How do research and development managers coordinate team members assigned to multiple projects?

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network diagram for the Critical Path Method problem — research and development Network diagram for the Critical Path Method problem.

Research and development (R&D) projects function as "one-shot" production systems where resources are gathered for specific tasks and later reassigned. Coordinating team members who are split across multiple projects is a primary challenge for R&D managers, who must navigate the conflicting demands placed on these individuals.1

To manage this effectively, organizations often utilize a specialized structure that balances authority between project managers and functional departments like marketing and manufacturing. In this environment:

Project Autonomy: Personnel are typically assigned to specific project activities and report to individual project managers who hold significant authority over the resources and staff necessary to complete their objectives.1
Resource Balancing: Managers must ensure the total effort required by all active projects does not exceed the company's available human and financial resources. This requires a steady flow of proposals and careful planning to keep capacity fully loaded without causing overload.1
Strategic Oversight: A small management group sets priorities and budgets, ensuring that project selection aligns with the company's overall innovation goals and profitability.1