resource management the basics.

some ideas…  what are resources?  how many engineers does it take to change a light bulb?  the baby-making conundrum  the multitasking myth  the project management game

what are resources?

Money People Time IT Equipment Facilities Systems

how many engineers does it take to change a light bulb?  Project management is an essential skill for any engineer  A Project is defined as something that has a start and end date, and delivers a Product  Scope, schedule and cost  The right resource at the right time

Date 18/1119/1120/1121/1122/1123/1124/1125/1126/1127/1128/1129/1130/1101/1202/1203/1204/1205/1206/1207/1208/1209/1210/1211/1212/1213/1214/1215/12 Day Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Workdays Activity A Activity B Activity C Activity D Activity E Constraints Activity B Starts when Activity A ends Activities C and D start when Activity B ends. Activity D may not be split by a weekend Activity E can only start once Activity C and D have ended ActivityDuration TaskResources Allocated A3 Develop concept3 engineers, 1manager B5 Detailed design3 engineers C4 Procurement of buy-out components2 buyers, 1 engineer D5 Fabrication of core components1 engineer, 2 artisans E3Final assembly2 engineers, 3 artisans

Date 18/1119/1120/1121/1122/1123/1124/1125/1126/1127/1128/1129/1130/1101/1202/1203/1204/1205/1206/1207/1208/1209/1210/1211/1212/1213/1214/1215/12 Day Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Workdays Activity A Activity B Activity C Activity D Activity E Constraints Activity B Starts when Activity A ends Activities C and D start when Activity B ends. Activity D may not be split by a weekend Activity E can only start once Activity C and D have ended ActivityDuration TaskResources Allocated A3 Develop concept3 engineers, 1manager B5 Detailed design3 engineers C4 Procurement of buy-out components2 buyers, 1 engineer D5 Fabrication of core components1 engineer, 2 artisans E3Final assembly2 engineers, 3 artisans

Date 18/1119/1120/1121/1122/1123/1124/1125/1126/1127/1128/1129/1130/1101/1202/1203/1204/1205/1206/1207/1208/1209/1210/1211/1212/1213/1214/1215/12 Day Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Workdays Activity A Activity B Activity C Activity D Activity E Constraints Activity B Starts when Activity A ends Activities C and D start when Activity B ends. Activity D may not be split by a weekend Activity E can only start once Activity C and D have ended ActivityDuration TaskResources Allocated A3 Develop concept3 engineers, 1manager B5 Detailed design3 engineers C4 Procurement of buy-out components2 buyers, 1 engineer D5 Fabrication of core components1 engineer, 2 artisans E3Final assembly2 engineers, 3 artisans

Date 18/1119/1120/1121/1122/1123/1124/1125/1126/1127/1128/1129/1130/1101/1202/1203/1204/1205/1206/1207/1208/1209/1210/1211/1212/1213/1214/1215/12 Day Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Workdays Activity A Activity B Activity C Activity D Activity E Constraints Activity B Starts when Activity A ends Activities C and D start when Activity B ends. Activity D may not be split by a weekend Activity E can only start once Activity C and D have ended ActivityDuration TaskResources Allocated A3 Develop concept3 engineers, 1manager B5 Detailed design3 engineers C4 Procurement of buy-out components2 buyers, 1 engineer D5 Fabrication of core components1 engineer, 2 artisans E3Final assembly2 engineers, 3 artisans

Date 18/1119/1120/1121/1122/1123/1124/1125/1126/1127/1128/1129/1130/1101/1202/1203/1204/1205/1206/1207/1208/1209/1210/1211/1212/1213/1214/1215/12 Day Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Workdays Activity A Activity B Activity C Activity D Activity E Constraints Activity B Starts when Activity A ends Activities C and D start when Activity B ends. Activity D may not be split by a weekend Activity E can only start once Activity C and D have ended ActivityDuration TaskResources Allocated A3 Develop concept3 engineers, 1manager B5 Detailed design3 engineers C4 Procurement of buy-out components2 buyers, 1 engineer D5 Fabrication of core components1 engineer, 2 artisans E3Final assembly2 engineers, 3 artisans

Date 18/1119/1120/1121/1122/1123/1124/1125/1126/1127/1128/1129/1130/1101/1202/1203/1204/1205/1206/1207/1208/1209/1210/1211/1212/1213/1214/1215/12 Day Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Workdays Activity A Activity B Activity C Activity D Activity E Constraints Activity B Starts when Activity A ends Activities C and D start when Activity B ends. Activity D may not be split by a weekend Activity E can only start once Activity C and D have ended ActivityDuration TaskResources Allocated A3 Develop concept3 engineers, 1manager B5 Detailed design3 engineers C4 Procurement of buy-out components2 buyers, 1 engineer D5 Fabrication of core components1 engineer, 2 artisans E3Final assembly2 engineers, 3 artisans

ActivityDuration TaskResources Allocated A3 Develop concept3 engineers, 1manager B5 Detailed design3 engineers C4 Procurement of buy-out components2 buyers, 1 engineer D5 Fabrication of core components1 engineer, 2 artisans E3Final assembly2 engineers, 3 artisans Constraints Activity B Starts when Activity A ends Activities C and D start when Activity B ends. Activity D may not be split by a weekend Activity E can only start once Activity C and D have ended Date 18/1119/1120/1121/1122/1123/1124/1125/1126/1127/1128/1129/1130/1101/1202/1203/1204/1205/1206/1207/1208/1209/1210/1211/1212/1213/1214/1215/12 Day Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Workdays Activity A Deadline Activity B Activity C Activity D Activity E

Date 18/1119/1120/1121/1122/1123/1124/1125/1126/1127/1128/1129/1130/1101/1202/1203/1204/1205/1206/1207/1208/1209/1210/1211/1212/1213/1214/1215/12 Day Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Workdays Activity A Deadline Activity B Activity C Activity D Activity E ActivityDuration TaskResources Allocated A3 Develop concept3 engineers, 1manager B5 Detailed design3 engineers C4 Procurement of buy-out components2 buyers, 1 engineer D5 Fabrication of core components1 engineer, 2 artisans E3Final assembly2 engineers, 3 artisans

ActivityDuration TaskResources Allocated A3 Develop concept3 engineers, 1manager B5 Detailed design3 engineers C4 Procurement of buy-out components2 buyers, 1 engineer D2.5 Fabrication of core components 1 engineer, 2 artisans 2 engineers, 4 artisans E2.5Final assembly2 engineers, 3 artisans 3 engineers, 4 artisans Date 18/1119/1120/1121/1122/1123/1124/1125/1126/1127/1128/1129/1130/1101/1202/1203/1204/1205/1206/1207/1208/1209/1210/1211/1212/1213/1214/1215/12 Day Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Workdays Activity A Deadline Activity B Activity C Activity D Activity E Total cost of acceleration = extra resources less time saved on planned resources $$ 2 engineers weekend overtime x 2 days $$ 1 engineer, 2 artisans x 2.5 days $$ 1 engineer, 1 artisan x 2.5 days $$ 2 artisans x 2 days

how many engineers does it take to change a light bulb?  If the end date is too late, this can be pulled in by:  Utilizing more available time (weekends, longer hours)  Adding more resources to complete tasks quicker ($$$)  Making more with what you have  But are there limitations?

the baby-making conundrum ActivityDurationTaskResources Allocated A4 monthsGain stakeholder buy-in1 male, 1 female Date January February March April May June July August September October November December January February March Months Activity A Activity B Activity C Activity D

Date January February March April May June July August September October November December January February March Months Activity A Activity B Activity C Activity D the baby-making conundrum ActivityDurationTaskResources Allocated A4 monthsGain stakeholder buy-in1 male, 1 female B30 secondsProject initiation1 male, 1 female

the baby-making conundrum ActivityDurationTaskResources Allocated A4 monthsGain stakeholder buy-in1 male, 1 female B30 secondsProject initiation1 male, 1 female C9 monthsProduct development1 female Date January February March April May June July August September October November December January February March Months Activity A Activity B Activity C Activity D

the baby-making conundrum ActivityDurationTaskResources Allocated A4 monthsGain stakeholder buy-in1 male, 1 female B30 secondsProject initiation1 male, 1 female C9 monthsProduct development1 female D24 hoursProduct launch1 female, 1 doctor, 1 nurse Date January February March April May June July August September October November December January February March Months Activity A Activity B Activity C Activity D

the baby-making conundrum  Respect lead-times  Consider the costs of your resources  Efficient use of the resources you have  Cost + time + performance = project management

the multitasking myth  The Name-Product Game – Round 1  In groups of 5, choose a Worker. The rest will be Customers.  The Worker must create 1 product for each Customer. The Product is that Customer’s name.  The worker must write the names of each Customer - one letter at a time  After writing the first letter of a name, the worker must write the first letter of the next name, and so on.  Only after the worker has written the first letters of each Customer’s name, can he/she start on the second letter  Each Customer must keep track the total time taken for their product to be delivered from the time the worker starts writing.

12345 FFrFreFred SSaSam KKeKenKendKendra BBoBob the multitasking myth  Example: Start timer Sam stops his clock Bob stops his clock Fred stops his clock Kendra stops her clock

the multitasking myth  The Name-Product Game – Round 2  Repeat the game, but this time, the Worker must complete each product before starting the next one  The Customers must time how long it takes them to receive their product and compare this to the previous round

the multitasking myth  One person can only do one task at a time  Switching between tasks constantly is inefficient as you lose focus  Focusing on completing one task at a time before going onto the next allows one to complete all tasks faster  When you have a number of tasks to do, prioritise in terms of importance and urgency.

the project management game Game

thank you…  Rhea Naidoo  Project engineer – Glencore Alloys  Early Career Connect Affinity Group – Chair  Contact   Twitter: Engineer_Chic Follow my blog: