Lumos & Associates is a consulting firm that offers services in e.g. civil engineering, geotechnical engineering and construction management, inspection and testing across Nevada, California and Idaho. They recently chose Silverbucket for their new resource planning solution. Tim Russell, Engineering Director, who manages a division of approximately 60 employees within the company, shares their story of resource management with Silverbucket’s modern interface.
According to Tim Russell, Lumos Inc. manages various projects with different durations. The company handles projects that can extend up to 6-8 years and involve approximately half a dozen or more team members. Additionally, they manage shorter projects lasting around 3 months with a team of 2 people, as well as everything in between. Lumos & Associates uses Silverbucket´s modern interface exclusively.
Growth prompted a change in tools
"As the company expanded, we handled our allocations using an Excel spreadsheet. This approach worked when we had about 30 people. However, as we aimed to expand, we needed a more shareable platform that would be easier to keep track of and update without relying on one person to maintain the spreadsheet." Tim explains that Lumos & Associates tried a different planning tool first but decided to switch after a year due to its labor-intensive nature. He goes on "Fortunately, we identified Silverbucket as a solution. At first, there was naturally some resistance due to familiarity with the old ways of working, but people quickly started embracing Silverbucket".
"Silverbucket serves our intended purpose by providing a solution for strategic planning. It helps in managing staff not only for current projects but also for incoming ones. Additionally, it assists in allocating resources for clustering projects to ensure optimal staff utilization."
Upgraded resource planning
Lumos & Associates monitors the information they receive from Silverbucket weekly or bi-weekly. Tim describes "With Silverbucket, we can verify if individuals in all groups are fully allocated and consult with managers regarding the possibility of reallocating them to other tasks. It is highly beneficial to have a tool that identifies potential availability among our staff. This tool initiates discussions on how we manage our personnel effectively. It serves as an excellent facilitator for important conversations". Tim adds that currently, 40% of the staff have the capability to update and allocate resources, while 60% have viewing access only.
Reliable support - despite the time difference
The time difference between the US and Nordics has not been an issue at all. Firstly, because Tim finds the help guide in Silverbucket very useful.
"Silverbucket is not highly time-sensitive. If minor issues arise that need resolution, they do not hinder our daily operations, product production, or engineering tasks."
Secondly, Tim explains "If we send a message to Silverbucket support at the end of the day, we anticipate an answer the following morning. So, the time difference does not significantly impact our processes in any way".
Smart planning for the future
Tim Russell is very happy with the effective resource management they have now achieved: "The role of tools in the resourcing process is to help us plan each staff member's time for the next two to three months. By planning ahead, it becomes easier to reallocate staff if necessary and shift them to other projects. This approach ensures that our staff understands what lies ahead and allows them not to have to wonder about their upcoming assignments."
Tim adds that Lumos & Associates also uses Silverbucket for proposals to ensure the appropriate staff are allocated to projects already at that stage. This helps to make sure that the right personnel are available for the project.
Silverbucket values simplicity
"At Lumos & Associates, we prefer simplicity. Previously, we struggled with managing resources efficiently without expending too much time and energy," Tim says. "Silverbucket offered a solution that was both simple and powerful, allowing us to manage everything clearly and accessibly without an excessive effort."
Tim appreciates the intuitive and straightforward design of Silverbucket. No extensive training is required. He says: "The user interface is modern and inviting. The fundamental level for time allocation is easy to understand, which facilitated user adoption with minimal training requirements".
"We are considering the implementation of Silverbucket across other departments. There is a possibility that our construction division may utilize it in the future", Tim Russell states after having used Silverbucket for six months.
