Resource Allocations

Resource Allocations are designed to help resource managers allocate and assign the right resources to projects based on availability, skill sets, and other criteria. After a resource is allocated to a project, the project manager can assign them to specific tasks.

You can also allocate resources directly to project tasks eliminating the requirement for resources to be assigned separately. This is useful if the same person handles both allocations and task assignments.

Resource allocations help companies track employee utilization, a critical efficiency/productivity metric. NetSuite utilization reporting allows customers to select the metrics that matter most to them—worked hours, allocated hours, or assigned hours. These values are divided by available hours, taking into account work calendars and exempt time.

For information about enabling Resource Allocations, see Enabling Project Features.

Resource Allocation Records

To request resource time, enter a resource allocation record. You can select the resource, project, task, dates, and hours for each allocation. For long-term projects, you can set a recurring schedule. After the allocation has been created, the resource is available for project tasks. If you select a project task when creating the allocation, you don’t need to assign the resource again. For more information, see Assigning Resources with Allocations.

Resource allocation records for projects don't assign resources to any specific task. Allocating a resource to a project, as opposed to a project task, makes the resource available for assignment to any task on that project.

For example, a resource manager might allocate someone to Project A for 40 hours over two weeks, without selecting a specific task. That person is now available on the project record to be assigned to any task.

NetSuite automatically levels the requested hours over the time period specified. For a resource who typically works a 40 hour work week, an allocation of 20 hours over two weeks would result in 2 hours per day of allocated project work.

If you also use Time-Off Management and select a time period that conflicts with approved time off, you will receive a warning when entering a new resource allocation. The Time-Off subtab on resource allocation records shows any approved time off for the selected employee. Resource managers can use this information to better plan their upcoming resource allocations.

You can create resource allocation records directly from a project record by clicking the New Resource Allocation button at the top of the Resources subtab. Clicking the New Resource Allocation button automatically creates an allocation for the current project.

You can also go to Activities > Scheduling > Resource Allocations > New to create a new allocation record. You view all your resource allocation records at Activities > Scheduling > Resource Allocations. If you use inline editing, you can update your resource allocation records directly in the list.

You can delete multiple resource allocation records from the list using inline editing. Select the record you want to delete by clicking in one of the editable fields. Hold down the Ctrl key and continue to select records to be deleted. When you have finished selecting records, hover over the green icon in the New column of any selected line and click Delete Record to delete all selected records.

Assigning Resources with Allocations

With the Resource Allocations feature, you can allocate resources to individual projects or directly to project tasks.

When creating a new resource allocation in NetSuite, after you select a project in the Customer:Project field, the Project Task field is populated with all available tasks from the selected project. Selecting a specific project task allocates the chosen resource to that task within the project. Leaving the Project Task field blank allocates the resource to the selected project.

On the project task record, the Resources subtab lists all the project resources allocated to the task. The Estimated Work field is updated for both projects and project tasks based on the allocated time for each resource. You can create new resource allocations from the Resources subtab by clicking New Resource Allocation. Clicking the New Resource Allocation button automatically creates an allocation for the current project task.

Resources allocated to individual tasks can track time against those project tasks. If you delete the allocation, the resource can't track any additional time against those project tasks anymore.

Allocating by Percentage

You can allocate resources by a set number of hours or by percentage of time. If you allocate by percentage, NetSuite uses the resource’s work calendar and hours to determine how many hours per day they’ll work on the project.

For example, if someone works 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and you allocate them 50% for two weeks, they’ll work 4 hours a day on the project for a total of 40 hours.

Allocation Type

When creating a resource allocation, you must select the allocation type—Hard or Soft.

In the Allocation Type field, select the type of allocation.

• Hard – This allocation request isn't flexible; the resource is committed to the dates and hours required on this request.

• Soft – This allocation request is flexible; adjustments can be made to the date and hours if needed to accommodate other priorities.

Resource Allocation Chart/Grid

After you've enabled Resource Allocations, you can install the Resource Allocation Chart/Grid SuiteApp. This SuiteApp can be installed directly from Setup > Company > Enable Features by clicking Resource Allocation Chart/Grid in the Related SuiteApps section under Resource Management.

When installed, administrators and resource managers can access the Resource Allocation Chart/Grid at Lists > Services > Resource Allocation Chart/Grid. The Resource Allocation Chart/Grid offers two tools for visually managing your resource allocations, with the ability to edit existing allocations and create new allocations directly from the chart or grid. For more information, see Resource Allocation Chart/Grid SuiteApp.

Resource Skill Sets

Resource Skill Sets enables you to add information about skills and expertise to employee and vendor records and then search that information for the best matched project resource.

You define skill categories that are available on the new Skills & Expertise tab on employee and vendor records. You can select skills and set a skill level for each person. Define skill categories at Setup > Services > Skill Category.

This SuiteApp can be installed directly from Setup > Company > Enable Features by clicking Resource Skill Sets in the Related SuiteApps section under Resource Management. Resource Skill Sets is designed to work in tandem with Resource Allocations. However, Resource Allocations isn't required to use Resource Skill Sets. For more information, see Resource Skill Sets.

Resource Manager Role

With Resource Allocations also comes a Resource Manager role. This role offers access to the standard Support Center with additional permissions to access resource allocations and projects. For more information about standard centers, see NetSuite Standard Centers.

After the Resource Allocation feature has been enabled, the resource manager and administrator roles both have access to resource allocations. Additional roles can be customized to add access to resource allocations. For more information about customizing roles, see Customizing or Creating NetSuite Roles.

General Notices