Introduction

Welcome to the guide for the Inactive Project Load Analysis feature in Epicflow. This powerful feature allows users to delve deep into the intricacies of future project loads by incorporating the effects of inactive projects. With this tool, you can accurately gauge how initiating these dormant projects will impact the resource load in various resource groups or even individual resources. This capability not only enhances your decision-making processes but also allows you to define feasible due dates for new projects. In Epicflow, we understand that adding one project too many can overload your resources and endanger other projects in your pipeline. This feature works excellently in combination with Epicflow’s bottleneck analysis, load analysis and what-if simulation features, offering a comprehensive view of potential future workloads.

Benefits to Users

Utilizing the Inactive Project Load Analysis feature provides the following advantages:

• Strategic Planning: Gain critical insights into how future projects will affect your current workload, enabling proactive planning.
• Resource Management: Tailor the resource allocation based on realistic load projections for better utilization.
• Risk Mitigation: Identify resource constraints ahead of time, allowing for timely adjustments to project timelines, task reassignment, or additional resource allocation.

The feature also allows you to quote feasible due dates and prevent the overload of resources, further enhancing your project management capabilities.

Overview

For a hands-on look at how the Inactive Project Load Analysis feature works, we encourage you to watch the video tutorial embedded below.

How to use

Inactive Project analysis

Screen #1 – Inactive Project analysis

Accessing inactive project analysis is similar to accessing the load analysis: 

1. Navigate to inactive Analysis: Navigate to the Future Load graph via the Pipeline or Task List’s Group tab.
2. Select Resource Group:  Pick a resource group of interest. Optionally, you can use the bottleneck analysis to identify the most overloaded groups.
3. Activate Inactive Analysis: Click on the resource group’s load graph to open the Analysis window and click on “Inactive analysis”. The dotted line displays the impact of the filtered inactive projects on the total resource load.
4. Define the Timeframe: Use the handle bars or date picker to select your timeframe of interest. 
5. Interpreting data: The pop-up window will display the average load, capacity, and difference—all in terms of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE). A value in red indicates overload. This value is shown for the active projects and for the active & filtered inactive projects. 

Switching Groups

Showing the impact of the inactive projects on different groups or resources works the same as described at the load analysis

• How to Switch: To analyze a different resource group, simply click on the dot next to the checkbox corresponding to the group you’re interested in. This dot is located in the ‘Group Selector’ section within the Future Load graph.
• Preserving Timeframe: Upon switching, the timeframe you have selected will be preserved, ensuring continuity in your analysis.

Getting more out of  inactive analysis 

Filtering Inactive projects

The Inactive Project Load Analysis takes into account both active projects and filtered inactive projects in calculating resource load. Customizing these filters amplifies the utility of this feature.

Use case:

In this example, we add tags to the project card to indicate the likelihood of an inactive project becoming active. For instance, you can manually set a likelihood percentage, say 90%, to indicate the project’s chance of maturing. Alternatively, you could employ attributes instead of tags for this purpose.

In some cases, you may have an external mechanism to calculate this likelihood percentage, which can then be imported into Epicflow (e.g., from MS-Projects).

Screen #2 – Project Card

We set up a specific filter in this example, focusing on projects tagged as “Confirmed” or “90%”. This customized filter is saved under the name “90% sales”. Utilizing such saved filters allows you to swiftly evaluate various scenarios. Consequently, the Inactive Project Load Analysis will display the implications of your chosen scenario.

Screen #3 – Set Up a Specific Filter

Bottleneck analysis 

Merging bottleneck analysis with Inactive Project Load Analysis offers a compelling method for swiftly evaluating the viability of incorporating new projects.

The core principle is that if your primary constraint, the most limited resource group, has the bandwidth to handle new projects, it’s probable that other resource groups will too. Therefore, initially examine how the new projects could align with your most bottlenecked resource groups. Subsequently, you can apply Bottleneck Analysis to assess compatibility with additional resource groups.

What-if Scenarios and Inactive Project Analysis

When integrating inactive projects leads to resource overloads, there are multiple strategies for resolving the issue.

Possible Management Actions:

• Modify the start, finish, and milestone dates for new projects.
• Adjust the start, finish, and milestone dates for existing projects.
• Introduce temporary new resources.
• Train current resources to acquire additional skills. In Epicflow’s resource management page, you can assign a resource to various groups.
• Alter the scope or network of the project. You can employ the workload analysis feature to pinpoint which projects or tasks are causing the overload.

Using What-if Mode for Analysis:

In ‘What-if’ mode, you can experiment with these different actions to see their impact on resource allocation. A suggested workflow is as follows:

1. Identify Projects: Use the Inactive Project Analysis to determine which projects should be added to your portfolio.
2. Activate What-if Mode: Enter the What-if mode.
3. Initial Assessment: Run Prediction Planning Type and evaluate (and save) the current state of the portfolio using the project performance dashboard.
4. Integrate Inactive Projects: Add the selected inactive projects to the pipeline, and re-run the previous step to assess the impact on the portfolio.
5. Implement Changes: Apply the management actions listed above to mitigate the resource overload.
6. Re-evaluate Impact: Review the portfolio performance by revisiting step 3.
7. Save Scenario: Once satisfied, save the What-if scenario. (Note: This is a beta feature; please confirm its availability with Epicflow support).
8. Management Review: Present the various scenarios to your management team and implement the preferred option in the live environment. (Note: This is a beta feature; please consult with Epicflow support to ensure it can be activated).

By adopting this structured approach, you can proactively manage resource constraints and make more informed decisions.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The Inactive Project Load Analysis feature in Epicflow offers a comprehensive suite of capabilities for effective project management. By synergizing this feature with bottleneck analysis and what-if scenarios, you can assess the real-time and future impact of your active and inactive projects. It paves the way for precise, proactive planning, allowing you to handle multiple projects without overwhelming your resources.

It elevates the concept of resource management by providing a nuanced understanding of how each additional project will affect your workload, helping you allocate resources more efficiently. Moreover, this tool is invaluable for risk mitigation as it gives you a heads-up about potential resource constraints, offering you enough time to make critical adjustments.

In summary, the Inactive Project Load Analysis feature arms you with actionable insights that guide you in effectively planning and managing your project portfolio. With its robust capabilities, you can save bot