This document proposes a new approach to better utilize bench resources at a company. It notes that bench resources are currently underutilized and demoralized. It suggests mapping mandatory trainings for bench resources, assigning daily activities, and introducing new product development programs to engage them. This would reduce overhead costs and increase resource utilization, knowledge, and the company's processes and market value. Variable pay and appraisals could then be linked to resource utilization rather than just billing. The goal is to optimize bench resource utilization while retaining skilled employees and improving the company.

1. A New Approach to Utilize Bench Resources
August 05, 2015
Table of Contents
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................1
Introduction / Background...............................................................................................................2
Problem Statement...........................................................................................................................2
Observations.....................................................................................................................................2
SWOT Analysis on Bench Resources..............................................................................................2
Proposed Solution............................................................................................................................3
Benefits of Bench Utilization............................................................................................................3
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2. Introduction / Background
Bench workforce is essential for a growing company. It helps company to staff a new
project quickly without waiting for recruitment. Earlier most of the Service providers
used to maintain almost 20-30% of the workforce on the bench to provide people for
upcoming projects. The “bench” had been a business necessity in the IT industry to keep
a skilled workforce ready for any immediate project requirement. Since bench
resource are not get any billing, they are considered a cost to the company. Hence bench
becomes one of the most uncomfortable places to be in.
Problem Statement
Resources are the company’s assets and unutilizing the bench resources leads to the
below problems.
• Increases Company Overheads
• Attrition rate gets increased
• De Moralizing the resources
• Company may lose the appropriate talents.
Observations
I have observed the below issues in the Bench.
• Bench resources are under-utilized.
• Bench Resource monitoring is missing.
• Lack of focus in terms of day to day activities.
• Resources gets demoralized.
SWOT Analysis on Bench Resources
Strengths Weaknesses
• Skilled Resources with different
experience level
• Costs to Company.
• Bench capacity varies on Demand Basis.
• Handover Process is required in
Knowledge Transfer
• Identifying the right resource for the
right work.
Opportunities Threats
• Optimum utililization of bench
resources.
• Retain the Skilled Resources.
• Capture more market share annually.
• Have a better brand recognition
• Change in HR Policies.
• Adaptability of the process by the
bench.
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3. internally within employees as well as
in the global market.
• Building new product line or services.
• Building new skilled resources by
arranging cross functional trainings.
• Building leaders for tomorrow
• Giving the opportunity to resource that
ignites their passion
Proposed Solution
We can reduce overheads by introducing the below Processes.
• Highlighting the manual process in all the HCL projects which bench resources can
automate it from outside the project (e.g. Code Deployment Process, Testing
Process , Code Review Tool etc) , and the team who automated these tools needs to
be rewarded as Product Champion.
• Map some mandatory classroom/e-learning trainings to the bench resources as per
their career level.
• Arrange cross functional Technical/Domain Specific trainings.
• Assigning some daily activity to bench resources to fill the Activities. In this way,
we can achieve the mandatory attendance in Bench also.
• Introduce New Product Development Program’s which gives the opportunity to the
bench resources to utilize their skills. It also helps the company to increase its
market share.
Currently, Variable Pay and Appraisal is linked with the Billing part of the resource. By
adopting above mentioned steps, we can link the Variable Pay and Appraisal with the
utilization of the Resource because he/she is contributing for the company and the
contribution %age decides the variable pay and appraisal.
Benefits of Bench Utilization
• Increasing the Bench Resource Utilization.
• Increasing the Bench Resource Knowledge.
• Improving the Company and the Project Process.
• Cross Skill Team Building inside the company.
• Company also gains its market value.
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