Allocation workbench
Summarize
Summary of Allocation workbench
The Allocation Workbench in ServiceNow Yokohama release helps Resource Managers efficiently allocate resources to investments by evaluating resource capacity and availability. Although it is being deprecated starting with the Xanadu release and will no longer be available for new installations, it continues to be supported. Resource Managers are encouraged to transition to the Resource Management Workspace, which offers enhanced views and management capabilities.
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Allocation Boards
Allocation boards allow grouping resources based on filters, such as specific programs, to view and manage resource allocations for projects and demands. Users can create personalized boards through filter definitions. Selecting a board opens the Allocation Workbench with relevant projects and demands, and resource availability details can be viewed for selected resource plans. The grid supports detailed views and automatic updates based on selections.
Key Features of the Allocation Workbench
- Date Range Selector: Controls the time period displayed for resource plans, with defaults and enhancements to maintain focus on selected ranges.
- Resource Filter: Filters resources by group, role, user, or task and enables searching operational resource plans when enabled via properties.
- State Filter: Filters resource plans by planning, requested, confirmed, allocated, or extension requested states.
- Week/Month and Hours/FTE/Person Days Views: Allows toggling between time formats for resource allocation visualization.
- Resource Finder: Search and view resource availability and utilization, add or confirm resource plans, and filter by availability status.
- Configuration Options: Customize visible columns in the grid for cost, resource type, and other details.
- Resource Grid: Lists investments and associated resource requests and allocations, with inline editing, state changes, allocation actions, and management of operational resource plans.
Resource Finder Section
The Resource Finder is accessible within the workbench to search resources by group, role, or user and view their availability and utilization. It enables adding or confirming resource plans and filtering resources by availability or overallocation. Detailed availability and capacity grids provide further insights, with user allocation details accessible via pop-ups.
Managing Resources and Operational Resource Plans
Resource Managers can use the Allocation Workbench to manage all resource requests centrally, view available hours, and allocate resources efficiently. Additionally, operational resource plans can be created and managed directly from the workbench without navigating to separate forms, streamlining operational resource management.
Use the allocation workbench to allocate your resources effectively to the requesting investments by evaluating resource capacity and availability.
Resource Managers are encouraged to use the Resource Management Workspace to allocate, approve, and manage resource assignments. Resource Management Workspace is a dedicated workspace view for Resource Managers where you get the insights about unassigned tasks, heatmap view of resource bandwidth, custom view to handle priority resource assignment requests, and so on.
Allocation boards
Allocation boards group resources based on filters so that you can view and manage specific resources for investments. For example, you can create an allocation board by filtering on a specific program to group your resources requested or allocated to projects and demands of the program.
The Allocation Boards page shows all your allocation boards. You can create a personalized allocation board through a filter definition. Selecting a board name opens the allocation workbench with a list of projects, demands, and operational work types that match the allocation board filter type.
When you select a resource plan in the resource grid section, the availability details of the associated resources are displayed in the resource finder section. For example, if you select a group resource plan, the availability details of the group and its members are displayed in the resource finder section. You can expand and view other columns by selecting the Detailed View icon, and selecting columns from the Configurations list. When you change the selection, the results are automatically updated.
Watch this video to learn about the purpose and usage of the Resource Allocation Workbench.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
Date range selector
|
Shows resource plans for the selected time range. For a new allocation board, the default period is set as the current date to six months. If you change these dates, the new range is saved as the board default for future board use. From the Yokohama release onwards, the following enhancements
are available on the board:
|
Resource filter
|
Enable the Create and manage operational resource plans from the resource allocation workbench property by navigating to to search for operational resource plans from the allocation workbench. Filters projects and demands in the resource grid by group, role, user, or task for the selected period. Filter operational resource plans in the resource grid by the operational work type. |
State filter
|
Filters resource plans in the resource grid using the (P) Planning, (R) Requested, (C) Confirmed, (A) Allocated, and (E) Extension Requested options. Note: The (P) Planning and (C) Confirmed filters are not applicable for operational
resource plans. |
Week or Month view
|
Shows allocations in weekly or monthly format in both the resource grid and resource finder sections. |
Hours, FTE, or Person days view
|
Shows allocations in hours, FTE, or person days format in both the resource grid and resource finder sections. |
Resource Finder
|
Displays the resource finder section at the bottom of the workbench. Use the resource finder section to search resources and create a resource plan for them. |
Configuration
|
Shows or hides the selected columns on the grid. Selecting the Planned Cost, Actual
Cost, Conf/Alloc Cost, or Resource
Type columns pins them on the grid before the
Details column group. Other columns are added in the
Details column group in the collapsed state. To view the
collapsed columns, click the expand icon ( |
Legend
|
Specifies the state of the resource plan using the Partial Allocated legend. |
).
) on the 
Resource grid
- Edit the planned, confirmed, and allocated hours inline without opening the record in a form.
- Request changes to submitted resource plans, or request an extension of an allocated resource plan.
- Confirm or allocate resource plans to a project or demand.
- Allocate resources for an operational resource plan.
- Replace one user's allocation with another user
- Shift allocations of a user to a future date
- Move a resource plan and its allocations to a future date
- Complete, delete, or cancel resource plans.
- Group, hide, or show columns.
- Identify the resource plans created with specific members preference by viewing the Resource plan created with specific members icon (
) next to the resource plans.Note:The confirm, replace, shift, and move actions can’t be performed for an operational resource plan.
Resource finder
) at the top right. In the Resource finder, you can perform the following actions:- Search for resources and view their availability and utilization. You can search resources by group, role, or user.
- Add or confirm resource plans for the current resources.
- Configure the Actuals column using Detailed View.
- Filter resources in the Resource Finder by available, overallocated, or all resources.
- Identify resources that are created as specific members for a resource plan by viewing the Member specified in the resource plan icon () next to the resources.
- View the Resource Availability and Resource Capacity grids by selecting a capacity or availability column. View the user and resource allocation details in a pop-up window by selecting the User and Allocated Hours columns respectively in the Resource Availability grid.Note:The allocated values are displayed in the Hours, FTE, or Person Days fields based on the selection made in the Allocation Workbench.