This series of articles deal with the management of resources in software project management including planning activities, allocation and de-allocation activities and release activities. Planning activities include resource estimation, request for resources, allocate resources, level and resources.
These activities are performed during project execution.
As noted in previous articles, the skill sets of the resources vary and some of the resources like DBA and Functional Experts are not dedicated to the project. During project execution, it is possible that some of the activities either overshoot or undershoot the expected completion date making it necessary to change the originally planned allocation. Therefore, resource allocation during project execution should be dynamic, responding to the needs of the project. Also, human beings expect fairness – fairness in distribution of a workload. They expect that all team members get similar amount of work and are given adequate time to complete it; as well as expecting a fair appraisal for the work performed. So, it is necessary to allocate the work while distributing the workload fairly. The following guidelines would be helpful in allocating resources –
- Allocate work so that it occupies the person at least for one full day. Human beings do not like to ask for work multiple times in a day. A week of workload would be much more desirable unit of allocation.
- Ensure that the workload is distributed fairly among all team members.
- Ensure that the allocation is transparent – a work-allocation software or a publicly (among team members) available Excel sheet would be a proper vehicle for allocation of work. These mechanisms also assist in progress chasing and tracking the allocation to closure.
- Communicate the allocation to the team members explicitly.
- Ensure clarity in instructions about the work to be carried out.
- Ensure that all the necessary tools and techniques are available to the team members and that those team members are trained in their usage.
- Provide expert assistance when the team members get stuck.
- Facilitate smooth working environment, free from interference, breathing-down-the-neck and other avoidable distractions.
It is also important to track the component to closure, including not only its construction, but also its quality assurance activities such as review and testing, bug fixing and integration with rest of the product. Work Register can be used for this purpose.
The following columns are suggested for the work register –
- Serial Number
- Component Name
- Attribute – such as document, table script, Java, HTML, etc. that specify the nature of the component
- Size of the component
- Allocated to – name of the person to whom it is allocated to for Construction
- Allocated Date for Construction
- Expected Completion Date for Construction
- Actual Start Date for Construction
- Actual Completion Date for Construction
- Allocated Date for Review
- Allocated to - name of the person to whom it is allocated to for Review
- Expected Completion Date for Review
- Actual Start Date for Review
- Actual Completion Date for Review
- Allocated Date for Testing
- Allocated to – name of the person to whom it is allocated to for Testing
- Expected Completion Date for Testing
- Actual Start Date for Testing
- Actual Completion Date for Testing
Additional columns may be added as required. We included two Work Register templates for you to download. One in Excel 2003 and one in Excel 2007.