Resource Estimates Settings

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Resource Estimates

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Resource Estimates
• Core Functionality
• Setting Estimates on a New Project
• Estimate Types
• Configurable Row Titles (Admin Configuration)
• Expand and Collapse Controls
• Editing Role Assignments in Columns
• Weekday-Only Scheduling Option

Resource estimates serve several key purposes, primarily enhancing project planning and management. They provide projected estimates of the time and resources required to complete specific tasks or projects, helping teams allocate personnel and manage workloads effectively. By providing estimates of the hours, effort, or costs associated with various activities, resource estimates enable managers to make informed decisions about project feasibility and resource allocation.

Additionally, these estimates facilitate better budgeting and financial planning by allowing organizations to anticipate costs and align their resources accordingly. They also assist in identifying potential bottlenecks or underutilization of resources, supporting proactive management of team dynamics and project timelines. Ultimately, resource estimates are critical in ensuring that projects are adequately staffed, on schedule, and within budget.

Core Functionality

The core functionality of resource estimates centers around providing users with accurate projections for the time and resources required to complete projects and tasks. 

Setting Estimates on a New Project

When creating a project brief, you can also create resource estimates. This feature allows project managers to enter estimated hours and resources based on specific requirements, enabling a clear understanding of the workload and the personnel needed for successful project execution.

1. From the project brief, navigate to the Estimate tab.
   
   
2. Click Settings.
   
   
3. Select an Estimate Type from the drop-down.

   
   

   Options for the estimate types include Per Row, Per Column, or Per Row (Weekly/Monthly). See below for details.
   
   
4. Enter the Number of Phases in the project brief. The number of phases is configurable. 
   
   
5. Give each phase a unique name (optional).
   
   
6. Click the description icon to add details to each phase.
   
   
7. Enter a description in the box, along with any details that would be helpful to users working on the brief.
   
   
   
8. Click the Import icon to import a resource template (if desired). 
   
   
   This allows you to select and import previously created resourcing templates. This is especially helpful if you have repeatable projects or processes. 
   
   
9. Click the Export icon to download and export the resource estimates to Excel. Note that only the most recently saved version is exported. 
   
   
10. Click the Upload icon to add a previously created Excel template or spreadsheet to the project estimates. 
    
    
11. Revenue Stream captures any third-party costs associated with the estimates. Click the description icon to add details to this field. 
    
    
12. Click the X to close the Settings. 

Estimate Types

There are three types of estimates to select from.

1. Per Row Estimate: This estimate lets users enter resource requirements and time estimates for individual tasks or activities in a brief. It provides a detailed view of each task, enabling precise planning and task-level workload monitoring.
   
   
2. Per Column Estimate: This estimate aggregates resource requirements and time estimates across multiple tasks or projects within a defined category or phase. By viewing estimates on a column basis, managers can quickly assess total resource needs and performance metrics for similar tasks, making it easier to manage resources across broader categories.
   
   
3. Per Row (Weekly/Monthly) Estimate: This estimate breaks down resource requirements and time allocations over specified periods, such as weekly or monthly intervals. By focusing on the temporal aspect, this type helps managers analyze workload distributions and resource availability over time, facilitating better scheduling and ensuring that project timelines align with resource capacity. Choosing this type enables a clock icon. 
   
   
4. Click the icon to open a box. This allows you to select the period (Weekly or Monthly), the Time Frame, and a Start Date. 
   
   
5. Click Save. 
6. You can now enter monthly estimates for the role, which are applied to the resource estimates. 

Configurable Row Titles (Admin Configuration)

Estimate row titles can be configured based on department or category requirements.

Administrators can define which fields appear in the estimate row title, such as:

• Title
• Role
• Start date
• End date
• Additional custom fields

This allows organizations to align estimate structures with their internal processes.

In some workflows, estimate rows may remain unnamed during creation. In these cases, configurable title logic applies only after a value is entered in the Title field.

Expand and Collapse Controls

An Expand All / Collapse All control improves navigation when working with large estimates.

Users can:

• Collapse all estimate sections to simplify the view
• Expand all sections to review full estimate details

The control label may update dynamically based on the current state of the estimate grid.

Reordering Tasks and Roles

Users can now reorder estimate content using drag-and-drop functionality.

This includes:

• Reordering task rows within an estimate
• Reordering role columns when using multi-role-per-task configurations

This allows teams to better organize estimates to reflect delivery order, ownership structure, or internal reporting needs.

Editing Role Assignments in Columns

Users may be able to update role assignments directly within the estimate grid without needing to delete and recreate columns.

For example:

If a task is assigned to the wrong role (such as selecting Designer instead of Design Director), users can edit the role selection rather than rebuilding the estimate structure.

The availability of this capability depends on the final configuration and permissions.

Weekday-Only Scheduling Option

Estimates can optionally be configured to allow weekday-only scheduling in the admin settings area.

When enabled:

• Date selection excludes weekends
• Estimates align more closely with standard working schedules
• Timeline accuracy improves for resource planning