Project management is a crucial skill to drive value within organizations. Expert project managers use strategic techniques to plan parameters and complete deliverables within stipulated limits. They assess project requirements and assign relevant resources to complete them without overshooting the time or budget. However, as studies show, approximately 71% of all projects fail to meet all their targets. This statistic leaves room for improvement in resource planning and time management. Scheduling and resource management with advanced software can help managers improve project outcomes. The best calendar software solutions with resource management features must incorporate cutting-edge innovations to aid an organization. Let’s break down the functionalities you should consider while choosing a project calendar software for resource planning success!
What is a Calendar Software with Resource Planning Tools?
The success of a project depends on three aspects:
- Achieving all the target deliverables.
- Completing the project tasks within the established budget.
- Delivering the project within the scheduled time frame.
Project managers must plan the use of resources and the completion of tasks to satisfy these three parameters. New-age organizations have embraced feature-rich calendar software solutions to plan and manage projects. These software options incorporate visual calendars and Gantt charts to map the project timeline while depicting real-time resource dynamics. Managers can plan the utilization of human and non-human resources to complete the project requirements. The calendar features can support the project team in sticking to the time frame. At the same time, the resource management features help them manage tasks while staying on track with the budget.
Finding the Best Calendar and Resource Management Software: Top Features to Prioritize
There are multiple project resource management software solutions available in the market. But how do you choose the best software for optimizing your needs? Here are the salient features to look out for:
- Quick Visualization of Timelines: Project managers rarely have the time to pore over complex schedules and identify timeline requirements. Hence, they need intuitive and easy-to-visualize calendars to help them manage time frames. Choose a calendar software that uses color-coded Gantt charts to create visual representations of the timeline. These features must include the functionality to view resource availability during different time slots and the flexibility to make edits.
- Resource Identification: The best advantage of calendar software with resource management tools is the ability to identify and optimize resource usage. Well-developed software solutions in this domain must include options to apply filters and identify relevant resources. These functionalities allow project managers to select which resources have the skills to complete specific tasks. This information is combined with data about their availability to help managers assign resources to project requirements.
- Real-Time Updates: A project environment is extremely dynamic. Changes in circumstances can trigger concurrent modifications in schedules, availability, and task requirements. An effective project scheduling software solution should reflect these changes with real-time updates.
- Intuitive Operations: Calendar software with resource management features help to simplify complex tasks. They must have intuitive functionalities to allow users to complete edits with convenience and ease. For example, drag-and-drop options are beneficial in creating quick schedules and resource assignments.
- Overshooting Notifications: One of the most significant concerns for project managers is the risk of overshooting time, budget, or resource availability. The best calendar software solutions offer resource overload notifications when the parameters exceed predetermined targets.
- Scheduling Views: Complex projects require collaboration between multiple stakeholders. Hence, software options that support admin-defined and user-defined views are useful. These views allow stakeholders to check their personalized schedules for ease of understanding.
- Last-Minute Modifications: Top calendar software with resource allocation software like the eResource Scheduler allow split booking options. Split bookings help users incorporate last-minute changes like resource alterations or transfers with the click of a button. This functionality allows quick fixes in the project timeline.
- Multiple Timeline Views: Efficient calendar software solutions must incorporate multiple viewing options. Project managers need to check out project schedules with daily, monthly, and hourly timelines. Multiple timeline integration offers flexibility, allowing the stakeholders to seamlessly move between project tasks with different time frames.
Looking out for these features will help you identify the best calendar software with resource scheduling tools. The combination of these functionalities will make the project manager’s job easy. At the same time, it will ensure that the project gets completed within the set budget and time.
Getting Started with a Calendar Software with Resource Management Tools
If you want to transform your project management process, you must get an efficient software solution. eResource Scheduler is the industry-leading software for planning resource allocation in projects. Contact the team to get a cutting-edge solution to optimize resource availability for your tasks! Their experts will guide you to choose a module that fits your needs. You can pay as you go and explore the features of this top-notch service. Reach out to get their 14-day free trial today!
