Using Resource Requests
This article shows how to enter and respond to resource requests.
Overview
ResourceFirst enables project managers to request skills or resources from resource nodes.
Resource managers with appropriate rights can then approve or reject the requests.
Requests can be created in two ways:
- By creating resource or skill assignment requests on the Request page, or
- By changing values on an assignment on the Labor page and requesting the change.
For an overview of the resource request process, see Resource Requests Overview.
For a description of how user rights affect the behavior of the Request feature, see the section User Rights and Requests in the article Resource Requests Overview.
Request New Assignments
Step 1: Click the Assignment area icon on the main menu column. Then select the Request page in the page menu bar.
Step 2: Click the plus (Add) icon in the upper left and select Add Resource Request or Add Skill Request from the menu.
This step launches the same dialog used for adding assignments on the Labor page.
Step 3: Use the Add Assignment dialog to create one or more assignment requests.
See the article Creating Labor Assignments on how to use the assignment dialog.
There are now Open request assignments on the Request page and a read-only copy of those requests on the Labor page highlighted with green background color and italic font.
Optional Step 4: Enter the required level of effort in period data cells.
Requests can be saved with no demand; these are requests for skills, teams, or people, but not for how much effort.
The level of effort is then up to the resource manager* or to negotiation between the project manager and the resource manager.
Step 5: Click the Save icon in the upper right of the Request or the Labor page.
Save on either the Labor or Request page saves changes on both.
Request Page
The Open requests on the Requests page:
can be modified by the user who created them; these changes appear in the Labor page copy as well,
can be deleted by the user who created them,
cannot be modified by anyone else on this page.
Labor Page
The Open requests on the Labor page:
can be accepted or rejected by a user who has edit rights to assignments on the resource OBS node,
can be deleted by the user who created them,
cannot be modified by anyone on the Labor page, including the user who created them.
Modify Open Requests
The creator of an Open request can change any field or forecast value on the Request page.
Step 1: Activate the Request page.
Step 2: Change values on Open request(s) including both period demand values and editable assignment fields.
No one but the creator of the request can make changes to Open requests.
No one can change Approved or Rejected requests.
The changes appear immediately on the Labor page Open request
Step 3: Click the Save icon in the upper right of the Request page OR of the Labor page.
Save on either page saves changes on both pages.
Request Changes to Existing Assignments
The requester changes field and/or period values on an assignment on the Labor page so that the entire row is exactly as desired.
The Request Changes operation creates an Open request on the Request page by copying the modified assignment row from the Labor page to the Request page.
The original assignment values are restored on the Labor page.
An Open request is displayed on the Labor page with period data values that are the change to the original assignment values required to produce the desired values.
The calculation is: Desired value minus Original value.
NOTE: This method is necessary to make the sum of assignments plus the Open requests add up to the desired and requested total.
Step 1: Activate the Labor (assignments) page.
Step 2: Enter changes to field and/or period forecast values for the assignment(s).
Assignment before and after requester modification on the Labor page (note the AID 8872)
Note: To remove a value in a change request you MUST enter a zero (0).
Deleting the original value will have no effect when the Open request is approved (even though the Open request looks as though it would work).
Original
Modified as Desired Change Result
Step 3: Click the Requests icon in the feature/function toolbar and select the menu option “Request Changes”.
An Open request is created on the Request page by the Request Changes operation; it is a copy of the modified assignment on the Labor page except that there is a new assignment ID (in the screenshots, 8873 for the request, 8872 for the assignment).
The Request Changes operation automatically saves the Open Request to the database. Creating a new Open request on the Request page does NOT automatically save to the database.
The Request page shows the result the requestor wants if the request is approved.
The Labor page Open request period values are the difference between the original values and the desired result (i.e. desired result minus original values).
Open change request on the Request page
Original assignment on the Labor page
The period forecast values on the original assignment(s) on the Labor page are restored to the original values.
A copy of the Request page Open change request is displayed on the Labor page as an Open request with green background color.
However, the period values are equal to the difference between the requested values and the original assignment values (see example below).
This change of values on the Labor page is necessary to make the column total row at the bottom of the Labor page show correct values for the forecasts and requests on the page.
In the screenshot below, add the Labor page Request (green AID 8874) row to the original (AID 8872) assignment row to get the Open change request values on the Request page.
[Note: At this time there is no way to see that an Open request is a change request rather than a new request.]
Reject Requests
Reject and Approve Requests both save to the database automatically; it is not necessary to click the Save icon.
On the Labor page:
Step 1: Check the selection checkbox at the left of the Open request rows you want to reject.
Step 2. Click the Requests icon in the Page Toolbar and choose Reject Requests.
The Open request on the Labor page disappears and the state of the request on the Requests Page is changed to Rejected.
The results of the Reject operation are automatically saved to the database. It is not necessary to press the Save icon.
A confirmation dialog appears briefly in the bottom right of the screen:
Approve Requests
Reject and Approve Requests both save to the database automatically; it is not necessary to click the Save icon.
Step 1: Check the selection checkbox at the left of the Open request rows you want to approve.
Step 2. Click the Requests icon and choose Approve Requests.
A confirmation dialog appears briefly in the bottom right of the screen:
Results of Approve
The Open request on the Labor page disappears and the state of the request on the Requests page is changed to Approved.
If the Open Request is a request for a new assignment (created on the Requests page):
The request row is converted to a real labor assignment with a new assignment ID (AID).
The original request ID is moved to the request ID field on this new assignment.
Labor Page: Open Request
Labor Page: New assignment After Request Approved
Request Page: Approved Request
If the Open Request is a change request (to an existing assignment):
Field and period data values from the Request page Open request are copied to the target assignment on the Labor page.
Remember that period values of Open change requests on the Labor page are the difference between request values and original assignment values.
Target Assignment – Before Change
Target Assignment – After Modification
Target Assignment, Requests page request, and Labor page Request – After Request Changes
Target Assignment – After Approval
Include Open Requests in Supply-Demand Analysis
Step 1: Click the Options icon in the top right icon group.
Step 2: Check the Allocate to Requests checkbox in the User Options dialog.
Step 3: Click the Apply button.
Activate the Requests Feature for the Administration Module
Users with Administrator privileges can execute these steps.
Step 1: Activate the Administration>Settings>Features page.
Step 2: Scroll to the Requests section of the page.
Step 3: Check the Enable Request Functionality checkbox.
Step 4: (Optional – Check the Auto Approve All Requests checkbox.)
Step 5: (Optional – Set the Auto Approve For minimum project node right level for auto approve of user requests.)
Step 6: Press the Save button at the lower right of the page.
