High-level project resource requests should be created early in the project lifecycle to define:

• The resources required (Generic or Named)
• The level of effort required across time
• The expected demand to support project delivery

This enables enterprise resource management to:

• Monitor demand vs capacity
• Make informed staffing decisions
• Ensure resources are available for approved projects

The Resource Plan provides a time‑phased view of proposed and committed effort, allowing you to track how requested demand evolves into approved and fulfilled allocations.

Tip:
Resource Managers can review Proposed and Committed effort alongside capacity information using the Availability Heatmap before approving or adjusting allocations.

For more details on the Resource Plan and its capabilities, refer to:
Altus Resource Plan documentation

Where This Is Performed

• Project → Resource Plan

Important: Purpose of the Resource Plan

The Resource Plan is used to:

• Capture project demand
• Communicate requirements to resource managers
• Facilitate allocation and fulfilment

It acts as the starting point for:

• Resource Demand
• Capacity planning
• Availability and workload balancing

Adding Resources to the Plan

1. Navigate to the Resource Plan tab within the project
2. Use the Add a Resource search box
3. Select:
4.  
5. • A generic role (e.g. Business Analyst), or
   • A named resource (if known)

Tip:
You can add the same role or resource multiple times if needed, for example to represent different demand segments or time allocations.

Setting the Data Entry Mode

Depending on your organisation’s configuration, select the appropriate mode:

• Hours
• FTE (Full-Time Equivalent)
• Capacity %

This determines how effort is entered across time.

Entering Proposed Effort

• Enter values in the Proposed (P) column for each time period

This represents the resource demand being requested.

The Resource Plan grid displays effort across time (e.g. monthly periods), allowing you to build a time‑phased demand profile for each resource or role.

Important:

• Named resources show availability (based on calendars)
• Generic roles do not have availability

Be mindful not to over-request named resources beyond their available capacity.

Using Comments

You can add comments at the end of each resource row to:

• Provide context for the request
• Indicate priority or constraints
• Guide the resource manager during fulfilment

Important:
Comments are not real-time chat — they act as a record of communication visible to both project and resource managers.

Saving vs Submitting Requests

There is a key distinction in how requests are processed:

• Save
•  
• • Stores the data
  • Keeps status as Draft
  • Does NOT notify resource managers
• Submit and Save
•  
• • Changes status to Submitted
  • Sends a notification task and email to the relevant fulfiller
  • Makes the request visible in Resource Demand

Important:
Resource requests must be submitted (not just saved) to be processed.

Understanding Request Statuses

Each period within the Resource Plan has a status:

• Draft – saved but not submitted
• Submitted – awaiting fulfilment
• Approved – fulfilled as requested
• Set by approver – fulfilled using a different resource

Status Behaviour

• Editing a submitted request changes it back to Draft
• Re-submission is required after changes
• Status is visible when hovering over values

Viewing Committed Allocations

Once resource managers fulfil the request:

• Values appear in the Committed column
• The Resource Plan displays both:
•  
• • Proposed (requested) effort
  • Committed (approved) effort

This allows you to clearly compare:

• What was requested
• What has been approved and allocated

Important:
The Resource Plan is a time‑phased view, meaning each period shows both proposed and committed values.

Tip:
Differences between Proposed and Committed values indicate where:

• Demand has been partially fulfilled
• Resources have been substituted
• Capacity constraints have influenced allocation

Updting the Resource Plan

The Resource Plan is a living document.

You can:

• Adjust proposed hours
• Add or remove resources
• Update allocations over time

Important:
Any changes:

• Reset affected values to Draft
• Require Submit and Save again

How This Connects to Resource Demand

The workflow is:

1. Project Manager defines demand in Resource Plan
2. Requests are submitted
3. Resource Manager fulfils demand (Resource Demand / Heatmap)
4. Committed allocations appear back in the Resource Plan

Review Demand Against Capacity

Before submitting resource requests, review the expected demand against available organisational capacity.

The Resource Plan works together with:

• Resource Demand
• Availability Heatmap
• Resources Insights

to help organisations understand how requested effort compares with available capacity across future planning periods.

When defining resource demand:

• Consider existing project commitments.
• Review known resource availability constraints.
• Consider skills, availability, and organisational priorities.
• Review future workload requirements where information is available.

Tip:
Resource Managers can review Proposed and Committed effort alongside capacity information using the Availability Heatmap before approving or adjusting allocations.

Understand Proposed and Committed Effort

The Resource Plan tracks resource demand using two key measures.

Proposed Effort (P)

Proposed values represent the resource effort being requested by the Project Manager.

These values:

• Define demand.
• Support capacity planning.
• Identify future staffing needs.
• Act as the basis for resource fulfilment.

Committed Effort (C)

Committed values represent effort that has been formally approved and allocated through the Resource Management process.

These values:

• Consume resource capacity.
• Contribute to availability calculations.
• Appear in Availability Heatmaps and reporting.
• Represent approved resource allocations.

Comparing Proposed and Committed values helps identify:

• Unfulfilled demand.
• Capacity constraints.
• Resource substitutions.
• Resource shortfalls.
• Allocation decisions.

Capacity-Aware Resource Planning

The Resource Plan supports time-phased resource planning by allowing proposed effort to be entered and reviewed across future periods.

When planning resource demand:

• Review availability where named resources are known.
• Avoid over-requesting scarce resources.
• Spread effort realistically across planning periods.
• Consider resource capacity, leave, and existing commitments.
• Review future workload peaks before submitting requests.

Where appropriate, use the Availability Heatmap and Resources Insights to understand:

• Resource Capacity
• Proposed Demand
• Committed Demand
• Utilisation Trends
• Future Allocation Requirements

before finalising resource requests.

Using the Resource Plan with Availability Heatmaps

The Resource Plan defines demand.

The Availability Heatmap helps Resource Managers assess whether demand can be fulfilled.

Together these tools support:

• Resource allocation decisions
• Capacity planning
• Workload balancing
• Resource fulfilment
• Future workforce planning

Availability Heatmaps can be filtered to focus on:

• Projects
• Departments
• Resource Groups
• Individual Resources
• Specific Planning Periods

This allows resource demand to be reviewed within the broader context of organisational capacity.

Key Considerations

• Proposed effort represents requested resource demand.
• Committed effort represents approved resource allocations.
• Resource fulfilment decisions should consider both current and future capacity requirements.
• Named resources display availability based on calendars and existing allocations.
• Generic roles do not have availability because no individual resource has been assigned.
• Availability Heatmaps and Resources Insights can be used to support fulfilment decisions.
• Updating previously submitted requests resets affected values to Draft and requires resubmission.
• Resource Plans should be reviewed and updated regularly throughout the project lifecycle.

Tips

• Create resource demand as early as possible in the project lifecycle.
• Use generic roles where specific resources are not yet known.
• Review capacity before requesting highly utilised resources.
• Compare Proposed and Committed values regularly to identify fulfilment issues.
• Use comments to communicate assumptions, priorities, and allocation decisions.
• Review Availability Heatmaps before making significant changes to demand.
• Use Resources Insights to understand utilisation, capacity trends, and future workforce requirements.
• Align resource demand updates with changes to the project schedule and delivery plan.