Carl von Clausewitz was a Prussian Military Analyst who lived from 1780 to 1831. As an Analyst, he theorized and wrote about the psychological and political aspects of warfare. In his most famous book, Vom Kriege (On War), he coined the term “fog of war.”

The “fog of war” refers to the uncertainty within military commanders regarding their own internal capabilities as well as their adversary’s capabilities. Essentially, it is the confusion that occurs on both sides as the battle proceeds. The winner of the engagement is usually the side that can see through the “fog of war” to seize tactical and ultimately strategic advantage.

Professional Services Firms may also experience the effects of the “fog of war.” Within a complicated project, it is difficult to keep track of all of the moving parts. Add to this multiple projects occurring at the same time, and the confusion becomes even worse. Senior Managers that are trying to track the progress of each project may not be able to obtain the situational awareness they need to seize tactical and strategic opportunities.

The Best Resoure Management Software will clear up the Fog

Resource Management Software can help dispel the “Fog of War.”

Resource management software is designed to help managers see through the “fog of war” by facilitating the tracking of internal resources. However, there are many resource management software options available. To identify the best resource management software from the various options, management may want to consider the following criteria:

  • Skills Tracker – One of the key criteria necessary to dispel the “fog of war” is to understand what skills are available within the company. Employee skill sets need to be searchable and contain the appropriate meta information like expertise, language experience, and work preferences.
  • Deployment – Another key criteria found in the best resource management software is the ability to track resource availability. The system should be able to identify whether a resource is deployed to a project and what projects it has worked on in the past.
  • Forecast Resource Needs – Another easy way to dispel the “fog of war” and seize tactical advantage is to project resource needs in the future. The best resource management software will provide forecasting tools that identify resource trends and future staffing needs based on projects already in the sales pipeline.
  • Cloud-Based – Cloud-based software facilitates the ability of managers to connect to the system from anywhere an internet connection is available, increasing user access. In addition, placing resource management software in the cloud allows it to scale in terms of users and system bandwidth without the need to invest in costly hardware to support it.
  • Multinational – Another characteristic of the best resource management software is its ability to manage resources regardless of their physical location. This means that the software should be connected to a financial system that is designed to interact and account for foreign transactions.

The confusion and chaos that results from “fog of war” can cause project to be late and over budget. However, resource management software provides the sunshine necessary to burn off the fog and clear up the visibility.

OpenAir is the best resource management software

OpenAir fits the criteria listed above.

At Bi101, we have evaluated the various resource management software’s on the market and believe that OpenAir fits all of the above mentioned criteria.  If you would like to learn more, please contact us.

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