Streamlining resource management: new features in Retain 1.22

Managing repetitive projects is a headache. Whether you're running annual audits or quarterly assessments, recreating similar job structures over and over is time-consuming and prone to errors.?

But that’s changing.?

We're excited to announce a solution: mass job duplication, the standout feature of Retain’s 1.22 release. This means you can duplicate entire project structures, including team assignments, in just a few clicks. It saves time, reduces errors, and maintains team continuity across similar projects.

We share a summary of how it works and its key benefits. Keep reading to see how you could streamline your resource process.

The challenge

If you've ever found yourself copying and pasting project details from one spreadsheet to another, you're not alone. Repetitive project and resource management are common pain points.

Common scenarios are:?

• An accounting firm handling annual audits for multiple clients
• A software company running quarterly security assessments
• A consulting firm delivering similar workshops to different clients

In each case, the core project structure remains largely the same, but the specifics—dates, team members, client details—need to be adjusted each time.

Traditionally, this meant manually recreating each job, rebooking resources, and adjusting timelines. It's a process that's not only tedious but also risky. One small mistake in copying over details could lead to scheduling conflicts or resource misallocation.

This manual approach eats up valuable time that could be better spent on strategic planning. It's not uncommon for resource planners to spend hours each week just on project duplication tasks.

The need for a more efficient solution has been clear for some time. That's where Retain Cloud's new mass job duplication feature comes in.

The solution

The release 1.22 of Retain Cloud introduces mass job duplication. This feature allows you to duplicate multiple jobs and their associated bookings in one go.?

Mass duplication is a time-saving feature that allows you to duplicate entire project structures, including team assignments, in just a few clicks.

This efficiency-boosting feature saves time, reduces errors, and maintains team continuity across similar projects.

But it's more than just a copy-paste tool. Here's what makes it special:

Five benefits:

1. Job linking: You can now link jobs together, specifying 'Previous' and 'Next' jobs. This is particularly useful for recurring projects where you want to maintain team continuity.
2. Flexible timing: When duplicating, you can set the new jobs to start after a specific number of days, weeks, months, or years. Or, if you prefer, you can set an exact start date.
3. Smart duplication: Choose whether to base the new jobs on planned hours or actual hours from the original jobs. This flexibility allows you to learn from past projects and improve your planning.
4. Custom naming: You're not stuck with "Copy of..." for your new jobs. You can keep the same names, use find-and-replace to update them, or let the system handle naming for linked jobs.
5. Booking status options: Decide whether the duplicated bookings should be marked as Planned, Unconfirmed, or keep their original status.

If you’re inspired to automate repetitive tasks to free up your team’s time to focus on what truly matters, try Retain for yourself, you can book a free demo with a member of our team.?

??Got any questions? Please drop a comment below or reach out directly.

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