How project managers can allocate resources to projects directly in Polaris

Some smaller organizations don’t have a dedicated resource manager. In these companies, project managers (PMs) may be allowed to pick their own resources for projects directly.
To allow this in Polaris, you must assign these managers PM <a href="https://www.replicon.com/help/setting-up-permissions/">permissions</a> AND resource manager (RM) permissions, so they can both access projects and allocate resources.
With both permission sets assigned, a manager can:
<ul>
<li> <a href="#allocating-resources-from-the-resource-plan-tab">Allocate resources directly from the Resource Plan tab</a></li>
<li><a href="#adding-editing-or-removing-allocations-in-resource-plans">Add, edit, or delete resource plans</a></li>
<li><a href="#viewing-actual-hours-worked-on-the-resource-plan-tab">Compare actual hours worked to allocated hours, for each task</a></li>
<li><a href="#viewing-total-requested-and-allocated-hours-costs">Viewing total requested and allocated hours/costs</a></li>
</ul>
<h2><a id="allocating-resources-from-the-resource-plan-tab"></a>Allocating resources from the Resource Plan tab</h2>
 There are two ways PMs with RM permissions can allocate resources via the Resource Plan tab:
<ul>
<li><a href="#using-a-shortcut-to-the-resource-allocation-page">Using a shortcut to the resource allocation page</a></li>
<li><a href="#directly-choosing-a-resource-to-allocate">Directly choosing a resource to allocate</a></li>
</ul>
<h3><a id="using-a-shortcut-to-the-resource-allocation-page"></a>Using a shortcut to the resource allocation page</h3>
Managers can access request fulfilment features like <a href="https://www.replicon.com/help/fulfilling-resource-requests-in-polaris/">SmartMatch </a>without having to submit a resource request, or navigate back and forth between the projects and resource allocation sections of the app.
To add an allocation from the Resource Plan tab:
<ol>
<li>Go to Resourcing > Resource Plan.</li>
<li>Click the Request Resources link:</li>
</ol>
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Clicking-Request-Resources.png" alt="" width="381" height="104" class="alignnone wp-image-126884 size-full" />
<div class="helpcenter-list-description">
Or, click the Resource Request button:
</div>
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Resource-Request-button.png" alt="" width="196" height="79" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-126885" />
<div class="helpcenter-list-description">
A request panel displays.
</div>
<ol start="3">
<li>Enter any requirements you have, such as the role and date range.</li>
<li>Click Allocate Resource.</li>
</ol>
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Allocate-Resource-button.png" alt="" width="272" height="92" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-126227" />
You'll be taken to the request matching page where you can <a href="https://www.replicon.com/help/fulfilling-resource-requests-in-polaris/">fulfill the request</a> yourself.
<h3><a id="directly-choosing-a-resource-to-allocate"></a>Directly choosing a resource to allocate</h3>
If managers don't need advanced features like SmartMatch, or if they already know exactly who they want to allocate, they can skip visiting the resource allocation page altogether, and directly choose a resource.
To do this:
<ol>
<li>Go to Resourcing > Resource Plan.</li>
<li>Click the Allocate Resource link.</li>
</ol>
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/The-new-Allocate-Resource-link-in-the-Resource-Plan-300x98.png" alt="" width="300" height="98" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-126880" />
<div class="helpcenter-list-description">
A new row will display at the bottom of the list of allocated resources.
</div>
<ol start="3">
<li>In the dialog that displays, choose the resource you want to allocate, and the allocation start and end dates.</li>
</ol>
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Allocating-a-resource-directly-to-a-project.png" alt="" width="419" height="338" class="alignnone wp-image-158821 size-full" />
<div class="helpcenter-list-description">
You can use the availability percentages given for each resource to guide your selection. You can also type a resource's name in the field to search for users who don't appear in the short default list.
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Selecting-a-resource.png" alt="" width="325" height="420" class="alignnone wp-image-158822 size-full" />
You can also choose a role, and adjust the % loading for the allocation, if necessary. The total allocated hours will automatically update, though you can manually adjust that value, too.
</div>
<div class="helpcenter-i-note-box">
Hiding availability data to improve load performance
You can hide availability data if you don't use it by clicking the Availability <img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Availability-display-icon.png" alt="" width="22" height="17" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165675" /> icon at the top of this dialog; hiding this data should speed up load performance, since each resource's availability doesn't need to be calculated.
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Clicking-the-availability-icon.png" alt="" width="385" height="139" class="alignnone wp-image-165676 size-full" />
Admins can also set this availability data to never show by disabling Availability in your project manager permission set.
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Availability-permission-300x134.png" alt="" width="300" height="134" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-165677" />
</div>
<ol start="4">
<li>Click Allocate.</li>
</ol>
<div class="helpcenter-note-box">
If the resource you select has availability conflicts with the proposed allocation, a dialog showing SmartFit options will display. Refer to <a href="https://www.replicon.com/help/handling-availability-limitations-when-allocating-resources-to-a-project-in-polaris/">Handling availability limitations when allocating resources to a project in Polaris</a> for more information about these options.
</div>
<h2><a id="adding-editing-or-removing-allocations-in-resource-plans"></a>Adding, editing, or removing allocations in resource plans</h2>
PMs who also have RM permissions can add, edit, and remove allocations via a project’s Resource Plan tab. Refer to the table below for information.
<div class="helpcenter-note-box">
View <a href="https://www.replicon.com/help/requesting-project-resources-in-polaris/">Requesting project resources in Polaris</a> for information on other features of the Resource Plan tab.
</div>
<table class="helpcenter-structured-table" style="width: 500px;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="173">
Editing an allocation
</td>
<td width="451">
You can edit the amount for any allocation that already exists, of any status, on the Resource Plan page.
To do this, click an allocation, and update the hr/% value.
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Editing-an-allocation-on-Resource-Plan-page.png" alt="" width="204" height="116" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-126222" />
You can see how the resource’s availability is impacted by your change directly below the edited field.
You can also extend or shorten an allocation’s date range by clicking and dragging the <img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Extend-allocation-icon.png" alt="" width="12" height="18" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-126223" /> located at either end.
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Extending-an-allocation.png" alt="" width="201" height="73" class="alignnone wp-image-126224 size-full" />
Hours will automatically populate the new range, based on the resource’s availability.
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="173">
Adding an allocation
</td>
<td width="451">
You can add an allocation for any resource who already appears in your resource plan.
If you need to add an allocation for a different resource, you’ll need to <a href="##allocating-resources-from-the-resource-plan-tab">click + Request Resource, and allocate that resource</a>.
You can’t add allocations outside a task’s date range; The white background shows the date range.
To add an allocation:
<ol>
<li>Find the resource you want to allocate.</li>
<li>Click the white cell for the desired time period.</li>
<li>Enter the hours or the percentage of available time to allocate to the resource.</li>
</ol>
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Editing-an-allocation-on-Resource-Plan-page.png" alt="" width="204" height="116" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-126222" />
<div class="helpcenter-note-box">
If the resource you select has availability conflicts with the proposed allocation, a dialog showing SmartFit options will display. Refer to <a href="https://www.replicon.com/help/handling-availability-limitations-when-allocating-resources-to-a-project-in-polaris/">Handling availability limitations when allocating resources to a project</a> for more information about these options.
</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="173">
Removing an allocation
</td>
<td width="451">
To remove all of a resource’s allocations for a row, click the <img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2020/10/dot-dot-dot-icon.png" alt="" width="6" height="18" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-126179" /> icon, select Release Resources, and confirm the release.
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Clicking-Release-Resources-on-the-Resource-Plan-page.png" alt="" width="187" height="103" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-126225" />
To remove individual allocations, click the allocation and set the value to 0. The allocation bar may still display, but won’t contribute to the total.
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Zeroing-out-an-allocation.png" alt="" width="208" height="71" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-126226" />
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2><a id="viewing-actual-hours-worked-on-the-resource-plan-tab"></a>Viewing actual hours worked on the Resource Plan tab</h2>
You can compare actuals and allocations to estimate whether the project will be completed on time or cost more than planned.
To display actual hours recorded in timesheets (or via SmartBeats):
<ol>
<li>Go to Resourcing > Resource Plan.</li>
<li>Turn on the Actuals toggle.</li>
</ol>
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Actuals-toggle.png" alt="" width="292" height="126" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-131749" />
The actual hours will display on a black entry, beneath the corresponding allocation.
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Actuals-entry-on-the-Resource-Plan-page.png" alt="" width="440" height="110" class="alignnone wp-image-131762 size-full" />
<div class="helpcenter-note-box">
The <img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Yellow-down-arrow.png" alt="" width="14" height="16" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-131758" /> arrow indicates the resource has worked less than their allocated hours, while the <img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Red-up-arrow.png" alt="" width="14" height="16" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-131825" /> arrow indicates they've worked more than their allocated hours.
</div>
To see the actual and allocated hours for that period, and the difference between the two, click the actuals entry.
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Actuals-vs-Allocated-details.png" alt="" width="274" height="201" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-131751" />
<div class="helpcenter-note-box">
You can keep the actual hours toggle off to reduce clutter on the page.
</div>
<div class="helpcenter-note-box">
Previously, actuals displayed only if hours were entered against a task, by a resource allocated to that project with a role that matched the designated task role.
But now, actuals display for any time entered against a project.
</div>
<h2><a id="viewing-total-requested-and-allocated-hours-costs"></a>Viewing total requested and allocated hours/costs</h2>
On the right side of the Resource Plan page, the total for the Requested and Allocated hours/costs along with the Grand Total for the project display.
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Requested-Allocated-and-Grand-totals-on-the-Resource-Plan-page.png" alt="" width="722" height="365" class="alignnone wp-image-165673 size-full" />
If you click the total, a pop-up will display, showing the total Allocated hours/costs vs the total for the Requested hours/costs that are still awaiting fulfillment.
<img src="/wp-assets/uploads/2022/01/Total-Requested-and-Total-Allocated-shown-side-by-side-in-pop-up.png" alt="" width="313" height="138" class="alignnone wp-image-165674 size-full" />
This breakdown helps project managers know where their budget stands. They can use this knowledge to adjust resources (by cancelling or adding requests), or to request a change to their budget allotment.

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How project managers can allocate resources to projects directly in Polaris

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