This chapter provides an overview of resource assignments in PeopleSoft Resource Management and discusses how to:
Assign resources.
Approve assignment schedule changes.
The assignment process pairs a resource with a unit of work. Assignments interact with the other key data components—resource profiles, resource schedules, and service orders—that support the staffing process. When you create an assignment and process it through various states, Resource Management creates a new resource schedule entry or updates an existing entry. When you assign a resource to a project or a resource completes the assignment, Resource Management updates the resource profile with work experience information. When you select a resource to fulfill a resource request on a service order, an assignment is created and can be viewed from the service order to reflect service order fulfillment progress. Once the number of resources assigned equals the quantity of resources requested for an order, the service order is closed.
You can view or update assignments based on your user role from the folder navigation, the Staffing Workbench component, or the My Assignments component.
This section lists prerequisites and discusses:
Assignment processes.
Assignment statuses.
Assignment dates.
Assignment workflow.
See Also
Data Components That Support the Staffing Process
Before creating assignments, you must establish assignment approval and email notification options.
See Also
Specifying Resource Management Business Unit Options
You can use any of these methods to create an assignment in Resource Management:
Create a direct assignment when you already know the appropriate resource to fulfill a requirement and you do not need to track the requirement on a service order.
Use the Express Search feature to find available resources who closely match a specified list of competencies and accomplishments, and create an assignment for the most qualified resource.
Initiate a service order to track one or more resource requests—each with a unique set of qualification requirements—for the same project, and create assignments as part of the service order fulfillment process on the Staffing Workbench.
In PeopleSoft Program Management, select a resource for a project and create an assignment.
Initiate a generic resource request for an upcoming project, and create assignments for the request.
The assignment status controls much of the workflow within Resource Management business processes. It determines whether a service order is fulfilled and whether tasks are created on resource schedules, and it can trigger additional workflow approvals and email notifications.
Actions Triggered by Assignment Statuses
As an assignment moves through various stages and its status is updated, it triggers certain events in other areas of the application. Assignment statuses determine the resource fulfillment progress of resource requests and service orders in Resource Management, and project resource lists in Program Management. Statuses also determine which assignments appear on resource schedules and in the work history section of resource profiles.
This table describes assignment status values and lists the actions that each value triggers:
Assignment Status |
Description |
Triggers These Actions |
Assign |
The resource's assignment is confirmed. To change the status to Assign you can:
Note. If approval workflow is required, the Assign status value changes to Pending Approval until the assignment has completed the approval workflow. In Program Management, choosing Requested and saving the page will trigger assignment approval workflow. |
This status updates the resource schedule, resource profile, and project resource list in PeopleSoft Program Management. If the assignment fulfills the quantity on the resource request, the resource request is closed and other assignments that are attached to this resource request that are not in a status of Assign are canceled. |
Cancel |
The assignment is canceled. To change the status to Cancel you can:
Alternatively, the system can change the status automatically during workflow processing as follows:
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If you cancel an assignment on the Assign Resource page, the Assign Resource - Assignment Status page appears for you to enter an effective date. This status updates the resource schedule, resource profile, resource request, and project. These actions occur if you cancel an assignment from the Resources page in PeopleSoft Program Management:
Canceling an assignment does not remove the resource from the project resource list in PeopleSoft Program Management or the project team in PeopleSoft Project Costing. Note. If no assignments exist in a status of Assigned on a service order and the service order is canceled, all of the resource requests on the service order are automatically canceled and the service order is no longer editable. |
Complete |
The work assignment is complete. To change the status to Complete you can:
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If you complete an assignment on the Assign Resource page, the Assign Resource - Assignment Status page appears for you to enter an effective date. This status updates the resource schedule, resource profile, and project. These actions occur if you complete an assignment from the Resources page in PeopleSoft Program Management:
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Interview |
The resource is interviewing for the assignment. You can change the status to Interview on the Assign Resource page or the Staffing Workbench. |
An assignment in this status appears on the resource request, but does not change the request status. |
Pending Approval |
The assignment was submitted to the resource's manager and is awaiting approval. If a user selects an assignment status of Assign and approval workflow is required, the assignment is automatically placed in a status of Pending Approval until the manager approves or rejects it. In Program Management, on the Resources page, the Resource Status will be Requested if approval workflow is required. |
This status triggers approval workflow, if enabled. Updates the resource schedule and appears on the resource request, but does not change the request status. If the requested quantity on the resource request is one and there is an assignment against it in a Pending Approval status, the system will not allow any more assignments in an Assigned or Pending Approval status. |
Propose |
The resource is proposed for the assignment. You can change the status to Propose on the Assign Resource page or the Staffing Workbench. |
An assignment in this status appears on the resource request, but does not change the request status. |
Reject |
The assignment is rejected. The status is automatically changed to Reject during workflow processing when you reject the assignment on the Assignment Approval page. In Program Management, on the Resources page, the Resource Status will be Rejected if the assignment request was not approved. |
This status updates the resource request and resource schedule. |
Reserve |
The resource is reserved for the assignment. To change the status to Reserve you can:
Note. If a project is in a processing status of Pending, the system does not reserve resources on the Project Resources page. You can choose to consider resources (which will not generate a Resource Management assignment), or actually assign resources by designating them Committed, which does create a Resource Management assignment, with a status of Assign. |
This status updates the resource schedule and appears on the resource request, but does not change the request status. |
This table lists available statuses that you can select for an assignment based on the assignment's current status listed in the left column:
Current Assignment Status |
Available Assignment Statuses |
None (new assignment) |
|
Assigned |
|
Canceled |
None |
Complete |
None |
Interviewing |
|
Pending Approval |
Cancel |
Proposed |
|
Rejected |
|
You can specify different days per week, hours and minutes per day, or start times throughout the duration of a single assignment. You can also enter multiple date ranges on an assignment to specify that the resource is needed on the job in noncontiguous intervals.
New or modified assignment dates trigger changes to the resource's schedule, availability, and profile. You can change assignment dates based on the permissions that are associated with your user role. Based on project business unit options that you select during implementation, a resource’s manager can approve or reject schedule changes that are made to the resource’s assignment. In addition, the resource, resource manager, or project manager can receive an email notification when the resource's schedule changes.
The system validates that assignment schedules fall within the project schedule. You cannot save an assignment in a status of Assign or Reserve if the assignment start or end dates are outside of the project's date range.
If you use PeopleSoft Program Management:
Assignment schedules are reflected on the resource list in Program Management, and the assignment ID appears on the Resource Detail page.
You can click the assignment ID to open assignments and view details.
Resources can have only one assignment on a particular day for the same project. Resources can have multiple assignments for the same project, but the assignment schedule dates cannot overlap.
If you use PeopleSoft Asset Lifecycle Management (ALM), Resource Management provides four API’s to enable ALM to create assignments within Resource Management for labor resources and tools.
Note. PeopleSoft does not support the creation of direct assignments for ALM resources using the Assign Resource Page.
You specify a project business unit's workflow options for assignment approvals or notification messages on the Resource Management Options page during implementation.
You determine:
If a resource manager must approve resource assignments.
Note. You must specify which roles must approve assignments: the pool manager, the project manager, or both. If you specify that
both the pool manager and project manager must approve assignments, you must also specify which role approves the assignments
first. If you are using resource pools, we recommend you make the pool manager the approving manager (the role that approves
the assignments second).
If project manager assignment approval workflow is enabled, a resource cannot be assigned to a project without a project manager
being assigned to that project. You designate the project manager on the Resource Details page in the Project Resources component.
If a resource manager must approve assignment schedule changes.
If a resource, resource manager, or project manager is notified if an assignment schedule changes.
If a resource, resource manager, or project manager is notified if an assignment's status changes.
For this option, you select the assignment statuses that trigger a notification message.
Important! For all resources, if you select Supervisor instead of Pool Manager in the Manager Approval Options group box on the Resource Management Options page, you must enter a manager on the Update Employee Data - Employee Job page before you can use workflow to send assignments for approval or notification to the resource manager.
This section discusses how to:
Create assignments.
Enter customer and project information.
Enter schedule details.
View assignment status history.
Access additional assignment options.
View the job scorecard.
Save assignments.
Approve assignments.
Page Name |
Object Name |
Navigation |
Usage |
You can access the Assign Resource page through multiple navigation paths. This list presents five frequently used paths. The primary path appears first.
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Create, modify, or view assignments. |
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Click the Create Link to Service Order link on the Assign Resource page. |
Associate assignments with existing service orders and resource request line numbers. |
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Click the View Conflicts link on the Assign Resource page. |
View dates on resources' schedules that overlap assignments. |
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Click the View Schedule Chart link on the Assign Resource page. |
View resource schedules in a bar chart format. |
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Enter new assignment statuses and effective dates, and view the assignment status history or change assignment status. |
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You can access the Job Scorecard for <Resource> page through multiple navigation paths. This list presents five frequently used paths.
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View resources' fit scores against the requirements that you specify in a search or on a resource request. |
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View resources' current or past assignments, bids from resources, and recommendations for resources. |
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Click Notify Contracts Administrator on the Assign Resource page. |
Send special billing instructions for this assignment to the contract administrator. |
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Click Save on a new or modified assignment. This page appears if the assignment dates conflict with another assignment or appointment. |
Review assignments or appointments that have dates in conflict with assignments. Accept the conflicts or cancel the save and correct the assignments. |
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Review assignment changes and workflows that are triggered for this action. |
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Approve or reject assignments if approval workflow is activated. |
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Setup Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, Resource Management, Assignment Status, Assignment Status |
Administrators can modify assignment status description values on this page, if required. |
Access the Assign Resource page.
The default values that appear on an assignment are based on the assignment's origin. For example:
If you access the Assign Resource page from the Express Search feature, the resource name and assignment date values appear.
If you create an assignment from the Staffing Workbench fulfillment process, this information populates the assignment from the service order and resource request:
Resource name.
Assignment description.
Project role.
Assignment status.
Responsible for staffing.
Project business unit.
Project.
Customer.
Location.
Contact.
Schedule detail dates.
Link to the resource request.
Link to the named resource on the Resources page in PeopleSoft Program Management if the assignment is for a resource request that is associated with a generic resource placeholder.
If you create an assignment from the Resources page in PeopleSoft Program Management, this information populates the assignment from the project or named resource:
Description.
Resource name.
Project role.
Project business unit.
Project.
Schedule detail dates.
Your ability to edit fields or select certain field values is based on your user role and the assignment origin.
Go to the Customer/Project Information group box on the Assign Resource page.
Go to the Schedule Detail Dates and Schedule Exception Dates group boxes on the Assign Resource page.
If schedule change approval workflow is activated and the assignment is in an Assigned status, the system sends the assignment to the resource manager for approval when the schedule changes.
The system sends a worklist item to the resource if you create modify a date for an assignment in an Assigned status.
Access the Assignment Dates in Conflict page.
When you click View Conflicts on the Assign Resource page, this page appears only if this assignment conflicts with an existing entry on the resource schedule. If no conflicts exist, a message appears stating that there are no conflicts for the selected dates.
Conflict Date |
Click a date on an appointment row to open the resource's monthly schedule in a new browser window and view or modify the resource schedule. |
Assignment ID |
Click an assignment ID on an assignment row to open a new browser window and view details about the conflicting assignment. You can update or delete conflicting tasks based on the permissions that are associated with your user role, or modify the schedule of the current assignment to accommodate the conflicts. |
Conflict Start TimeConflict End Time |
Displays the specific times for the conflict. |
Use this feature to specify breaks in the assignment schedule, such as a scheduled vacation, or a period of time during the project when the resource is not needed on the assignment. Enter the dates, hours, and time that the resource will not work on the assignment. Add comments to explain breaks in the assignment schedule.
You can create assignment exceptions that occur within a date and time range of a schedule detail row. The scheduling logic first lays out all of the details dates, then removes all the exception dates.
Note. Use assignment schedule exceptions only to remove assignment tasks for the specified dates—they do not add tasks of another type to the resource schedule in place of the assignment task entries. For example, if you enter an exception for one week due to a vacation, the assignment task does not appear on the schedule for the specified week, and the vacation task does not appear unless you add it manually to the schedule.
Access the Assign Resource - Assignment Status page.
Assignment Status |
Enter or confirm the assignment status. |
As of Date |
Enter the effective date of the new status. This field is required if you change the status to Cancel or Complete. Upon saving the assignment with a status of Cancel or Complete, the application removes all of the entries from the resource schedule where the date is greater than the value of the date entered, and updates the work experience entry in the resource profile with the date entered. |
Comments |
Enter an explanation for the status change. |
Assignment Status Change History
The Assignment Status Change History group box reflects changes in status by adding a new row of data for each status change on the assignment. This group box lists your complete assignment status history in descending chronological order.
This section discusses links to additional scheduling tools to assist you in managing assignments.
View Resource's Assignments
Access the Assignments for <Resource> page.
Use the Assignments for <Resource> page to view a list of the resource assignments. You can drill down to view current or previous assignment details on the Current filter or History filter. You can view summary information or details of resource requests for which the resource has placed a bid or been recommended in the Bids filter or Recommendations filter.
The number of assignments or resource requests that are included in a filter appears in parentheses next to the filter name.
Current |
Click this link to view a list of the resource's assignments in a status of:
Assignments that appear in this filter are based on the resource's assignment status. A resource does not have to be currently working on the assignment to appear in this filter. A visual indicator is used to show the current assignment for the resource based on the assignment start and end dates. |
Bids |
Click this link to view a list of resource requests for which the resource submitted a bid. A visual indicator is used in this filter if the resource request that placed a bid was assigned to another resource. Bids are removed from this filter once an assignment is created for this resource-and-resource request combination. |
Recommendations |
Click this link to view a list of resource requests for which the resource received a recommendation. A visual indicator is used in this filter if the resource request was assigned to a different resource. Recommendations are removed from this filter once an assignment is created for this resource-and-resource request combination. |
History |
Click this link to view a list of your assignments in a status of:
Assignments that appear in this filter are based on the resource's assignment status. |
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A green diamond indicates that this is a current assignment for the resource based on the assignment start and end dates. A current assignment is defined as an assignment with a start date equal to or before the current system date, and an end date equal to or after the current system date. This visual indicator may appear in the Current filter or History filter. |
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This icon indicates that another resource was selected to fulfill a resource request for which this resource submitted a bid or received a recommendation. This visual indicator appears only in the Bids filter or Recommendations filter. |
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This visual indicator may appear in the Recommendations filter or History filter. On the Recommendations filter this indicates that the resource request is canceled. On the History filter this indicates that the assignment is canceled. |
Detail |
Click in the Current filter or History filter to access the Assign Resource page and review assignment details. You can modify the assignment or change assignment dates based on permissions that are associated with your user role. To return to the Assignments for <Resource> page, click OK to save changes and return, or click Cancel to return without saving changes. Click in the Bids filter or Recommendations filter to access the Job Detail page and review information about the service order and resource request. To return to the Assignments for <Resource> page, click Return to Resource Assignments. Note. The destination of the Detail link changes based on your active filter. |
Notify Contract Administrator
Access the Notify Contract Administrator page.
Use this page to send special billing instructions about this assignment to the contract administrator.
Selected |
Select from the list of contract administrators, which consists of those users who are identified in PeopleSoft Contracts as the managers of support teams on the contract for which this project is associated. |
Billing Instructions |
Enter comments and instructions. |
OK |
Click to return to the assignment. The message is sent when you save the assignment. |
Other Scheduling Options
You can access these other resource scheduling tools from the Assign Resource page:
Select View Score Card to access the Job Scorecard page and view the detailed evaluation of the resource's qualifications, availability, and preferences compared to the selected resource request.
This link is available if the assignment is associated with a service order.
Select View Monthly Schedule to access the resource's Monthly Schedule page.
Select View Schedule Chart to access a graphical view of the resource's schedule. The chart displays the default task categories and colors that are specified during implementation on the Installation Options - Resource Management page.
See Also
Working with Resource Schedules
Setting Up Resource Management Installation Options
Access the Job Scorecard for <Resource> page.
This page is available if the assignment is associated with a service order.
ID |
Displays a concatenation of the business unit, service order ID, and resource request ID. This field does not appear if you access the Job Scorecard page from an express search. |
Request |
Displays information about the resource request if this page is accessed from a service order or the Staffing Workbench. |
Qualifications |
Displays the qualifications score and lists each specified qualification. Indicates if the resource is qualified, partially qualified, or not qualified based on this accomplishment, competency, or flexible qualification factor. |
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In the Qualifications region, a green check mark indicates that the resource meets all of the aspects of the specified competency, accomplishment, or flexible qualification factor. In the Preferences region, this icon indicates that the resource has indicated a desirable preference for this competency. |
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In the Qualifications region, a yellow check mark with a green x indicates that the resource partially meets the specified competency, accomplishment, or flexible qualification factor. In the Preferences region, this icon indicates that the resource has no preference for this competency. |
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In the Qualifications region, a red x indicates that the resource does not meet the specified competency, accomplishment, or flexible qualification factor. In the Preferences region, this icon indicates that this competency is undesirable to the resource. |
Work Experience |
Click this link to access the Work Experience page on the resource profile. |
EResume |
Click this link to access the resource's resume document attachment. |
Preferences |
This group box displays the preferences score and lists each specified qualification. Indicates if the qualification is desirable or undesirable, or if the resource has no preference. It also includes bids and flexible preference factors. |
Availability |
This group box displays schedule conflicts and provides a link to the resource schedule to view schedule details. If there are no schedule conflicts, a message appears indicating that there are no conflicts for the selected dates. |
Return |
Click this button to return to the page where you accessed the Job Scorecard. Note. The Qualifications, Preferences, and Availability scores represent the actual scores of the resource for the request. If you accessed this page from the Staffing Workbench, Pool Manager Workbench, Express Search, or the Job Spy, the scores that appear on these pages may vary from the Job Scorecard scores. The scores displayed on these pages are based on the Search Settings that were used and may vary depending on the relative weights you place in the settings. |
Click Save to save the assignment. If you save an assignment in a status of Reserve or Assign, the system verifies that the assignment schedule falls within the project date range.
If there are schedule conflicts, the Conflicting Dates Found - Assignment Dates Conflict page appears, listing the appointments or assignments that have dates in conflict with this assignment. If you accept the conflicts, the system saves assignment with the resource overbooked. This means that the resource may be scheduled to work more than the standard hours per day, depending on how many hours the resource is scheduled to work on the assignments or appointments that occur on the dates in conflict.
Click OK to save the assignment regardless of the overbooking. Click Cancel to return to the assignment and correct the dates.
If you create an assignment from an express search, you can click Apply or OK on the Assign Resource page to save the assignment. Use Apply if you want to view a confirmation of the assignment after you save it.
Saving Assignments Using Program Management
If you use Program Management, and the assignment schedule dates conflict with an existing assignment for this resource and project, when you save the assignment a message appears indicating that an assignment exists for the resource for the scheduled date range. Click OK to return to the assignment and resolve the schedule date conflict. You cannot save the assignment if assignment dates overlap for this resource and project.
If there are no schedule conflicts when you save the assignment, or if you accept the conflicts, the Assignment Confirmation page appears with a summary of the workflow and changes that the save triggers. Click OK to return to the Assign Resource page.
If you create an assignment from an express search, click Apply to save the assignment and view the Assignment Confirmation page if there are no schedule conflicts, then click OK on the Assignment Confirmation page to return to the Express Search page. Alternatively, click OK on the Assign Resource page to save the assignment if there are no schedule conflicts, and return to the Express Search page.
Access the Assign Resource approval page.
If assignments require the resource manager's approval, an assignment can be placed in a status of Assign only through the approval process or directly by the resource's manager. If you select an assignment status of Assign and approval workflow is activated, the assignment is automatically placed in a status of Pending Approval until the resource manager approves or rejects it.
Note. If two levels of approval are required, then on first approval, the status does not change to Assign, it stays at Pending Approval. Only after the second approval does the status of the assignment change to Assign.
Justification |
Enter remarks that are pertinent to the assignment approval or rejection. The system appends this information to the assignment history. |
Approve |
Click to change the assignment status to Assign. |
Reject |
Click to change the assignment status to Reject. |
During implementation, you specify on the Resource Management Options page whether assignment schedule changes require the resource manager's approval, the project manager's approval, or both, as well as which of those managers must approve first.
This section provides an overview of assignment schedule changes and discusses how to approve assignment schedule changes.
You can modify assignment schedules dates based on the security access of your user role. Resources access the Assign Resource update schedule page from the My Assignments - Assignments page, or by clicking Assign Resource in the Resource Management navigation folder.
If a resource’s assignment status is Assigned, someone other than the resource's manager changes the assignment schedule and assignment schedule change workflow is activated for the project business unit on the assignment, then:
The system changes any new or changed assignment detail to a Pending status.
The assignment status remains Assigned.
The pending dates are reflected on the assignment, the resource's schedule and availability, and in PeopleSoft Program Management, if applicable.
The system sends a worklist entry to the resource’s manager with a link to the Assign Resource approval page.
Approved changes to the schedule update the status from Pending to Confirmed.
Rejected schedule changes revert the assignment, the resource's schedule, availability, and project team back to the prechange assignment schedule.
The prechange schedule appears on the assignment and reverts back to a status of Confirmed.
If a resource’s assignment is in any status other than Assigned and the assignment schedule changes, then:
The assignment schedule status is Confirmed.
The system does not generate worklist entries, and no schedule change approvals are required.
The system publishes schedule changes to PeopleSoft Program Management, if applicable.
If a resource’s assignment is in an Assigned status, the assignment schedule changes, and assignment schedule change workflow is not activated for the project business unit on the assignment, then:
The assignment schedule status is Confirmed.
The system does not generate worklist entries, and no schedule change approvals are required.
The system publishes schedule changes to Program Management, if applicable.
You cannot save an assignment schedule change if it is associated with a project and the new schedule falls outside of the project's early start and late finish dates.
Page Name |
Object Name |
Navigation |
Usage |
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Approve or reject assignment schedule changes if approval workflow is activated. |
Access the Assign Resource approval page.
You approve assignment schedule changes in the same way that you approve new assignments. You can enter a justification and click Approve or Reject.