Planning with Generic Resources

Introduction to Generic Resource

Optimize Flexibility with Generic Resources
Generic Resources in TeamBoard TimePlanner add a smart layer of flexibility to your planning process. Whether you're dealing with virtual placeholders or physical assets like equipment, they help ensure your projects run smoothly from start to finish.

Here’s how they streamline your workflow:

• Plan Ahead with Placeholders: Use virtual resources as stand-ins during early planning stages until real team members are assigned.

• Bridge Resource Gaps: Temporarily reassign tasks to virtual resources when team members are unavailable—keeping progress on track.

• Track Asset Usage: Log time booked on physical assets like tools or systems, so nothing slips through the cracks.

It’s all about keeping your plans agile, efficient, and project-ready.

Permissions for valid actions on Generic Resources

Permission Powers: Who Can Do What with Generic Resources
Permissions help keep everything in check by defining what users can and can’t do with Generic Resources. Whether it’s viewing, creating, updating, or reassigning tasks, each permission level ensures the right people have the right access—nothing more, nothing less.

It’s all about giving your team the tools they need, while keeping everything running smoothly and securely..

Table 1: Valid actions for each member role as follows

• Member needs View Schedule in Team Permission to view generic resource tasks planning.

• Member needs Manage Schedule in Team Permission to create, update, un-plan, or reassign generic resource tasks to other members.

3. Task Planning for Generic Resource

Use case 1: Generic resource serves as a placeholder for task

STEP 1 Assigning Task

Generic resources can not be counted in the workload scheme and holiday scheme

On the Schedule Board, click a specific date or drag across multiple dates to open the Planning Dialog. From there, you’ve got two handy options:

a. Schedule an existing issue – just search by issue key or summary.

b. Create a new issue on the fly – then add it straight to your plan.

Planning made simple, flexible, and right at your fingertips!

a. Plan for an existing issue by entering the issue summary or issue key or selecting from issues recently viewed.

b. Create a new issue, then add this issue as a plan to the board.

The task will be scheduled for the date or range of dates you initially selected → Update the assignee to a desired Generic Resource and adjust the hour/day.

For various methods of assigning tasks, please refer to our Planning Task.

STEP 2 Updating Task

Quick Edits, Big Impact
Just click on the Issue Card right from the Schedule Board → Head over to the Plan tab, where you can easily tweak the task details:

• Adjust Hours/day to match the effort required

• Set or update the Start and End Dates

• Turn it into a Recurring Task if it’s something that happens regularly

Fast, flexible, and all in one place!Note: The Billable and Clients options do not apply to Generic Resource planning.

STEP 3 Reassigning Task

• Once your team pinpoints the right person for the task, just click the Reassign icon on the Schedule Board to open the Reassign Modal

Choose the specific assignee you want to transfer the tasks to.

• If you are a Team Leader, you can assign tasks only to members within your team.

• If you are a Jira Admin, App Admin, or Team Admin, you have the flexibility to assign tasks to members of any team.

3. Select one of the following Plan Options:

• All tasks: All tasks will be reassigned to the assignee you selected.

• Tasks within a date period: Only tasks with a time range that falls within the duration you selected can be reassigned.

For example, you are planning 2 tasks for Virtual Resource as below:

Task A : start date is 10th January, 2025 and end date is 15th January, 2025

Task B: start date is 12th January, 2025 and end date is 15th January, 2025

→ If you select a date range from January 12 to 15 and attempt to reassign, Task A's start date falls outside of this period, so Task A cannot be reassigned.

• Tasks after a specific date: Only tasks with a start date on or after the date you selected can be reassigned.
  

3. Click on Assign to finalize the task reassignment.

Use case 2: Generic resources serve as physical assets.

Track Tools, Not Tension
Use Generic Resources to manage bookings for physical assets like hardware, devices, or lab equipment. These don't affect team workload metrics—perfect for keeping tabs on shared gear without overloading your team's capacity.

Generic resources can not be counted in the workload scheme and holiday scheme

STEP 1 Booking time

From the Schedule board, at the Generic Resource row, click on a date or drag-drop to select a range of dates → Open the planning dialog. Within this dialog, you have two options:

a. Plan for an existing issue by entering the issue summary or issue key or selecting from issues recently viewed.

b. Create a new issue.

The system will automatically detect the Generic Resource and the range of dates you initially selected → Click Plan to perform planning action.

For various methods of planning tasks, please refer to our Planning Task.