This is a follow up to the prior blog post on master projects and why they are obsolete. Another convoluted 'work around' for viewing each project resources' workload across multiple desktop files of Microsoft Project is the resource pool. If you fiddled around with it enough and figured it out, you could tie multiple projects together to a joint resource pool. As a project management desktop application, this was certainly better than nothing! However, if you were not a Microsoft Project whiz, it was not the easiest endeavor.
Now with enterprise portfolio and project management software, there is no need for all of the pain associated with resource pools. Why? Once the projects are in a centralized database, you automatically see all of your resources in your organization, including, if you opt to, vendors, customers, third party sub contractors, and partners. Because projects are centralized, the software displays resources' allocation across all projects and tasks in real time. No fuss, no muss!
Cynthia West
Vice President, Project Insight