Best template sets for use with Resource Management?

KBedal

I will be getting access to Resource Management soon, but I need to begin the process of moving all of my company's project plans into Smartsheet before I will have access. Are there certain template sets that are designed to work with Resource Management? I would hate to get all of the projects moved and then find out that the formats don't work well with the Resource Management functions. My main objectives are to:

• Import all existing project plans from MS Project
• Have all projects roll up into a site portfolio for reporting, tracking and resource loading
• Have all project plans be available for resource capacity assessment through Resource Management
• Format all plans with the required information needed for Resource Management to function correctly
• Ensure that all data is present in the plans that will allow me to use Resource Management to show an overall department level capacity status on a month-to-month basis.

Thanks!

Matt Lynn-PCG

@KBedal Good questions. My advice is not to get too wrapped up in templates, although they can be helpful. At the end of the day resource management only cares about a few things that are in pretty much any timeline/schedule, with exception of 1 thing that you can add.

1.) Primary Column / Task name

2.) Start Date

3.) End Date

4.) Assigned To contact

5.) Allocation % (Few people think in terms of this but rather think in terms of hours. It's a simple helper column add to any sheet (new or template) to convert this into a basic hours column, although this column has to remain hidden for RM as it's how it wants the data. So if you do this you enter hours into a new column, hide this column and convert the hours into allocation %. Example if the task is 2 days (8 hours per day) and your entry is 4 hours.. the allocation is 25%)

Point, use the templates for reference/inspiration, but Smartsheet is about developing what you want.