Resource management must aim at sustainability.
Resource management is the set of actions that a company carries out to manage its resources and assets efficiently . These are procedures that are key to achieving corporate objectives.
Before continuing, it is important to indicate that the idea of management is linked to direction and processing. A resource , meanwhile, is an element that allows us to do something, satisfy a need or solve a problem.
When the concept of resource management is mentioned, therefore, reference is made to the practices developed to make the best use of what a company has for its operation . The notion can encompass human resources, natural resources, financial resources and technological resources, among others.
Importance of resource management
Resource management establishes how what you have or have is used . This includes money, machinery and workers, for example. Successful resource management makes it easier to achieve goals, while poor management can threaten sustainable businesses and even put the entity's finances at risk .
It is difficult to talk about resource management in a broad or general sense for several reasons. On the one hand, there are very different resources: managing labor relations is not the same as information technology (IT), for example. Financial management , knowledge management , inventory management and asset management , in turn, have dissimilar characteristics. That is why in the same company there are multiple procedures or tasks related to resource management.
On the other hand, resource management depends on each sector or industry. An entity that works with teleworking and remote management has a different administration reality than a renewable energy company.
However, it is evident that resource planning in all its aspects is essential in any organization . From cost-benefit analysis to process optimization , talent development and quality control, this management is always essential in operations.
Workplace well-being depends on human resource management.
Different techniques
Resource management requires the implementation of different techniques. These techniques can be understood as guidelines or models to achieve a goal.
Forecasting aims to anticipate what resources will be required. This way it is possible to maximize efficiency , save time and reduce waste or waste.
Planning establishes which resources will be used at all times. This is relevant for proper organization. Planning is related to programming : the definition of where and when resources will be used.
The allocation , for its part, distributes the resources available for its implementation or execution. Instances such as smoothing (to avoid underutilization and overload) and leveling (redistribution to correct allocation failures) are also necessary in management.
The combination of these techniques makes it feasible for resource management to generate several benefits. These steps help reduce resource wear, provide transparency, reduce the risk of unforeseen events and help measure effectiveness .
Resource management can be complemented with market analysis.
Examples of resource management
Take the case of human resource management in a marketing agency . With the aim of expanding its workforce, it carries out a process of recruiting and selecting young talents. Once three candidates are chosen, it offers them a compensation and benefits program to seduce them and get them to join the company.
Once they have become employees, managers involve them in training and development actions, transmit the values of the organizational culture and insert them into teamwork. As part of this human resources management, all workers are also periodically subjected to a performance evaluation.
Let's now think about a company dedicated to the production of paper . To comply with laws linked to environmental protection, you have to prioritize your environmental management . In this framework, it must ensure the conservation of resources (such as the trees that make cellulose pulp) and limit its carbon footprint to the margins established by the regulations. Its resource management, therefore, includes reforestation actions and even practices that are linked to its corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy.
Another example of resource management is found in a newspaper that is committed to technological innovation to promote investigative journalism . The management of this media outlet, in this context, invests in artificial intelligence (AI) resources and trains a group of journalists in big data and data analysis. Its idea is to develop reports that allow us to understand how public money is used and uncover acts of corruption. This strategy requires allocating resources to certain areas of the newspaper and taking them away from others. In turn, the newspaper forges strategic alliances with media outlets in other countries to expand the scope of its investigations.