Creating a Resource Allocation Record

You can create resource allocations to allocate resources to projects for a specific number of hours over a defined period of time.

To enter a resource allocation:

Go to Activities > Scheduling > Resource Allocations > New.
Select a resource for this allocation.

You can select a specific resource or a generic resource. For more information see, Generic Resources.
Select the project to which you want to allocate this resource.
If you are using allocations to assign tasks for this project, select the project task you want this resource allocated to.

Important:
For each project, it is recommended that you choose to either allocate resources directly to project tasks or allocate resources to the project and then assign to project tasks. Using both resource allocations to project tasks and task assignments can create inconsistencies in your project data. For more information, see Assigning Resources with Allocations.
Enter or select the start date and end dates for this allocation.

If you also use Time-Off Management and the selected resource has approved time off scheduled during this time period, you will receive a warning alerting you to this conflict. You can view the Time-Off subtab to see any approved time off for the selected employee.
In the Allocate field, enter the number of hours this resource is allocated to this project.

You can also select Percent of Time in the dropdown, and then enter the percent of time this resource is allocated to this project.

Note:
When allocating a resource by percentage of time, NetSuite uses the resource work calendar and designated work hours to determine the number of hours per day in the time period the resource is allocated to the project. For example, a resource that typically works 8 hours a day for a 5 day work week is allocated 50% for two weeks would work on the project 4 hours per day for a total of 40 hours.
In the Allocation Type field, select the type of allocation.
- Hard – This allocation request is not flexible; the resource is committed to the dates and hours required on this request.
- Soft – This allocation request is flexible; adjustments can be made to the date and hours if needed to accommodate other priorities.
  
  Note:
  The allocation type pertains to project scheduling and staffing methodology and not an indication of the allocation record being unavailable for editing. Records with a hard allocation type can be edited. It is a recommended best practice to use the allocation types as suggested above when creating resource allocations in NetSuite. Allocation types also have no effect on the availability of a resource to be assigned to any specific project task. Allocation types are intended as another tool for resource utilization and planning.
If you want to set a recurrence schedule, click the Recurrence subtab.
1. Select how often this allocation should occur:
  - Daily – Enter the interval between days if this allocation is every day or every few days, or select every weekday if this allocation is every day except Saturdays and Sundays.
    
    Enter 1 as the interval if this allocation is every day, for example, or enter 2 if the allocation is every other day.
  - Weekly – Enter the interval between weeks, and select the day of the week this allocation repeats on.
  - Monthly – If this allocation occurs on the same day of every month or every few months, enter the date the allocation repeats, and select the interval between months.
    
    If this allocation occurs on the same day of the week every month or every few months, select the week, the day of the week, and enter the interval between months.
  - Yearly – If this allocation occurs one time a year, select the month and day of the allocation, or select the week, day and month.
2. In the End By field, set the date this allocation stops recurring.
3. If the allocation continues indefinitely, check the No End Date box.
When you have finished, click Save.

After you have entered a resource allocation for a project, the resource is listed on the Resource Allocations subtab of the project record. The resource is now available to be assigned to project tasks and the allocated time appears on the Time Tracking subtab of the project record.

Creating a resource allocation for a project task removes the additional step of assigning the resource to the project task. The resource appears on the Resources subtab of the project task record and is available to track time against the project task. For more information, see Assigning Resources with Allocations.

Note:

Creating a resource allocation from a project while in view mode requires the project record to be refreshed before the new allocation is available to assign to a project task.

Allocated resources can also be allowed to enter time against project tasks even if they are not individually assigned to the tasks. You can set this preference on individual project records by checking the Allow Allocated Resources to Enter Time to All Tasks box on the Preferences subtab. When this preference is enabled, time tracked by allocated resources is added to the total estimated work for project tasks.

Resource Allocations and Work Calendars

When creating a resource allocation, NetSuite looks for working days within the range of the selected start date and end date. The allocated time is spread evenly over the available working days. If no working days are found in the selected range, the time is allocated evenly across the non-working days within the range. If a single working day is found within the selected range, all time will be allocated to that single day regardless of the amount of time requested.

Displaying Resource Allocations in the Calendar Portlet

Employees marked as project resources that have been allocated to a project can choose to show their resource allocations in the calendar portlet on their dashboards. To enable the preference, in the top right corner of the Calendar portlet, hover over the dropdown icon and click Setup. Check the Show Resource Allocations box and click Save.

Note:

The preference is not available for employees not designated project resources or with no current allocations.

Resource allocations now appear as the project name at the top of each allocated day in the calendar portlet. Clicking the project name opens the corresponding resource allocation record.

Resource Allocations and Time-Off Management

When using resource allocations with time-off management, project managers can get a real-time overview of any conflicts between allocated resources and approved time-off.

When you allocate an employee as a resource on a project record, the Time-Off subtab in the Resource Allocation record displays a list of the approved time-off for the selected employee. Any conflicts are detailed in a warning message. You can choose to either make any necessary changes or save the record with the conflicts. Conflicts are also reflected on the Time-Off Conflicts subtab on the project record.

If employees’ time-off requests are approved after they are allocated as a resource, and the approved time-off conflicts with the scheduled time period for the project, the project or resource manager receive an email notification. The notification provides details about conflicts between approved time-off and resource allocations, and provides a link to a saved search.

To set up resource allocations and time-off management:

Enable the Project Management, Resource Allocations, and Time-Off Management features. For more information, see Enabling Features.
Set up the Time-Off Management feature, including assigning time-off plans to employees. For more information, see Time-Off Management Setup. If you also use SuitePeople U.S. Payroll, see Time-Off Management Integration With SuitePeople U.S. Payroll.
Assign a work calendar to employees. For more information, see Setting Up a Work Calendar.
Identify employees as project resources. For more information, see Identifying an Employee as a Project Resource.
Set up email notifications for time-off conflicts:
1. Go to Setup > Accounting > Job Resource Role.
2. Beside Project Manager, click Edit.
3. Check the Send E-mail Notifications if Resource Allocations and Planned Time Off Conflict box.
4. Click Save.
Create a project. For more information, see Creating a Project Record.
Create a resource allocation. For more information, see Creating a Resource Allocation Record.