Candidates to Replace Demand
This article explains how to find candidate resources to replace shortfall or demand on Skill or Resource assignments.
Overview
There are multiple situations when you may want to assign a named resource to replace part or all of the demand on an assignment:
on a Skill assignment in upcoming time periods,
on a resource assignment that has shortfall,
all assignments of a resource who is leaving the organization (Convert to Skill is another option in this case),
a host of other reasons for changing workload among resources.
The basic idea of this feature is simple:
Select an assignment from which you want to transfer shortfall or all demand to a named resource, and
Ask ResourceFirst to find all resources who have the Required Skill in the selected organization AND who have some unused capacity in the periods where there is demand to be moved.
Considerations in Selecting a Replacement Target
First, clearly identify which demand you want to move to a named resource candidate.
Normally you will move demand after the current date; that means starting in the current or a future period.
Move all demand or just demand in certain periods.
Move all demand or just excess demand (Shortfall).
Make sure that your date range from the Global Data Filter date range settings supports your intended change.
For instance, if you want to move all future demand to one or more candidates, make sure that all non-zero demand periods for that assignment are visible within your selected date range.
If some demand is not visible, adjust the Global Data Filter date range settings to contain all demand.
Tip! If a resource is leaving the organization, clear capacity beyond the termination date so that any demand beyond that period becomes Shortfall.
Candidates Pane
Candidate period values are the amount of unused resource capacity of the candidate that can be applied to the replacement demand or shortfall.
- Values can be modified
- Zero or empty cells leave the target period value unchanged
- Delete candidate values to precisely target periods that need replacement
- Reduce candidate values if appropriate
Some candidates may be able to fill all of the demand and others only part of the demand.
The Candidates grid can be sorted by clicking the column head drop-down arrow.
Target Assignment with a Lower Level OBS Node
Notice the following in this screenshot:
- The target can be selected by selecting any cell in the row, not just by the left checkbox.
- The selected relace target has a lower level node specified.
- There is a resource already assigned to the project with the target required skill.
- The period columns are aligned (by a manual workaround).
Candidate resources who are already assigned to the project have a black circle in column 2 (Assigned).
Candidates come from the target node only (unless the All Nodes checkbox is checked). In this case, the candidate from Life Sciences\Operations\Product Mgt is not available (as in the screenshot above).
Checking All Nodes will make that candidate available.
Notice the candidate Total values: it is useful to sort Candidate Total descending.
NOTE: The workaround for period alignment: adjust the column width of the column to the left of the Candidates pane Total column.
Using Candidate Options
The system behavior when finding candidates can be changed using the Options check boxes in the Candidate pane.
All Nodes – Widens the search to include all organizations in the current Get Data scope, not just the Resource Org in the selected assignment.
All Skills – Ignore the Required Skill in the candidate search.
All Demand – If NOT checked, only shortfall will be replaced.
Ignore Availability – Show candidates regardless of availability (this will allow overallocation).
Note that combinations of the checkboxes may also be used.
How To
Use the following steps to select a named resource candidate to replace an assignment:
Step 1: Select the assignment to be replaced.
Step 2: Click the Candidates button 
in the page toolbar.
Step 3: (Optional) Format the Candidates pane.
Adjust column widths to align period columns.
Sort the Candidate Total column descending.
Step 4: (Optional) Select checkbox options.
By default, All Demand is unchecked meaning replace shortfall.
Use checkboxes to modify the candidate pool.
Step 5: Select the checkbox to the left of one of the candidate resources.
(Candidate replace is one at a time.)
Step 6: Modify candidate values as appropriate.
For example, if you want to replace demand in specific periods, clear the candidate values in all other periods.
Or if the project does not need ALL the unused capacity of a candidate, just reduce the candidate values.
Step 7: Click the Replace button.
The demand on the target assignment is reduced by candidate values and a new assignment row is created with the candidate resource and values.
If the Assignment page has not been sorted, the new row appears below the target assignment.
Step 8: (Workaround) Click the Save icon to save replace assignments to the database.
(If the replacement assignment is not saved to the database, a succeeding Candidates operation fails to recognize the impact of the replacement on the resource’s availability.)
Repeated Replace Operations
A skill assignment may have demand greater than 1 in some periods or there may be cases where no candidate has enough unused capacity to satisfy all the shortfall or demand.
If there is remaining unsatisfied demand or shortfall on the target assignment, repeat steps 2 – 8.
Tips and Tricks
Expand Primary Skill column width in the Candidates pane to align Candidates Total column with the Assignments Total column. This aligns period data columns as well.
To focus on replace targets and results, filter on project and Required Skill. Then when you click the Replace button the candidate assignment will be visible.
Sort the Candidate Total column descending to see candidates in order of their ability to meet the demand.
Workaround: If the replace target assignment has remaining demand to replace, Save the replacement to the database, and just click candidates again.
