Using the Resourcing Lightning Component

Tip:

To set up and use Intelligent Staffing to filter and rank resources, see Intelligent Staffing for a Resource Request.

To customize this component, see Resourcing Lightning Component Properties.

When the start or end dates in the Resource Filter are updated, the schedule created when holding or assigning resources respects those dates and not the start and end dates on the resource request.

Notes:

When you hold, unhold, or assign a resource against a resource request, values are removed from the Availability column in the Resource list as utilization data is updated. To refresh and redisplay availability values, reload the Resource Request page, or conduct another search in the Resource Filter.

Pinning Resources

You can select and pin resources in the Resource list. Pinned resources are moved to directly below any suggested or held resources in the Resource list. You can also pin held or suggested resources. Resources that you pin are shown with the status of “Pinned” in the Status column on the Resource list. Resources that you pin who are already “Suggested” or “Held” remain “Suggested” or “Held” and are not shown as “Pinned” in the Resource list.

When the Rank column is displayed in the Resource list, this column is automatically recalculated, and any pinned resources are moved up the Resource list into their new rank.

When you perform a new search in the Resource filter, any pinned resources remain at the top of the Resource list even when they do not match the new filter criteria. Pinned resources are excluded from any manual sorting you apply and remain at the top of the Resource list regardless.

Pinned resources are remembered in the same sequence for each resource request between sessions when you use the same computer and browser. You can select any pinned resource and unpin them.

To pin or unpin a resource:

  1. Select a resource from the Resource list and click Image showing Pin button.
  2. Click Image showing Unpin button to remove the selected resource as a pinned user.

Comparing Resources

You can compare the top three resources against each other in the Compare Resources window. This enables a side-by-side view so you can directly compare resource details to ensure you have all the information before making a staffing decision to hold, unhold, or assign a resource.

Notes:
  • Depending on whether you access the Compare Resources window from the Resource list or from the Resource Schedule, fields displayed in the Compare Resources window might vary. Contact your administrator for more information.
  • If your administrator has not specified custom fields for the Compare Resources window, Region, Practice and Group are shown by default. You will need the required permissions to view these fields, contact your administrator for more information.

Held, Suggested, and Pinned resources are shown by corresponding visual indicators in the Compare Resources window. Resources are displayed in the Compare Resources window in the same sequence as the Resource list.

The hours and percentage availability of resources in the Compare Resources window is represented by the following color-coding.

Color-Coding When Resource Availability is Displayed as a Percentage When Resource Availability is Displayed in Hours
Green 100% The requested hours on the resource request are equal to or lower than the resource's available hours.
Orange 50% - 99% -
Red Under 50% The requested hours on the resource request are greater than the resource's available hours.

An image is displayed for the Salesforce user record associated with the resource from their Contact record. If there is no image, a standard resource icon is displayed. When there is no associated user, a generic icon is displayed. If a user does not have read access to the Salesforce user ID field on the Contact record, they only see a resource icon and not an image even when one has been added.

Visual indicators display for contact fields including RPG, and for the Skills section where a resource does not match the filter criteria in the Resource filter. Visual indicators are displayed when the numerical rating of the skill rating is determined.

Non-numerical alphabetical rating values are considered an exact match. Visual indicators are displayed for a skill rating where a numerical rating is not determined unless it exactly matches the filter criteria.

Indicators are displayed or not displayed as follows.

Field Non-Match Visual Indicator Displayed Non-Match Visual Indicator Not Displayed
Skills When a resource’s skill rating is lower than the Resource Filter skill rating.
  • When a resource’s skill rating is higher than or equal to the Resource Filter skill rating.
  • When a skill but no rating is specified in the resource filter and a resource has the skill.
  • When a skill field is blank because the resource does not have that skill.
Sub-RPG When you filter on an RPG and do not include sub-RPGs, sub-RPGs of the filtered RPG are marked to indicate they do not match the filter. When you filter on an RPG and include sub-RPGs, any child RPGs of the RPG you filter on are not visually indicated.
Contact When you filter on a contact value and the resource in the Compare Resources window has a different value to this value. When a contact field is blank because the resource has no value for that field.
Tip:

You can use the Resource filter to refine the skills and ratings you ideally want the top three resources to have before you compare them.

The top three resources’ skills and any associated rating are listed in the Skills section of the Compare Resources window. Skills are displayed in the same sequence as the Resource filter. When you have searched with the match Any Skill search, resource skills that do not match the required minimum rating are also displayed in the Compare Resources window.

By default, the skills are displayed in the same sequence as the Resource filter. If you would like to see the skills grouped into Essential and Desirable categories, contact your administrator. For more information, see Enable Desirable Skills.

Where a resource has a skill without a rating value, the skill is displayed as belonging to the resource by showing the value of “None” for the skill. Where a resource does not have a filtered skill, no information is displayed.

You can customize the contact fields displayed in the Compare Resources window by selecting a Contact field set. For more information, see Contact Field Sets and Resourcing Lightning Component Properties.

To compare resources:

  1. [Optional] Filter on skills and ratings as described in Using the PSA Resource Filter Lightning Component.
  2. Click Resources | Compare on the Resources tab.
  3. View the top three resources’ details in the Compare Resources window to make a staffing decision.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • Select a resource to hold, unhold, or assign. When holding or assigning, if the resource request has a preferred schedule, you can choose to retain the schedule. If you choose not to retain the preferred schedule, a new schedule is created based on the scheduling strategy selected in Manage Schedule. Your administrator can disable this functionality if it isn't required.
    • Click Close to return to the Resource list

Viewing or Editing Projected Schedules of Resources

Your administrator can set the default scheduling strategy. For more information, see Default Scheduling Strategy in Resourcing Lightning Component Properties. You can override the strategy in the Scheduling Strategy field. The default scheduling strategy value is reset when you either close the Resource Request page or reload your browser.

To view or edit a resource's projected schedule:

  1. Select a resource in the Resource list.
  2. Click Manage Schedule | Schedule.
  3. [Optional] Select a strategy from the Scheduling Strategy picklist. The Projected Start Date and Projected End Date fields display for the new schedule to be created for the selected resource. These are based on the selected scheduling strategy and the start and end dates from the filter criteria.
  4. [Optional] Select the Custom scheduling strategy and do the following:
    1. Enter the hours you want in the Daily Hours fields. The Total hours field is automatically updated as you enter hours.
    2. Click Refresh End Date to update the Projected End Date field and reflect the custom hours you have entered for the schedule.
  5. Click Ok. The selected scheduling strategy is applied and the start and end dates from the filter criteria.

Holding Resources

You can hold a resource against a resource request, or a different resource against the same held resource request.

When you hold a resource, the following are updated:

  • The Resource field is populated with the name of the selected resource on the resource request record and, where present, on the compact layout of the Lightning record page.
  • The Resource Held field is selected.
  • A new schedule is created.
  • The resource request status is set to "Held."

To hold a resource:

  1. Select a resource in the Resource list.
  2. [Optional] Click Manage Schedule | Schedule to select a schedule from the Scheduling Strategy picklist. For information on scheduling strategies, see Scheduling Strategies Overview.
  3. Click Hold. If the resource request has a preferred schedule, you can choose to retain the schedule. If you choose not to retain the preferred schedule, a new schedule is created based on the scheduling strategy selected in Manage Schedule. Your administrator can disable this functionality if it isn't required.

Unholding Resources

You can unhold a resource and remove them from the resource request they are held against.

Following a successful unhold, the following are updated:

  • The Resource and Preferred Schedule fields are both set to blank on the resource request record.
  • The Resource Held field is deselected.
  • The resource’s status in the Resource list is updated to remove their “Held” value.
  • The resource request's status is set to "Draft."
  • The previously held resource is no longer at the top of the Resource list.
  • The orphaned schedule and any associated schedule exceptions are automatically deleted.
  • EVAs associated with the resource request are deleted.

To unhold a resource:

  1. Select a resource from the Resource list.
  2. Click Unhold.

Creating Assignments

When you assign a resource to a project and create an assignment, the following are updated:

  • The Resource, Schedule, and Assignment fields are populated on the resource request record and, where present, on the compact layout of the Lightning record page.
  • The Resource Held field is deselected when a resource was previously held against this resource request.
Note:

To assign a resource to a project, you must have the Staffing permission control. For more information, see About Staffing Permission Controls.

You cannot create an assignment for a resource when:

  • The resource is not selected.
  • The resource request already has an assignment record.
  • The Project field on the resource request is blank.
  • You do not have the required permissions to access the Project field.

To create an assignment for a resource:

  1. Select a resource in the Resource list.
  2. [Optional] Click Manage Schedule | Schedule to select a schedule from the Scheduling Strategy picklist. For information on scheduling strategies, see Scheduling Strategies Overview.
  3. Click Assign. If the resource request has a preferred schedule, you can choose to retain the schedule. If you choose not to retain the preferred schedule, a new schedule is created based on the scheduling strategy selected in Manage Schedule. Your administrator can disable this functionality if it isn't required.

Unassigning Resources

You can unassign a resource from a resource request using the Unassign button, located on the Resource Schedule and Resource Grid tabs.

To unassign a resource:

  1. Select an assigned resource in the Resource Schedule or Resource Grid.
  2. Click Unassign. The selected resource is unassigned from the current resource request and the Unassign button changes to Assign.

This action also removes the assignment from your resource request, and reverts the resource request to a Draft status. Unassigning resource requests also deletes the related schedule information, as well as any Estimate Versus Actuals records.

You can reassign resources to resource requests in your preferred way after unassigning resources.

Note:

To unassign a resource you must have the relevant permissions within the PSA - Staff Resource Requests permission set assigned to your user profile. Contact your administrator for more information.