Resource Request Workflow - No option to request for resources

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Hi,

I have successfully setup the both the workflows for Resource request (Header and Line). I have also switched on the parameter to use the workflow. After that i followed following steps:

1. Created a project

2. Created a WBS for the project and then used 'Auto generate team' feature to fulfill the resources.

3. Then navigated to the 'Project team and scheduling' tab on the project record and clicked the 'View resource requests'

4. The screen that appears after that has no option to request for resource and submit the workflow.

Am i missing something? Can anyone please help, if they know about the resource request workflow?

Thanks

Kind Regards

Sarang

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Resource request workflow will not be used in your scenario because you have added planned resource and not staffed resource. In order to explain it further, first we need to explain what are the differences between these two type of resources.

Currently there are two different type of project resource. The first type is staffed resource and the second type is planned resource. A staffed resource is a resource which you can find from the ‘Resources List’ form. These resource are referenced by worker. A planned resource are project team member which are created for planning purposes. These resources are not reference by worker. To create a planned resource, user can either auto generate them from WBS by using the ‘Auto generate team’ feature or from the Projects detail form, user can click on the ‘+Add’ button from the ‘Project team and scheduling’ fast tab. Then on the ‘Add roles to project’ form, pick a role and do not specify ‘Resource’. Then click the ‘Create’ button.

In you case, you have generated the planned resource by ‘Auto generate team’ from WBS. Hence these are planned resources. Hence, you have basically created planned resource request.

As for resource request workflow, it supports staffed resource request only. Reason is because fulfilling a planned resource request is a much simpler process and it does not require to be managed by workflow process.

After user has enabled resource request workflow from ‘Project management and accounting parameters > Scheduling tab page’, resource manager/project manager security role should see the option ‘Show all requests, Planned resource only or Staffed resource only’ options in the Resource fulfilment form. Picking ‘Show all requests’ will show all the resource request while the other options will only show the specific type of resource request. Workflow options will only appear if user has chosen a staffed resource request. However, only user with resource manager security role will have the permission to fulfill planned resource request or approve / reject staffed resource request.

To enter a staffed resource request for WBS task, you can follow the following steps:

Logon on with an AX user with project manager security role.

Create a new project

In the Project details form, update the Project manager field from the General fast tab to become yourself.

Launch WBS for this project

Add a task

Publish this WBS

Launch resource assignment form

In the resource availability grid control, highlight the staffed resource which you want to assign to this WBS task.

Hard assign > Full capacity

Then you should see the following message pop up: “<Resource name> has no hard booking hours in this project to support this assignment operation. Would you like to submit a resource request for your requested hours?”. Click ‘Yes’ and submit.

This staffed resource should now be added to the project team as a team member. However, this resource will not be hard reserved to the project or to the task. It should be tag for request.

Then if you launch ‘Project management and accounting > Project resources > My resource requests

Then the ‘Resource fulfillment form will be launched’. This form is meant for AX user to monitor all the resource request which they have entered. In this case, since you have updated the project ‘Project manager’ field with your ax use associated person, hence the request which you have just entered should show up here.

Then log on with an AX user with resource manager security role and permission to approve resource request workflow.

Launch ‘Project manager and accounting > Project resources > Resource fulfillment’.

Then the ‘Resource fulfillment form will be launched’. Resource manager will be able to view all types of resource requests.

Select the staffed resource request which you have just entered.

Clicks on the ‘Request details’ button from the action plane.

Then you can view the details of data which can help resource manager to decide how to fulfill this resource request.

Scenario 1 – Approve as is:

To approve this request, you can simply highlight the resource in the Staffed resource fast tab of the resource availability view control grid. Then clicks on ‘Workflow > Approve’.

Scenario 2 – Approve it by a different resource:

To fulfill this resource request with a different staffed resource, user can expand ‘Available resources’ fast tab.

Pick a staffed resource in this resource availability view control grid.

And then clicks ‘Workflow > Approve’.

Scenario 3 – Approve it with multiple resources:

You can fulfill this request with multiple resources. It can be done by highlighting the different days from different resource either in the Staffed resource fast tab (the original requested resource) or from the staffed resource which is in the available resources fast tab. As long as you don’t highlight the same day by multiple resources, the workflow button should be enabled.

After workflow is completed, you re-opened WBS and it should then hard reserved to the task.

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Thanks a lot Thomas Chan. I really appreciate this. However just would like to highlight that Resource Scheduling functionality as a whole does not work correctly and is not consistent in outcome.

Kind Regards

Sarang

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Hi Sarang,

Would you provide the scenarios of what Resource scheduling functionality is not working correctly? Also which app version are you using?

Regards,

Thomas

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Hi Thomas,

The functionality is not consistent is what i meant (sometimes it works, sometimes it does not...not sure why). Plus it is unnecessarily complex. Just for example, there is no navigation for 'Resource assignment form' other than from WBS. This is the form where you 'Soft assign' and 'Hard assign' the resources. (and NOT 'Soft Book' and 'Hard Book'). Also workflow can ONLY be submitted from the 'Resource assignment form' for assignment.

Actually these four statues 'Soft assign', 'Hard assign', 'Soft book' and 'Hard book' is creating unnecessary confusion.

Also not sure why system allows to Soft book a resource when it is already hard booked. I can understand hard booking a resource once he/she is already hard booked, as it will be over the capacity and will be highlighted in red. But allowing to soft book a hard book resource does not make sense. This could have been much simpler. Not sure if i am missing the important bits...but this is what i felt after using it.

Kind Regards

Sarang

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Hello Thomas,

Just to add to above, in the 'Resource assignment form' with workflow switched on and active, if i click on 'Hard assign' system is supposed to give the message you mentioned above which is “<Resource name> has no hard booking hours in this project to support this assignment operation. Would you like to submit a resource request for your requested hours?”.

But instead system directly hard assigns the resource. If i then cancel the reservation and then again try to do it, then system displays the above message and creates a resource request. This doesn't seem right. If the workflow is switched on and if the user is trying to hard assign the resource, system should stop the user from doing it.

This is what i meant by not consistent behavior.

Thanks

Kind Regards

Sarang

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Hi Thomas,

Further to add to what i mentioned above, if i directly 'assign' the resource in the WBS, then i was still able to create this discrepancy between the 'Booked' and 'Assigned' hours. Ideally, if the resource is assigned to a task, it should automatically be booked. But this is not happening it seems. Please see the screenshot below. This testing is done in update 12.

Please correct if i am wrong, my assumption is:

Booked hours - Hours for which resource is booked on the project

Assigned hours - Hours for which resource is assigned to a particular task on the project

So ideally Booked hours can be greater than Assigned hours, as there may be a case where the resource is not assigned to a task but just booked to the project. But Assigned hours can never and SHOULD NEVER be greater than Booked hours because when the resource is assigned to the task of a project, he / she is ideally booked for the same project as well. This logic seems to be broken in the product.

Kind Regards
Sarang

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Hi Sarang Kusare,

Some of your concerns are valid. As for the bugs, I believe some of the issues have been fixed. For example, the Hard booking should now be always align with

Hard assignment. Depending on which App version you are in, here are the list of current hotfixes for project resource scheduling:

App7.2 resource scheduling hotfix

• KB 4052956 Improve overall project resource scheduling performance

• KB 4229794 Re-hired resource reservation and resource synchronization roll-up capacity enhancement

o This hotfix also solve issues with ResActivityResourceView cannot be created issue which blocks upgrade if Project Quotation configuration key is disabled.

o This hotfix also improved overall performance in general.

• KB 4338271 After KB4229794 is deployed, resource may not be reserved to the target project upon approving resource request

• KB 4299889 [Hotfix Request] - Removal of 1 soft booking resource on a WBS task line actually removes all resources

App7.3 resource scheduling hotfix

• KB 4131847 Resource availability form is wrong after terminating an employment

• KB 4132575 'View more content' option is missing from resources grid control.

• KB 4136924 Re-hired resource reservation and resource synchronization roll-up capacity enhancement

o This hotfix also solve issues with ResActivityResourceView cannot be created issue which blocks upgrade if Project Quotation configuration key is disabled.

• KB 4295080 Resource reservation analysis - Resource If we would like to run search for all without any Resource range then it hangs/executes forever

Regards,

Thomas

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Thanks a lot Thomas. The above answer and the overall discussion has helped me understand this concept in more depth.

Kind Regards

Sarang

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Hi Thomas,

One last question, if the workflow is switched on and if i have a planned resource, how do i assign an employee to a planned resource. There is no other option to do that in the 'View resource requests'?

Kind Regards

Sarang

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This is the screenshot.

There is no option to select an actual resource for the role selected.

The scenario is, i have two wbs lines. Workflow is switched on. One line is fulfilled by the Staffed resource (where workflow process was followed). The other line has a planned resource.

There is no option to fulfill an actual resource for a planned resource. Is there as way?

Kind Regards

Sarang

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