Managing Resources Effectively is Vital for Business Success
Effective resource management is a more critical role in a modern business than it has ever been. Have you got what it takes to succeed?
Every business depends on its resources in order to deliver products and services on time and to the agreed quality levels. Sometimes these are physical resources, such as raw materials, and sometimes they are intangibles, like skills and knowledge.
Almost always, delivering a product or service will also demand a certain amount of human resources, whether it is a qualified builder providing expert services or a checkout assistant processing a transaction.
All these resources also cost a business money. Staff demand salaries, raw materials are expensive and some have a limited shelf life. This is where the role of the resource manager comes in.
The role of the resource manager
Today, there is a need for businesses to have the resources that they need for every transaction or project, but without wasting money on over-capacity. For example, your local pub will aim to have enough staff behind the bar so that customers do not have to wait more than a minute or two, but not so many that they are paying people to stand around looking bored. They will also want enough barrels of beer to keep the customers happy, but will have to bear in mind that once tapped, the barrel needs to be used in a few days.
This is resource management in action. In the above simple example, the landlord will manage resources using a blend of experience, and trial and error, but in a more complex environment, a professional resource manager will have the latest resource management tools to help him or her to perfectly optimise resources.
Does this sound like the sort of role for you? Let’s take a closer look at exactly what a resource manager does.
What does a resource manager do?
There are parallels between resource management and project management, in as much as both are focussed on the same objective, which is to get the people and things in place to get a specific job done to defined parameters in terms of quality, timing and cost.
But while the Project Manager sits at the centre of a project, coordinating the diverse strands, the Resource Manager makes sure the resources he needs are available when they are needed and where they are needed. He or she is also constantly assessing future needs and trends to keep ahead of the game and ensure resources are optimal for medium and long term business needs.
Qualifications
A degree in a business related discipline will put you in good stead, but is not a prerequisite for a career in resource management. As long as you have some solid GCSEs in subjects that include English and mathematics, the career is open to you, provided you are willing to learn and develop.
What’s more important than the academic qualifications is your ability to see the big picture of how the different aspects of a business come together, and planning skills that are second to none.
You will also need to be an exceptional communicator, with the ability to think on your feet and keep your head when all around are losing theirs.