Assigning resources from within a job

You can assign resources to tasks as you enter the tasks in a job, or at any time before or after jobs are confirmed by your clients. You can also assign conference rooms to jobs as resources so that once scheduled, they are not available in RB for other jobs at the same time.

Access task
1. If not already in a New Job/Edit Job window, find the job in Calendar > Jobs (List View)/Jobs (Monthly View)/Jobs (Weekly View) and open the job. See Scheduling jobs or Searching in RB.
2. In the View Job window, click Edit.
3. In the Edit Job window, click Edit Job > Tasks.
4. Click the hyperlink of a task that requires a resource or a change of resource.
5. In the Edit Task panel, click next to Resource. (If a resource has already been assigned and notified, you cannot assign a new resource to the task. You have to cancel the task and set up a new task.)
Assign resource to task

In the Assign Resource panel, all available resources that fit the task’s requirements are listed in the top grid, with preferred resources at the top, and the rest in order starting from closest to the job location. If the job is part of a case, resources that have been previously assigned to jobs in the case are listed in the Previous 30 Resources in the same Case grid.
1. In the Assign Resource panel’s Search By pane, Show Available Only defaults to Yes. If the client requested any specific skills or expertise, they appear in the Specialty filter. Enter text or make selections to change the filters if needed, then click :
  - Priority Level
    
    Order of preference or availability. Priority levels, including the default, are defined in Lists > Resources.
  - Resource Type
    
    Profession(s) and/or other type of resource(s). Resource types, including the default, are defined in Lists > Resources.
  - Specialty
    
    Skills and/or expertise. Specialties, including the default, are defined in Lists > Resources.
  - Resource
    
    Specific resource name (can enter partial name).
  - Show Available Only
    
    To override resource availabilty and double-book a resource, click to select No. See Overriding resource availability.
2. Click next to the resource you want and select:
  1. Tasks in Progress
    Before assigning the resource, check what their workload is. The Tasks in Progress panel shows all of the assignments the resource is currently working on. For a better idea of the resource’s workload, look at the Estimated Pages column in addition to the number of jobs the resource has yet to turn in. See Tasks in Progress.
  2. 30-Day History
    Before assigning the resource, see how often and to which jobs the resource has been assigned in the past month. Click Close in the 30-Day History panel.
  3. Assign
    If the resource is not on the ordering firm/contact’s list of blocked resources, RB assigns the resource, makes an entry in the job’s Notes Log, and a popup appears asking if you want to send the resource an Assignment Notification (if their email address is in their RB file). If you want to:
    - Send the resource an assignment notice now, click Yes. See Notifying resources individually.
    - Batch notify all assigned resources at once, use Send Assignment Notifications/Cancellations. See Sending batch assignment notifications/cancellations.
    If the resource is on the client’s list of blocked resources, a popup appears alerting you that the resource is blocked by the client. Click OK. RB will not assign the resource to the task.
3. Click Save in the Edit Task panel to close the panel.

IMPORTANT: Scheduling conference rooms to avoid double-booking

To avoid double-booking a room, in addition to selecting the room in Job Location, create a conference room task and assign the room to the task. See Scheduling conference rooms.

TIP: Assign resources quickly

Use Quick Assignments (RB9 only) to drag and drop resources onto a list of jobs to assign them instantly.

NEXT: Notify resources

You can notify resources as you assign tasks or send out batch notifications, if desired, using Send Assignment Notifications/Cancellations. The Assignment Notification email assembles all of the pertinent information from a job request, including any instructions or remarks entered in the Resources Notification Notes field (see Entering additional job information), into an easy-to-read worksheet. (You can customize or create your own worksheets in Tools > Form Templates.)