We are excited to introduce two significant enhancements to the Cognota product that will streamline resource allocation, improve efficiency, and provide better visibility into your team's capacity. In this release note, we will detail the changes and improvements brought about by these updates, explaining how they will benefit your team and what actions are required to adapt to the new features.
Feature - Resource Allocation at Project Level (Task Hours Rollup):
What's Changing?
Previously, adding resources to your projects required multiple steps, often involving creating participants before assigning tasks. With this update, we have simplified the process:
1. Adding Resources to Projects:
Old Process: Create participants before assigning tasks.
New Process: You can now assign resources directly to tasks, eliminating the need for additional participant creation. Of course, you still have the option to add participants first if needed.
2. Task-Level Hours Rollup:
Old Process: Hours were inputted separately at the task level and resource allocation level.
New Process: Estimated hours at the task level now automatically roll up to the user's overall allocation on that project. No more duplication of work or the need for multiple data entries.
3. Editing Tasks from Resource Allocation Page:
Old Process: Editing tasks required navigating to the task section.
New Process: You can now edit tasks directly from the Resources section of a project. Click on the project participant > View Tasks > Click on task to be edited > Edit from the side panel for greater convenience.
4. Defining Project Roles:
Old Process: Role assignment was not straightforward. This had to be done while initially adding a participant on the project.
New Process: There are two ways to easily define a participant's project roles. The first is after they’ve been assigned tasks—simply go into the Resources section > Click on the Participant > Click on the edit icon next to their name. The second method is while adding a resource directly on the project without any tasks. Simply click on the project > Click on Resources > Click on Add Participant > define the project role from the onset.
What to Expect:
Expect a more streamlined and user-friendly experience when adding resources, managing tasks, and defining project roles. You can now put in hours at the task level, eliminating the need for redundant data entry.
Feature - Capacity Rework:
What's Changing?
We have revamped the capacity view to provide a comprehensive overview of your team's capacity, project allocations, and availability. Here's what you can expect:
1. Birds-Eye View of Team Capacity:
Easily view all projects your team is working on and their respective allocations on a weekly basis.
Click on an individual's or the team's capacity data for a specific week to access granular details, including weekly capacity, assigned hours, and available hours.
2. Comprehensive Capacity Calculation:
Capacity calculations are based on all estimated hours across all projects in the system.
Time-off inputs are also factored into capacity calculations.
3. Colour-Coded Capacity Data:
Capacity data is colour-coded for quick identification:
Green: 0 to 60% capacity
Yellow: 60 to 80% capacity
Orange: 80 to 100% capacity
Red: Over 100% capacity
What to Expect:
You will have a powerful tool to visualize team capacity and identify under-allocation or overallocation quickly. The colour-coded system makes it easy to spot potential issues.
Adapting to the Changes:
To make the most of these updates, here's what your team needs to do differently:
For resources:
When adding resources, start by assigning them directly to tasks for a more efficient process.
Enter estimated hours at the task level; the system will take care of the rest.
Edit tasks directly from the Resources section for faster task management in the event that you want to quickly update a task assignee’s task details while in the Resources section.
Define project roles easily by clicking on the edit icon next to a participant's name.
For capacity management:
Use the new capacity view to get a holistic understanding of your team's workload.
Pay attention to the color-coded data to identify resource allocation status at a glance.
These updates are designed to enhance your resource allocation and capacity management experience within Cognota. By simplifying processes and providing better visibility, we aim to empower your team to work more efficiently and effectively. If you have any questions or need assistance with these changes, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at support@cognota.com