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With so many different resource management solutions available, figuring out which is right for you is tough. You know you want to manage and schedule resources more efficiently, but need to figure out which tool is best. I've got you! In this post I'll help make your choice easy, sharing my personal experiences using dozens of different resourcing tools with large teams and projects, with my picks of the best resource management tools.

Why Trust Our Resource Management Software Reviews

We’ve been testing and reviewing resource management software since 2012. As project managers ourselves, we know how critical and difficult it is to make the right decision when selecting software.

We invest in deep research to help our audience make better software purchasing decisions. We’ve tested more than 2,000 tools for different Project Management use cases and written over 1,000 comprehensive software reviews. Learn how we stay transparent & our resource management review methodology.

The Best Resource Management Software Pricing Comparison Chart

Here is a table you can use to compare all the tools we just covered in the overviews.

Tools Price
Kantata Pricing upon request
Celoxis Starts at $25/mo for cloud. Contact sales for on-premise quotes.
Resource Guru From $3/user/month
Saviom Pricing upon request
Productive From $11/user/month
Microsoft Project From $10/user/month
Paymo From $5.95/user/month
Forecast Pricing upon request
ProjectManager.com From $13/user/month (min 5 seats) (billed annually)
ActiveCollab Starts from $11/month for up to 3 users
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How To Choose Resource Management Software

With so many different resource management software solutions available, it can be challenging to make decisions on what resource management software is going to be the best fit for your needs.

As you're shortlisting, trialing and selecting resource management software consider:

  • What you want to use it to do - Start by identifying the resource management feature gap you're trying to fill to clarify the features and functionality the resource management software needs to provide.
  • Who will need to use it - To evaluate cost and requirements, consider who will be using the software and how many licenses you'll need. You'll need to evaluate if it'll just be your team or the whole organization that will require access. When that's clear, it's worth considering if you're prioritizing ease of use for all, or speed for your resource management software power users.
  • What other tools it needs to work with - Clarify what tools you're replacing, what tools are staying, and the tools you'll need to integrate with, such as accounting, CRM or HR software. You'll need to decide if the tools will need to integrate together, or alternatively, if you can replace multiple tools with one consolidated resource management software.
  • What outcomes are important - Consider the result that the software needs to deliver to be considered a success. Consider what capability you want to gain, or what you want to improve, and how you will be measuring success. For example, an outcome could be the ability to get greater visibility into performance. You could compare resource management features until you’re blue in the face but if you aren’t thinking about the outcomes you want to drive, you could be wasting a lot of valuable time.
  • How it would work within your organization - Consider the software selection alongside your workflows and delivery methodology. Evaluate what's working well, and the areas that are causing issues that need to be addressed. Remember every business is different — don’t assume that because a tool is popular that it'll work in your organization.

Best Resource Management Software Reviews

Below, you’ll find my choices for the best resource management software and tools. I’ve provided a detailed summary of each, including screenshots, standout features, integrations and some pros and cons.

Best for growing teams

  • Free demo
  • Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Rating: 4.1/5

Kantata is a well-rounded tool that bridges the core planning, execution, project accounting, and analysis systems in a single operating environment. It has modules for project management, accounting, resource management, business intelligence, and team collaboration for services teams and agencies.

Why I picked Kantata: What appeals to me about Kantata is their system of dashboards, live time and expense tracking features, and their great documenting system. The resource management module offers real-time utilization and margins at the project and even the task level. From what I've seen, Kantata truly offers a comprehensive RM suite that even includes accounting tools like project costing, budget management, and invoicing. Despite requiring time to really master, Kantata has been widely recognized as being easy to use and learn and I believe that Kantata's benefits are worth the time.

Kantata Standout Features & Integrations

Features that are particularly impressive include Kantata's professional services. The platform makes its Kantata BI Consultants available to users, meaning you have access to a team who can build reports specifically for your business and provide training to your resources to help mitigate the risks and costs of implementation. Further worthwhile features include resource forecasting, capacity management, skills management, scenario planning, and role-based planning.

Integrations include pre-built integrations with tools like Expensify, G Suite, Netsuite, Jira, Hubspot, Xero, Salesforce, Slack, Concur, Qualtrics, Dynamics 365, and Quickbooks. They also provide an integration platform called M-Bridge to help you build your own integrations.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Easy capacity management
  • Distinguish between soft and firm allocation
  • Good reporting functionality for resource data
  • Resourcing fully integrated with master planning

Cons:

  • Custom reports can be difficult to create without training
  • Proofing solution is an add-on
  • Advanced features are available only in the Premier and Enterprise editions of the application

Best for advanced reporting features

  • 30-day free trial
  • Starts at $25/mo for cloud. Contact sales for on-premise quotes.
Visit Website
Rating: 4.3/5

Celoxis is a web-based software for managing projects, resources, issues, risks, timesheets, workflows, and collaboration.

Why I picked Celoxis: I selected Celoxis for this list because its project dashboards and reporting options are customizable, which I think is especially important for ensuring that you can see resources, tasks, and project details in a layout or format that works for your team.

Other features and capabilities of Celoxis include accurate resource loads, resource utilization management, resource capacity, and efficiency. These features are helpful for planning and decision-making around resource allocation. In my opinion, the real-time and customizable reporting options are also helpful for decision-making.

Celoxis Standout Features & Integrations

Features include project request tracking, automatic scheduling, multiple resources per task, RAG health indicators, revenue forecasting, custom financial KPIs, and portfolio management.

Integrations include Microsoft Project, Excel, Google Drive, Outlook, Salesforce, dozens of other pre-built integrations, and thousands more through Zapier.

Celoxis Plans & Pricing

There is a cloud and an on-premise license available. Pricing for the cloud solution starts at $25/user/month, and on-premise pricing is available upon request.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • In-app timer for task tracking
  • Customizable widgets for groups or individuals
  • Percentage of project tasks-per-user feature
  • Easy, interactive Gantt charts

Cons:

  • Some difficulty with report building
  • Complex menu structure
  • Resource planning is not automated

Best for hassle-free resource booking

  • 30-day free trial available
  • From $3/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

Resource Guru is a dedicated resource management software that aims to make resource management user-friendly with quick scheduling tools.

Why I picked Resource Guru: I chose Resource Guru for this list because of its conflict resolution capabilities. Resource management and team collaboration are built in to make resource booking more straightforward, with clash management, leave management, and a waiting list to prevent over-booking. It helps project managers make bookings simultaneously with no chance of stepping on each other’s toes. Clashes are automatically prevented, which I hope will save you a huge headache.

Resource Guru Standout Features & Integrations

Features that really stand out to me for Resource Guru include individual resource dashboards that allow each staff member to log in and know exactly what they should be working on. To monitor business performance, powerful reports help identify which projects and clients are being over-serviced and assist you with monitoring team utilization and future capacity planning. Other notable features include drag-and-drop scheduling, equipment management, meeting room booking, capacity planning, and forecasting reports.

Integrations include calendar apps like Outlook calendar, Calendly, and Google calendar. Thousands of additional apps are accessible through Zapier.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Availability bar for capacity planning
  • Very affordable per-user rate
  • Attractive and flexible UI
  • Daily resource summary emails

Cons:

  • Unable to sort resources by experience level
  • No copy-paste of resource tasks

Best for workforce management

  • 60-day free trial
  • Pricing upon request

Saviom is a resource management software that I believe is best suited to large enterprises. It's equipped to provide a visual overview of complex team needs and scheduling for projects with multiple moving pieces.

Why I picked Saviom: I chose Saviom for this list because it allows you to quickly identify which resources should be allocated where, based on factors like cost, availability, location, and competency, across the enterprise. You can easily gain high level visibility even in the presence of complicated matrices (for example, when you have verticals like domains, regions, teams, and departments, in addition to individual projects). Their project forecasting functionality helps to identify future vacancies, while keeping an eye on financials like profit margin, revenue, and costs.

Saviom Standout Features & Integrations

Features of Saviom that I find particularly impressive include their real-time BI, which allows you to meet changing demands. You can build portals, analytics, reports, and dashboards that are tailor-made for your needs, since Saviom is highly expandable and configurable. You can also control the visibility of data with filters. Other notable features include a multidimensional resource scheduler and planner, advanced forecasting and capacity planning, and real-time business intelligence.

Integrations include Outlook, Google, Salesforce, Jira, and custom integrations you can build using its data exchange framework.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Multidimensional resource forecasting & capacity planning
  • Highly configurable & customizable RM solution
  • Real-time resource optimization, modeling & simulation
  • Highly flexible real-time reports, analytics & dashboards
  • Seamless integration with other enterprise applications

Cons:

  • There is a learning curve as the tool comes with extensive features
  • More suitable for medium to large enterprises
  • Pricing is available only on request

Best for powerful reporting features

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $11/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

Productive is an all encompassing agency management tool. This online resource management tool supports time tracking, employee cost rate management, budgeting and profitability reporting (among other features). You also get progress reports which show you the future revenue on every project.

Some other, standard resource management software features include multiple views (per project/person/team). Booking indicators tell you who’s overbooked or underbooked at a glance. You can also schedule people on custom events (vacation, sick leave, education, or anything else). It also factors in overheads and employee costs when calculating profitability, ensuring you can focus on improving your metrics without getting burdened by non-billable work.

One of the best things about this resource planning software is that Productive has very active development and a well defined roadmap. It was built to replace a non-integrated tool stack agencies usually struggle with, both in terms of cost and quality of reporting. All in all, Productive gives you an amazing, top-down view of your people’s capacity that also reflects on the rest of your business (reports, time tracking, profitability).

Productive’s integrations include an assortment of accounting tools such as QuickBooks Online and Xero. A Zapier integration is available too, along with an open API anyone can use.

Productive costs $9/user/month (billed annually). They also offer a fully-featured, free 14-day trial.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Quite easy to set up collaborative tasks
  • Plenty of custom tags to choose from
  • Built-in time management can bill multiple business entities

Cons:

  • Roles/user rights are not as customizable as they could be
  • Mobile app could be faster/more responsive
  • Invoicing and quotation features are limited

Best RM software for Microsoft users

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $10/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

Microsoft Project includes familiar management tools for assigning project tasks to team members and using different views like Grid, Board, and Timeline (Gantt chart) to oversee the resource planning. Users can view and compare how resources are used across projects to optimize assignments.

In my experience, most people have used a Microsoft platform before. If you are familiar with other Microsoft programs, in particular Excel, then the interface and navigation will be familiar to you. I believe that this can help teams on a Usability level, as familiar software makes for easier training.

However, you probably know as well as I do that Microsoft isn't always perfect. A few critiques that would make this solution better for resource management is that you can’t open different projects across different windows (for, say, easily comparing resources between the two) and PDF exports look messy, so if you use them for reports or printable projects you will need some manual design intervention.

Integrations include other Microsoft software, like Outlook, Excel, Skype, and more.

MS Projects costs from $7/user/month and has a free 30-day trial.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Can generate a Gantt chart from a spreadsheet
  • Helpful project template descriptions for guidance
  • Driver prioritization module for ranking strategies/objectives
  • Easy integration with other Microsoft software

Cons:

  • Limitations on collaboration tools
  • Higher learning curve
  • Few customization options

Best RM tool for remote teams

  • 15-day free trial + free version available
  • From $5.95/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.6/5

Paymo is a resource management software that, in my opinion, has some of the best resource planning, scheduling, and management tools on the market all in one place. Based on my research, I would say that Paymo is best for small and medium-sized businesses or teams. With Paymo you’ll know who’s working on what and for how long and, more importantly, who’s under or overbooked.

Paymo can help you cut down on the unnecessary communication that happens every time you need a quick status update. My personal favorite feature is that you can work without email or Slack interruptions since in Paymo you get an accessible visual timeline 24/7. Paymo’s team scheduling tool also helps you plan unscheduled work by dragging and dropping tasks on that timeline. It sets auto-generated ghost bookings based on task time estimates, which you can then convert into actual bookings. Plus, you can plot out-of-office alerts so that workload is scheduled accordingly. Paymo has a built-in leave planner so you can easily set days off (parental leaves, sick leaves, or paid sabbaticals) and plan vacations in bulk.

Paymo integrates with Slack, Google, Zapier, to name a few.

Free for freelancers and teams of up to 10 users. Paid plans start at $9.95/user/month. Paymo comes with a 15-day free trial.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Time reports can be broken up in several useful ways
  • Great (and customizable) at-a-glance dashboard
  • Keeps track of PTO days well

Cons:

  • Steep learning curve compared to other apps
  • Can be difficult to find time spend on projects
  • Can be difficult to find time spend on projects

Best AI-assisted RM

  • Free demo available
  • Pricing upon request
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

Forecast is a full project and resource management solution powered with artificial intelligence that learns from the work being performed and helps optimize all parts of people, planning, and projects.

Why I picked Forecast: I selected Forecast for this list because of its excellent task allocation capabilities. This means that for resource management and scheduling, you can allocate people to projects or specific tasks. On task allocation projects, Forecast's Auto-Schedule weeds out the need to manually assign resources to tasks. The whole resource allocation process, together with task estimations, can be fully automated. You can manage allocations directly in the heatmap feature, which is a quick visual way to see everyone’s capacity and utilization. You can also use the searchable database to find the person with the right role and/or skills that are most likely to be available for any task that’s not assigned yet.

I also think that the reporting features in Forecast are great. I really appreciate that timesheets and tracking are built right into the product (and there are iOS and Android apps for tracking on the go). Forecast uses actual and planned data to present customizable reports with key metrics such as real-time utilization, compare actual vs. scheduled utilization, track project progress, profitability, budgets, and get other insights on a portfolio or project level.

Forecast Standout Features & Integrations

Features include AI-based risk warnings and personalized recommendations, a fully customizable dashboard, financial reporting, time tracking, resource workloads, utilization data, portfolio management, and invoicing.

Integrations are above average—there are turnkey integrations with several mainstream tools in their extensive app catalog, as well as two-way sync with Jira.

Forecast Plans & Pricing

It has three paid plans and pricing starts at $29/user/month (25 British pounds).

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Quick top level view of available resources by user
  • Easily compare budget and expenses
  • Connects to your existing toolstack
  • Colorful, intuitive resource charts

Cons:

  • Higher learning curve
  • Time-consuming logging structure

Best for resource monitoring through project dashboards

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $13/user/month (min 5 seats) (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

ProjectManager.com is a resource management software for scheduling and allocating project resources. As a cloud-based software, the tool runs on both Windows and Mac computers and doesn't require download or installation.

I selected ProjectManager.com for this list because of its excellent resource monitoring tools. This is a project management solution where you can plan and assign resources, track task progress, and collaborate with teams easily through in-app communication features such as commenting on tasks. Other functionalities that stood out to me include assigning tasks to team members, creating project plans, managing tasks, and creating reports within the tool, as well as switching Gantt chart, task list, and Kanban board views.

In my experience, ProjectManager.com's real-time reports are easy to use—you can use their pre-set reports, or create your own custom reports. The real-time dashboard also provides an overview of current project stats, and allows user to manage tasks, workloads, progress, and costs.

Integrations include Google Apps like Drive, Gmail, Calendar, etc. as well as Microsoft Office and Microsoft Project. More integrations are available through Zapier.

Pricing for ProjectManager.com starts at $15/user/month, with their basic “Personal” plan requiring a minimum of 5 users. They offer a 30 day free trial (a credit card is required to sign up for a free trial).

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Excellent high level view of project
  • Customizable schedule templates
  • Time and expense tracking
  • Multilingual and very flexible

Cons:

  • No mobile app
  • No way to update partially complete tasks
  • Doesn’t output schedule files to .mpp

Best for built-in invoicing

  • 14-day free trial + free plan
  • Starts from $11/month for up to 3 users
Visit Website
Rating: 4.3/5

ActiveCollab helps users manage their team across projects, track time on tasks, and issue invoices for billable hours. I selected this tool for my list because it includes resource-relevant solutions like timesheets, profitability reports, internal hourly rates, and non-billable expense tracking. ActiveCollab also stood out to me for its rich planning features, great resource-tracking dashboards, timesheet tools, and financial estimates. These functions are all essential to any project manager in need of resource management and planning help.

However, per my evaluation, the software’s Usability would benefit from the ability to filter tasks by their completion status, rather than having completed tasks in the same list with open tasks. This could make progress clearly visible to you, your team, and your clients.

Integrations include Google Drive, Dropbox, Trello, Basecamp, Asana, Wrike, Slack, Hubstaff, TimeCamp, Quickbooks, Xero, Authorize.Net, Braintree, PayPal, Stripe, and hundreds of other third party apps using Zapier.

ActiveCollab costs from $7/user/month and has a free 90-day trial.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Easy to invite collaborators
  • People and role management
  • Fully customizable API
  • Great organization of task overview

Cons:

  • No Kanban task boards
  • Can’t duplicate task lists
  • No integration with GitHub

Other Resource Management Software Reviews

These are some extra options you can pick from. Even though they did not make it to the top 10, they are still worth considering as your next resource management tool.

  1. Planview Clarizen

    Best enterprise-grade resource management tool

  2. KeyedIn

    Best for resource management at the PMO level

  3. PSOhub

    Best RM that integrates with CRMs

  4. Mosaic

    Best for capacity planning and headcount forecast

  5. Mosaic

    Best for its recommendations based on resource skills and availability

  6. NK Tech, LLC

    best resource management software for unlimited users

  7. Dayshape

    Best AI powered Resource Management for Professional Services firms

  8. Notion

    Best for tracking non-typical resources

  9. TeamGantt

    Best for ease-of-use and UX

  10. Schedule It

    Best for scheduling work shifts & client bookings

  11. Harvest Forecast

    Best for users of Harvest's time tracker

  12. GanttPRO

    Best for advanced resource workload calculation

  13. ClickUp

    Best workload views for understanding team capacity

Check out our video on resource management software!

If you still haven't found what you're looking for here, check out these other related tools that we've tested and evaluated: 

Resource Management Software Selection Criteria

Selecting resource management software requires a deep understanding of the features that are pivotal for effectively allocating and optimizing resources within an organization. Throughout my research and personal trials of various resource management platforms, I've developed a series of selection criteria to help me determine which tools are worth recommending to users. Each criteria is weighted to reflect its importance to my overall evaluation.

Core Resource Management Software Functionality (25% of total weighting score): To be considered for inclusion on my list of the best resource management platforms, the solution had to support the ability to fulfill common use cases, such as:

  • Real-time visibility into resource availability
  • Detailed resource scheduling capabilities
  • Tools for demand forecasting and capacity planning
  • Skill and competency tracking of the workforce
  • Financial management features for budgeting and cost analysis

Additional Standout Features (25% of total weighting score): Beyond core functionalities, standout features can set a platform apart, offering unique benefits that enhance organizational efficiency and adaptability. This criterion focuses on identifying innovative and advanced functionalities that distinguish a tool from its competitors, providing users with a competitive edge. These can include:

  • Unique integrations that extend functionality beyond traditional resource management, such as advanced AI for predictive analytics or specialized tools for industry-specific needs.
  • Innovative user interface designs that improve user experience and productivity, like interactive Gantt charts or heat maps for resource utilization.
  • Customizable dashboards and reporting tools that provide insights tailored to the specific needs of different stakeholders within the organization.

Usability (10% of total weighting score): The usability of software impacts its adoption rate and the overall satisfaction of its users. This criterion evaluates how well the software balances power and complexity with ease of use, including the interface design and the intuitiveness of navigation and feature access. I consider:

  • An intuitive interface that balances complexity with ease of use, such as drag-and-drop scheduling tools or easy filtering and tagging for resource identification.
  • Clear and concise layout that minimizes the learning curve and enhances the overall user experience, enabling users to quickly find and use the features they need.

Onboarding (10% of total weighting score): The onboarding process is critical to getting teams up to speed and realizing the value of the software as quickly as possible. This evaluation looks at the resources and support provided to new users to facilitate a smooth transition and immediate productivity boost, such as:

  • Comprehensive training resources, including video tutorials, interactive product tours, and detailed documentation, to ensure users can quickly understand and leverage the platform's full capabilities.
  • Access to a variety of templates that help speed up the setup process for new projects or resource allocation plans.

Customer Support (10% of total weighting score): Effective customer support ensures that any issues users encounter can be resolved swiftly, minimizing disruptions to business operations. This criterion assesses the availability, responsiveness, and quality of support offered by the software provider. I look for:

  • Responsive and knowledgeable customer support teams that are available through multiple channels, such as live chat, email, and phone.
  • A robust online community or forum where users can share tips, ask questions, and find solutions from peers.

Value For Money (10% of total weighting score): Value for money is a key consideration for any software investment, balancing cost against the features and benefits provided. This evaluation looks at how the pricing model aligns with the software's capabilities and the tangible benefits it delivers to users. This involves:

  • Competitive pricing models that offer clear value for the features and capabilities provided, including transparent billing and flexible plans to suit different organization sizes and needs.
  • Free trials or demo versions that allow potential buyers to assess the platform's suitability before committing to a purchase.

Customer Reviews (10% of total weighting score): Customer reviews offer invaluable insights into the real-world performance and reliability of software from the user perspective. This criterion examines overall user satisfaction and feedback on specific aspects like usability, support, and impact on resource management processes. This also includes:

  • High ratings for user satisfaction, particularly regarding ease of use, customer support, and overall impact on project and resource management efficiency.
  • Positive feedback on how well the platform scales with the business, adapting to changing needs and growing project complexity.

In 2024, resource management software has continued to evolve rapidly, driven by technological advancements and changing organizational needs. As companies strive for higher efficiency and adaptability in their operations, these tools have become more sophisticated, incorporating new features to meet the demands of modern project management. Below are some of the most notable trends in resource management software, reflecting on emerging key features that will impact resource management now and in the future.

  1. Proactive resource management: Resource management platform will incorporate more elements that help resource managers plan ahead and avoid being reactive in the way they operate. This can include new forecasting reports, features that will help request resources in advance or incorporating new technologies to understand allocation trends.
  2. Integrated Solutions: The trend is shifting towards integrating various project management aspects into a single tool – replacing standalone resource management tools. Therefore, we will see more tools adding robust resource management features as part of their offering rather than a rise in new companies that specialize in this dimension of project management.
  3. AI and Machine learning: Recent developments in AI will make their way to more SaaS tools and resource management is not the exception. Artificial intelligence will likely be used to analyze past performance and produce insights that help with trend #1 and we are seeing the first signs already in tools like monday.com.
  4. Sustainability and Resource Efficiency: With an increasing focus on sustainability, tools are incorporating features to monitor and improve resource efficiency, such as carbon footprint calculators and sustainability reporting. This trend highlights the growing importance of environmental considerations in resource management.
  5. Blockchain for Enhanced Security and Transparency: Some of the most novel features include the use of blockchain technology to secure transactions and ensure transparency in resource allocation and project documentation. This innovative approach addresses concerns over data integrity and trust in collaborative projects.

These trends indicate a broader move towards more integrated, intelligent, and user-friendly resource management solutions. As these tools evolve, they offer organizations the capabilities to not only more effectively allocate and optimize resources, but also to respond more swiftly to changes and opportunities, ensuring continued growth and competitiveness.

What Is Resource Management Software?

Resource management software is a tool that help teams allocate, schedule, and optimize the utilization of their resources to support project goals and objectives. Resources can include personnel, equipment, materials, and more.

The primary purpose of resource management software is to ensure that the right resources are available at the right time, in the right quantities, and in the right locations to complete project tasks efficiently and within the allocated budget and schedule.

Features of Resource Management Software

Resource management software plays a crucial role in the seamless operation of businesses, especially those juggling multiple projects and teams. Consequently, it is important for organizations to know what features they need in their resource management software to better allocate and optimize their resources, enhancing productivity and efficiency. Here's a look at the top 10 features to consider when selecting the right resource management software for you:

  1. Workload resource planning: A view where you can see who is doing what, how much time it will take, potential bottlenecks, and who can handle more tasks.
  2. Timesheet integration: Metrics relating to time spent, time used, and time costs are key to resource scheduling, so a timesheet integration or built-in solution is critical.
  3. Resource allocation automation: Resource allocation is time-consuming, so you want to be able to automate some of the grunt work. Look for automation features that require no coding. Most resource planning tools nowadays have drag-and-drop automation builders.
  4. Resource utilization alerts: Gone too far over time or cost budgets without noticing? You want a tool that monitors the relevant utilization metrics and catches this for you. Especially if you handle multiple projects.
  5. Resource manager permissions: The tool should allow you to set different permissions for users depending on their required level of access.
  6. Demand Forecasting: This capability allows managers to anticipate resource needs based on upcoming projects or demand changes. Accurate forecasting helps in preemptively adjusting resource levels, ensuring that the team is neither overstaffed nor understaffed.
  7. Skill Tracking: Keeping an inventory of the skills and competencies of your workforce enables matching the right people to the right projects. Skill tracking is essential for optimizing the allocation of human resources based on project requirements.
  8. Capacity Planning: This feature helps in understanding the maximum amount of work your resources can handle without affecting quality. Capacity planning is crucial for balancing workloads and setting realistic project timelines.
  9. Time Tracking and Reporting: Time tracking provides insights into how resources spend their time, while reporting helps in analyzing productivity and efficiency. Together, they are indispensable for optimizing resource allocation and improving project outcomes.
  10. Financial Management: Understanding the cost implications of resource allocation decisions is key. This feature enables budget tracking, cost analysis, and profitability assessment, linking resource management directly to financial performance.

Choosing the right resource management software is about more than just managing schedules; it's about maximizing the potential of every asset at your disposal. By prioritizing these and other common features of resource management, organizations can ensure they are well-equipped to allocate and optimize their resources effectively, driving success in today's competitive landscape.

Benefits of Resource Management Software

Resource management software offers invaluable advantages to both users and organizations, particularly for project managers looking to optimize their team's productivity and efficiency. Here are five primary benefits of using such software:

  1. Efficient Resource Allocation: By providing insights into resource availability and workload, the software ensures resources are allocated optimally, minimizing bottlenecks and maximizing productivity.
  2. Real-Time Visibility: With real-time updates on resource allocation and project progress, project managers gain better visibility into project timelines and resource utilization, enabling informed decision-making and proactive adjustments.
  3. Improved Planning and Forecasting: The software facilitates accurate planning and forecasting by analyzing historical data and resource trends, helping project managers anticipate future resource needs and allocate resources effectively.
  4. Enhanced Collaboration and Communication: By centralizing resource information and enabling collaboration among team members, the software fosters better communication, coordination, and alignment of resources with project goals, leading to improved project outcomes.
  5. Optimized Project Performance: Through efficient resource management, the software helps project managers optimize project performance by ensuring the right resources are available at the right time, reducing delays, and increasing project delivery speed and quality.

These systems not only streamline operations, but also support strategic decision-making and growth. As such, the adoption of such technology is both an investment in software and an investment in the future success of your business.

Here are 6 other benefits of using resource management software.

Resource Management Software Costs & Pricing

Understanding the various plan options and pricing structures available for resource management software is crucial to making an informed decision that aligns with your organizational needs and budget.

Resource management software typically offers a range of plans to cater to different sizes and types of businesses, from small startups to large enterprises. These plans can vary widely in terms of features, support, and scalability options, making it important to carefully consider what each plan offers.

Below is a breakdown of common plan types, their average prices, and the features typically included.

Plan Comparison Table for Resource Management Software

Plan TypeAverage PriceCommon Features
Free$0Basic resource scheduling, Limited projects, Basic reporting
Basic$10 - $20/user/monthEnhanced scheduling, Time tracking, Basic analytics
Professional$20 - $40/user/monthAdvanced resource planning, Real-time collaboration, Full project management suite
EnterpriseCustom PricingCustom integrations, Advanced security features, Personalized onboarding and support

Choosing the right plan involves balancing cost against the specific features and support your organization needs to manage its resources effectively. Consider starting with a basic plan for cost savings or a professional plan for more comprehensive features, and always verify if a free trial is available to test the software before committing.

Resource Management Software Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about resource management and resource management software.

How do you create a resource plan?

Here are the 3 main steps you can take to create a resource plan:

  1. Identify the different types of resources needed to complete the project.
    Resources could include team members, equipment, meeting rooms, or anything that’ll be required as part of the project process.
  2. Quantify the amount of each type of resource required.
    To quantify the resources, you’ll need to consider the resources and estimate their effort on the project.
  3. Schedule the consumption of each resource within the project.
    To schedule the resources, you’ll need a project schedule so you know who to book, when, and for how long.

You can read our full guide to creating resource management plans for more detail.

What are 3 resource management techniques?

Three common resource management techniques include resource forecasting, leveling, and smoothing.

  1. Resource forecasting is a resource management technique that creates a plan of the resources required to deliver a project. It often occurs in the initial phases of a project, even as early as the sales process. A resource forecast estimates the resources and effort that will be required for the project, which helps determine the project timeline, project budget, and the project estimate put forward to the client.
  2. Resource leveling is a technique where you have flexible start and end project dates. This flexibility comes from putting your resources first and trying to level the workload as evenly as you can given your project resources.
  3. Resource smoothing is a bit of the opposite of the leveling technique. In this one, you know you have to finish the project at a certain date and cannot change it. Because time is your priority here, what you do is try to make the most efficient use of your resources. This is accomplished by avoiding peaks and troughs of resource utilization.

How do you calculate project resources?

A simple way to calculate the level of effort required is to look at past project performance and compare it with the current project plan to identify the current project team velocity.

You can then use the formula: current velocity/project estimate = resources required.

It’s important to calculate resources needed for a project so that you take the right amount of the team’s time. Resource too little, and they won’t have enough time to complete the work, and if you resource too much, you might inadvertently be pushing them to waste time or work slowly to fill in the time.

Do I need resource management software?

Yes, you do. Managing your team and its resources with resource management software means you’ll benefit from the right people, working on the right things, at the right time. It maximizes utilization, keeps people and projects on track, and ensures projects get the resource they need to be delivered successfully.

Should I still be using spreadsheets for resource management?

Everyone knows resource management by spreadsheet doesn’t really work. It’s not cut out for the job. Everything’s a bit of a hack, they’re clunky, and they’re horribly prone to errors. Months pass by and still, the resourcing spreadsheet somehow just about manages to keep its head above water.

At a push, your resource allocation spreadsheet might tell you how under-resourced or under-utilized your teams are, or even include forecasting, but does it include budget tracking, time tracking for billable hours, project reporting, sending staff real-time notifications, helping them collaborate, or a built-in process for requesting resources and resource allocation? Without these elements, it cannot be the solution you’re looking for.

But there’s hope. A growing number of tools have evolved in recent years to fix the problem of resource management in Excel and actually create something better than the free resource management tools—stuff that actually brings additional business value on top of keeping everything organized.

What can you do with resource management software?

Sometimes referred to as resource capacity planning software, it’s a type of project management tool that enables you to plan, allocate, and then track who’s working on what project, when, and for how long.

This software makes it easy for all stakeholders to see the resource availability and capacity of the organization and the available skills. Then, schedule and provide reporting to show historical and forecasted resource utilization.

Some software also has project management software features. These make it easy to plan, schedule, and reschedule projects, tasks, and resources in the same tool.

Learn more about the use cases for resource management software here.

What's an example of an effective resource management system?

An effective resource management system is one that lets you see your resources, the projects and tasks they are assigned to, gives you a visual representation of how busy they are and gives you options to balance the workload. It can be as simple as an Excel spreadsheet or Google sheet. However, it’s one that enables your organization to deploy the resources at its disposal as efficiently and effectively as possible to ensure your project progresses smoothly.

An effective system enables the organization to conduct resource planning in a way that maximizes the utilization of available resources and considers the availability of staff, their skills, their preferences, their location and timezone, and maps them against projects and organizational goals.

Is Jira a resource management tool?

No. Jira is an issue and project-tracking software that is not designed as a native resource management tool. Therefore, it does not allow you to see detailed information on your team at an individual level.

However, if you are using Jira or planning to use it, here are three workarounds to Jira resource planning that Sarah Hoban uses to manage resources within the tool.

How do these software options facilitate collaboration between remote teams?

Resource management software facilitates collaboration among remote teams by providing tools that enable seamless communication, project visibility, and real-time updates. These platforms often include features such as shared calendars, task assignments, file sharing, and integration with communication tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams. By centralizing information and resources, teams can stay aligned on their objectives, regardless of their physical location, enhancing productivity and efficiency.

Are there flexible pricing options or discounts for non-profits?

Many resource management software providers recognize the unique financial constraints of non-profit organizations and offer flexible pricing models, including discounts or even free tiers with limited capabilities. It’s best to directly inquire with the software providers as these options may not be widely advertised. For a comprehensive understanding of what to expect in terms of pricing and to potentially discover non-profit discounts, I suggest contacting the sales or support teams of these platforms directly.

Additional Resource Management Reviews

If you're looking for a different type of resource management software, check out the reviews below:

What's Next?

Resource management tools can help you create a culture of retention by mitigating the risk of burnout. So what are you waiting for? To learn more about resource allocation, check out our complete guide to workload capacity. Or if you'd like to explore what you can do with Excel a little longer, here's an example and free template on resource allocation.

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By Ben Aston

I’m Ben Aston, a digital project manager and founder of thedpm.com. I've been in the industry for more than 20 years working in the UK at London’s top digital agencies including Dare, Wunderman, Lowe and DDB. I’ve delivered everything from film to CMS', games to advertising and eCRM to eCommerce sites. I’ve been fortunate enough to work across a wide range of great clients; automotive brands including Land Rover, Volkswagen and Honda; Utility brands including BT, British Gas and Exxon, FMCG brands such as Unilever, and consumer electronics brands including Sony. I'm a Certified Scrum Master, PRINCE2 Practitioner and productivity nut!