NOTE
In order to submit or reject requests, Resource Requests must first be enabled in the Resource Management Settings.
Overview
Available from the Resource Center, the Resourcing tab of a project, and the Rates & Roles page, the Resource side panel allows you to define and fill resource needs by Role, Skills, and Custom Fields. Using private posts in the Activity Feed, you can also communicate directly with Members that you want to fill an opening.
One of the challenges in staffing a project is the ability to see all your requests in one place. Whether you are making requests or approving them, you want to know where the requests are in the pipeline. Knowing which ones have been filled and which are still pending can help you locate any bottlenecks so you can resolve them.
With Resource Requests enabled through Settings > Resource Management, you can tackle this challenge by creating a more efficient, repeatable staffing process inside your organization so you can deliver work faster than ever before.
To access the Resource side panel, go to one of the following places:
- Resourcing > Resource Center > Team Members or Projects > select the unnamed resource to open the side panel.
- Projects > select a project > Resourcing > select the unnamed resource to open the side panel.
- Projects > select a project > select the Actions icon next to the project name > Rates & Roles
This side panel consists of the following tabs: Details, Approver (which only appears when the Resource Requests functionality is enabled), Activity, Skills, and Custom Fields.
You can expand or collapse each section individually, depending on whether it contains information relevant to your workflow.
You can close the side panel by clicking Close or pressing ESC on the keyboard.
Kantata OX remembers both the section you were in and what information you have entered, so if you close the side panel, you can continue from where you left off when the next time that you open the Resource Request side panel.
Resource Side Panel Header
The Resource side panel header is anchored to the top and is always visible, displaying key information such as the name of the Project, Resource Label, Role, number of hours allocated, and the start and end dates.
When Resource Requests are enabled, the status bar at the top lets you know where the request is at in the process (e.g., Draft, Submitted, Approved).
With Resource Requests enabled, clicking the Request History icon lets you see the timeline of a resource request from submission to approval or rejection, as well as details such as Skills, Custom Fields, and Allocations.
Use the Copy URL icon to copy a shareable link to the resource request to the clipboard.
Use the tabs just below the Resource side panel header to quickly jump to the associated section.
Details
If Resource Requests are not enabled and you are a Report Viewer with Cost or above, then the Details tab is visible and lets you fill resources normally.
If Resource Requests are enabled and you are an Approver, the Details tab is visible and is where you assign a member to fill a request. As an Approver, you can directly allocate a Resource instead of making a request.
If you made the request and it’s been approved, the Details tab replaces the Approver tab, and includes the name of the person selected to fill the Role along with a link to view their profile.
Approver
If Resource Requests are enabled, then each request requires an Approver. This is where you’ll find a drop-down list of all the Members who have the ability to accept or reject requests. You can scroll through the list, or search by name.
Activity
The Activity section serves two functions:
- Lets you send private messages
- Acts as a record of who has submitted, cancelled, approved, or rejected requests
Recipients of private messages also receive an email notification.
Skills
The Skills section lets you add Skills listed in Settings > Skills, and select a desired level, if allowed, to help the Approver more accurately fulfill the request.
Skills that are associated to the resource’s role appear under the Associated Skills section.
Custom Fields
This section displays all the User Custom Fields (arranged alphanumerically) previously created by Account Administrators in Settings > Custom Fields that have been made available to Resources. Account Administrators can change what fields appear for resources in Settings > Custom Fields.
Remember that fields made available to Resources do not follow standard User Custom Field permissions but are instead dependent on the permissions in Resource Center. In other words, if you can view the resource, you can view all the custom fields. If you can edit the resource, then you can edit the custom fields.
TIP
Note that if Access Groups are enabled, you can manage who can submit resource requests through the Resource Management Access access group set.
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