How Is AI Revolutionizing Resource Planning?

While some consulting firms, IT Services or agencies are already dreaming of a Full automation of the resource planning by AI, this is still difficult to achieve to this day. Indeed, the resource planning still requires human intervention for issues such as contextualization, knowledge of the political issues specific to each company or the need to arbitrate in real time.

However, the resource planning remains a particularly crucial issue for some companies, which sometimes even call on specialized profiles such as resource planning manager or office manager.

However, let's remain optimistic: improvements are to come thanks to the increasingly rapid development of artificial intelligence, which is also affecting the Domain of resource planning.

In this article, we'll look at how AI can help revolutionizing resource planning. Moreover, these predictions are not so far from reality because some features are already available.

Offer A More Accurate And Faster Profile Search

Contrary to some preconceived ideas, the resource planning is not a binary activity that simply consists of matching the skills of employees and their availability.

Indeed, other criteria come into play. Talent sourcing, which makes it possible to select the right profile for the right project, considers both human and contextual criteria.

• The level of availability: is the consultant available partially or for the entire duration of the assignment?
• The potential for development: is the project compatible with the professional ambitions of the selected profile?
• The environment: are the selected personalities able to work harmoniously on the same project? Is the placement of this talent on this mission strategic to the company's overall objectives?

AI will revolutionize the resource planning in several ways. 

Helps save time 

TheOptimization of the resource planning by AI is essentially to save time, especially on the search for profiles.

In a IT Services, the search for a consultant to place on an assignment is strategic. This takes different forms but often starts with a Meeting of resource planning. During these meetings, directors and managers exchange, representing their teams and interests, in order to select the most suitable profiles.

With AI, this could take another form. Indeed, it could be used to search for and propose a profile from a simple prompt, a client brief or even a transcript of meetings. This would allow for a rational choice based on objective data, and also limit the number of meetings.

Bring out unidentified profiles 

Map the ideal profile

Today, it is already possible to identify a relevant profile based on specific skills. In the near future, we imagine that aresource planning enriched with AI will not only make it possible to draw up a list of the skills sought, but will also be able to establish a more advanced mapping of the ideal profile.

Identify subtle matches

Thus, AI will have to be able to read between the lines to detect subtle matches and bring out profiles that we would not have thought of initially. Manual search with field-by-field filling will gradually give way to the use of prompts.

For example, looking for a profile who masters SEO can lead to the promotion of a talent who is an expert in content marketing or copywriting. Although the match is not exact, these are related, complementary skills, and perhaps an interesting profile to consider.

Refine search criteria

Finally, the possibility of further research will lead to more complete and comprehensive proposals. It is assumed that it will be technologically possible to carry out a search by cross-referencing criteria such as: 

• specialization in a sector, 
• knowledge of a geographical market,
• mastery of specific soft skills,
• a course in a specific school. 

Cross-referencing data 

At the moment, profile search tools such as Stafiz's Smart Matching already allow a selection of profiles by analyzing:

• skills,
• availability, 
• the aspirations of employees,
• their interests. 

With the A, we imagine an even more precise cross-referencing of data by including, for example, the similarity of skills or the visualization of the organization's overall availability in order to offer a faster, more relevant matching.

Gathering All The Keys To Maximize Profitability

Maximized agility and flexibility

Compared to traditional methods, AI-enriched tools make it possible to gain in relevance in the search for profiles. They then offer a faster response to allow IT Services and consulting firms to win the placement, demonstrating greater agility and flexibility.

Optimized billable utilization rate

One AI tool used for the resource planning can be used tooptimize utilization rate as the billable utilization rate. This measures the rate of activity spent on billable activities and is therefore strategic for any consulting company, whose objective is to limit non-billable hours.

AI will be able to offer different functionalities to maximize the activity rate.

• Scenario calculation: AI will be able to calculate and analyze hundreds of scenarios to present all possible alternatives. AI will help facilitate the planning of the resource planning.
• Calculation of options based on objectives: by relying on databases such as profiles, availability, skills or even the history of collaborations (type of missions carried out, what worked well, etc.) and based on defined objectives, the AI will be able to determine the most relevant options to move towards.
• Load realignment: Based on resource movements, AI will be able to calculate new load adjustment options to maintain goals.
• Improving the utilization rate : thanks to quick access to data and computing speed, AI will help maximize activity and limit inter-contract periods.

AI-enriched features already offered

In addition, the Stafiz all-in-one solution already offers some features for improve the resource planning, such as the Scenario Builder.

This makes it possible to recalculate the scenarios, with the algorithms imagining thousands of possible scenarios to present the best options. 

Combined project management tool and AI

In the near future, the project management tool will integrate AI and save precious time. Like what:

• it will facilitate the replacement of a consultant at a client's site in the event of departure in order to limit latency time, 
• will help to offer cross-resource planning,
• will participate in the generation of resource planning. 

Thus, AI will increasingly move towards a automation of the resource planning.

Reconciling Talent Engagement With Performance

Limiting turnover

In using AI for resource planning, you will be able to foster a win-win situation for talent while ensuring the performance of the company. However, high turnover remains a major challenge for consulting firms , which therefore have every interest in maximizing employee engagement.

Enrich employee profiles

Today, the errors resource planning are numerous. However, AI can help address this by providing a more accurate profile of consultants. For each project, indicating all the skills that have been deployed, both from a technical and personal point of view, will enrich the consultant's digital profile. By adding to this their interests, preferred sectors or shortcomings, placing them on suitable missions will become more accessible and can help maximize their commitment.

Stafiz allows your employees to notify the projects they want to work on with a simple like. 

Stafiz already makes it possible to obtain information on employees' preferences and to report information: these preferences then become data that can be exploited.

Collecting, structuring and exploiting data

AI offers ways to get to know the employee more and to record this data in a computerized way. In this way, it collects, structures and uses the data available. They will also be able to use less accessible information, such as from an oral conversion or a meeting thanks to features such as transcription and automatic summarization.

Identify training and recruitment needs

AI will also provide more visibility into skills in tension, thus identifying training and recruitment needs. Finally, AI in the resource planning can be used as a way to select the most relevant profiles in terms of profitability, but also as a tool for engaging with teams.

If the resource planning is above all a human story, new technologies such as AI allow us to go further, offering more precision and responsiveness.

In the near future, AI and the human mind will join forces to not only limit errors but also to anticipate future needs.

The resource planning is the core business of consulting firms : their responsibility is to reconcile the needs of clients, the interests of the company but also the availability and aspirations of the employee. AI is in the process of development and offers interesting prospects in terms of functionality. 

That said, the train is already moving: Stafiz is already integrating AI into its scenario builder and its profile search tool, smart matching. 

See Stafiz in action