A resilient and effective resourcing pipeline aims to minimise risks that could affect an organisation's ability to deliver critical transformation projects, and to maintain business continuity. Your resourcing pipelines should be well-structured and adaptable so that you can quickly scale or respond to changes in demand. Research shows that organisations that take a proactive stance to build resilient and adaptable resource management strategies are more optimistic about their ability to respond to and manage change. 

Careful planning, effective communication, and continuous monitoring are needed to ensure that your organisation can quickly and efficiently access the resources it needs to operate, even in challenging or unpredictable circumstances.  

When starting a critical project or searching for resources to manage an incident or situation that threatens business continuity, or is critical for business and/or operational growth, there are three types of resourcing available to consider. An effective resource management strategy draws on all three, but each has pros and cons to bear in mind when determining which resource is right for the situation at hand. 

Three Resource Management Strategies to Consider 

  • Internal resource refers to those team members already in place within the organisation. As well as being cost-effective, internal managers also bring with them a vested interest in results and organisational knowledge that can be vital to a project's success. They also have existing relationships within the business and credibility with stakeholders that they can draw on to support a project. 

However by removing your top performers from their existing roles you run the risk of creating skills gaps and negatively affecting day-to-day functions. They are often hampered by internal politics and may lack the specialist expertise needed to manage a complex project effectively.  
 

  • Management consultants often work for a consultancy firm which means they have access to a wide range of technology, data, and expertise to help them steer projects and improve business performance.  

However, consultants for these firms can sometimes lack industry and real-world experience and they may have more rigid working styles that do not fit with your in-house procedures and processes. More importantly they may not provide project delivery services meaning organisations will incur additional costs to support implementation on top of what is often high consultancy fees. 

Learn how Oakwood Resources is redefining traditional consultancy engagements with our Blended Model services. 

  • Interim Managers can be extremely beneficial for project management as they provide both consultancy style advice and can assist in implementation and project delivery.  They are flexible and can be engaged quickly bring a solutions-driven, hands-on approach. Because they work directly as a part of your organisation, they can transfer insights internally leaving legacy knowledge and value long after the end of the engagement. 

Unlike management consultants you will need to consider cultural fit and provide a defined project brief to avoid scope creep. Interim managers may also require you to allocate time to compliance, payments and other administrative concerns however this can be eliminated by working with an interim management partner such as Oakwood Resources.  

How Engaging Interim Managers Can Support Your Resource Management Strategy 

Building a resilient resourcing strategy is an important consideration for Finance Directors and Chief Financial Officers as it contributes significantly to business continuity, organisational agility and ensuring a competitive advantage. Interim managers can help support your resourcing pipeline and ensure it is as robust and resilient as it can be allowing you to: 

 

  • Quickly access specialised skills 

Experienced interim managers can be brought in at short notice to fill skill gaps in your organisation. They bring key competencies that may not be available in-house, allowing you to quickly address specific organisational needs or head-up a niche project. 
 

  • Scale resourcing flexibly and cost effectively 

Interim managers can be engaged for short-term or long-term assignments, depending on the requirements of your projects or initiatives. This flexibility allows you to scale your resourcing up or down based on your changing needs, helping you manage your resources efficiently. Engagements are on a project or assignment basis, which allows you to control variable costs offsetting the fixed cost of a permanent workforce. 
 

  • Gain fresh, independent perspectives 

Free from internal politics and possessing a degree of objectivity, interim managers can provide organisations with creative solutions, identify areas for improvement and recommend changes. 
 

  • Engage strategic leadership 

Times of change such as mergers, acquisitions, disposals and growth require strategic leadership and planning. Interim managers have the skills and expertise to step in and provide stability and guidance ensuring that projects and initiatives continue to progress smoothly during periods of transition.

 

  • Support knowledge transfer 

Developing the skills and capabilities of your internal resource is an important component of building a resilient resourcing pipeline. Interim managers can help mentor and develop the skills and expertise of your internal teams.  

Build a More Resilient, Agile Resource Management Strategy with Oakwood 

Partnering with Oakwood Resources, you gain the expertise and knowledge of our specialist interim managers and, when appropriate, via The Blended Model®, additional strategic delivery of a consultancy. This powerful combination means you can harness the data analytics technology you need to transform your finance function. 

For a more responsive, cost-effective solution that gives you a bespoke strategy tailored to your business, think Oakwood! 

Learn more about our Blended Model or contact a consultant today.