and efficient utilization of scarce resources are critical.

Decentralized resource management

A decentralized approach pushes resource control down to individual departments, business units, or project teams. Instead of relying on a central authority, each unit manages its own resources, making decisions more quickly and tailoring resource allocation to local needs. This model is generally more agile and adaptable at the departmental level.

The decentralized model is suited to smaller companies, startups, or creative agencies where speed, autonomy, and the ability to quickly pivot are paramount.

Hybrid resource management model

The hybrid model blends aspects of both centralized and decentralized approaches. Certain resources or high-level decisions remain under central control to ensure strategic alignment, while departmental teams retain autonomy over day-to-day resource assignments. This model attempts to balance the efficiency and strategic alignment of centralization with the agility and responsiveness of decentralization.

Hybrid models fit organizations in the “middle ground” - growing companies that need both structured strategic governance and the freedom for departments to tailor resources to their immediate needs. It also appeals to organizations transitioning from one model to another, seeking the best of both worlds.

Continue reading: Understanding Resource Management Models: A Beginner's Guide

4. Do we need specialized tools or software to support this function?

If you are a small organization with basic resource management processes, you will generally be able to get away with using spreadsheets. But as you grow, resource planning in Excel will become counterproductive. And they say everything breaks when your headcount reaches 25 people.

Purpose-built resource management software enables more sophisticated resource management, particularly at scale. It will help you streamline many processes, from planning and allocation to forecasting and reporting.

Here is a list of signs that you do need a specialized tool to support that resource management function:

• You get frequent resource conflicts and overlapping schedules. If you need to deal with things like double-booked personnel, overlapping project schedules, and resource shortages on a regular basis, a specialized resource management tool will save you a lot of headaches.
• Resource data is unreliable. If your data is already too old, inconsistent, and unreliable every time you look at it or it's missing the details you need to make key decisions, resource management software will supply you with relevant insights in real time.
• Data entry and manual progress tracking take most of your time. Resource management should be about driving impact across the whole organization, not being stuck updating spreadsheets.
• You run into difficulties accurately predicting resource needs. Resource management software aggregates data from past, current, and future projects to give you an accurate picture of your project and resource needs.
• There's a lack of transparency across departments. If you have multiple teams working under your wing at the same time, getting that cross-department visibility is key, especially if you have some dependencies between different teams working on the same project.

Related: The Buyers’ Guide to Resource Management Software for 2024

5. How are we going to support the change to a new way of working?

For a company that is new to resource management, change management is going to be a big mountain to climb. In fact, you are likely to face concern and resistance from the workforce when trying to rewrite current process everyone already got attached.

Kent H. Frazier, Co-Founder and CEO of ParadoxEdge, explains that resistance is an integral part of change management when it comes to introducing a new resource vision:

As human beings, when faced with unplanned or unexpected or unwanted change, we will naturally go through some denial and resistance before we begin exploring the path forward and fully commit. So you know, the leaders and the ambassadors need to be able to listen and let people work through their very natural, normal human resistance and denial of change.

There are several things you can do to successfully manage change when introducing new resource management processes and tools:

• Clearly communicate the vision and benefits. It's important to explain why the change is needed and how the organization as a whole but also each individual within it is going to benefit. The benefits could manifest in clear resource management ROI as well as a much better work-life balance for the workforce, and these are just some of the things you could highlight.
• Identify and support change advocates. It's not uncommon to have change advocates, the people who can see the flaws within the organization's processes and have an idea how they can be improved. Those people are likely to be very motivated when it comes to supporting change.
• Have a clear transition plan. Saying "we're going to turn things upside down" without clearly explaining why, when, who, and how will always confuse people. Opening change conversations with a clear transition plan is the only way to avoid it.

In our ebook "Leading Change in Resource Management", we elaborate further on the best practices and expert advice for change management and give you a change framework for resource management transformation. And in our webinar on change management, you can learn how to identify challenges and opportunities when introducing change in your resource management practice.

Conclusion: your next steps

To continue your progress with resource management, we invite you to explore some further reading:

• Resource Management: The Complete Guide
• Setting Yourself Up for Success as a Resource Manager (a 9-Point Checklist)
• 11 Best Resource Management Tools (Honestly Reviewed)

Alternatively, you are welcome to book a call with our team and we will help you build a plan of action to prepare for resource management.