Resource Planning Software’s “Last Mile” Problem
The last twelve years of helping R&D teams overcome the challenges of portfolio management has taught us a lot about strategic resource planning. We’ve watched R&D-driven firms spend millions of dollars on complex project management systems, hoping for a magic wand that properly staffs R&D projects and ensures their timely and efficient completion. We’ve seen companies deploy systems that compile project schedules with staff and budget needs, systems that track time and money spent on each project, and processes that authorize projects and the resources they require.
Yet despite substantial investments in these systems, adequate staffing remains an elusive goal for many companies, and their projects are delayed when appropriate staff or facilities become unavailable at key points in development. This is what I call resource planning’s “last mile” problem, falling short of delivering the promised results despite extraordinary investment.*
At many organizations it is still devilishly difficult to answer the following questions:
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