Engineering Resource Board
Unified project & resource planning for manufacturing engineering teams
The Problem
Scattered Excel Trackers
Each team maintained separate Excel files for resource tracking, leading to version conflicts and outdated data across departments.
SharePoint Folder Chaos
Project documents scattered across deeply nested SharePoint folders with inconsistent naming conventions, making resource data nearly impossible to find.
Manual FTE Calculation
Managers spent hours every month manually aggregating FTE allocations from multiple sources, often producing inconsistent headcount reports.
Unstructured Work Logs
Engineers logged work hours in free-form text or skipped logging entirely, making it impossible to analyze actual vs. planned resource usage.
Multiple Excel files per team with manual FTE rollup
Single platform with real-time 12-month FTE matrix across all teams
Free-text work logs with no structure or classification
AI-powered NLP parser converts natural language to structured time records
Milestone tracking via email threads and meeting notes
Gate review dashboard with G3/G5/G6 progress visualization
Approach
Easy Input, Detailed Classification
The core design philosophy is to minimize input friction while maximizing data granularity. Engineers write work logs in natural language — the AI parser handles classification by project, task type, and time allocation. The organization hierarchy (Division → Department → Team → Position) ensures every data point rolls up accurately from individual contributors to executive dashboards without manual aggregation.
BDD Pipeline Flow
Key Features
Personal Dashboard
Each engineer gets a personalized view showing their project allocations, upcoming milestones, and work log history. Quick-entry buttons make daily logging effortless.
Smart Worklog (AI NLP Input)
Write work logs in natural language like 'Spent 3h on pump module testing, 2h design review for valve assembly.' The AI parser extracts projects, tasks, and hours automatically, converting free text into structured time records.
Resource Matrix (12-Month FTE)
A bird's-eye view of FTE allocation across all projects and teams for the next 12 months. Supports TBD position forecasting, helping managers plan hiring and reassignment before bottlenecks occur.
FTE Analytics
Drill-down analytics comparing planned vs. actual FTE usage by department, project, and individual. Identifies over-allocated engineers and under-utilized capacity with visual heatmaps.
Milestone Tracking
Gate review management for manufacturing project milestones (G3, G5, G6). Visual timeline showing gate status, blockers, and upcoming reviews with automated notification to stakeholders.
Architecture
Results
Reduction in monthly FTE aggregation effort
Forward-looking resource allocation visibility
Natural language worklog via AI parser
Division → Department → Team → Position