Auto-Staffing Overview

Auto-staffing enables you to automatically match and assign resources to resource requests. This feature is based on Intelligent Staffing. For more information, see Intelligent Staffing for a Resource Request.

By default, the auto-staffing process uses the Calculate End Date, Level Schedule scheduling strategy unless the following conditions apply:

  • A preferred schedule is defined on the resource request.
  • An administrator has enabled preferred schedule retention when you assign resource requests.

For more information about scheduling strategies, see Scheduling Strategies Overview.

You can enable auto-staffing for resource requests when you perform the following actions:

  • Create a resource request using the Create Resource Requests action on projects. For more information, see Creating Resource Requests for Projects and Opportunities.
  • Create a resource request from a project task using the Create Resource Requests from Project Tasks action on projects. For more information, see Creating Resource Requests from Project Tasks.
  • Add resource requests from a template using the Add Resource Requests from Template action on projects or opportunities. For more information, see Adding Resource Requests from a Template.
  • Update an existing resource request by selecting the Auto-Assign checkbox on the resource request record. Additionally, you can add the Auto-Assign checkbox to your custom list views on the Resource Requests page to enable auto-staffing for multiple resource requests in bulk.

Contact your administrator to display the Auto-Assign checkbox when performing these actions.

The Resource Requests page also includes the following list views that enable you to view the details of multiple resource requests, according to the outcome of the auto-staffing process:

  • Auto-Staffing: Completed. Displays resource requests where a resource has been matched and assigned.
  • Auto-Staffing: Error. Displays resource requests where an error was encountered during the process.
  • Auto-Staffing: No Matched Resources. Displays resource requests where no suitable resources were found.

Considerations

You cannot enable auto-staffing in the following scenarios:

  • The resource request is not associated with a project.
  • The resource request is already held or assigned.

If a resource is assigned to a resource request while auto-staffing is in progress, the auto-staffing process will result in an error. For more information, see How Resources are Matched and Assigned in Auto-Staffing.