Resource Capacity Planning Tools To Try: As a project manager, you’re constantly looking for your team’s greatest assets. This is because having the right assets might signify the turning moment in an endeavor. Asset scope quantification tools ensure that your organization and tasks control asset requirements and limit challenges. This post will teach you about the tools that may help you develop and find your group’s ability. You’ll also discover:
- What exactly is capacity planning?
- What exactly is the significance of capacity planning?
- What types of capacity planning exist?
- What factors have an impact on capacity planning?
Let’s get started.
What Exactly Is Capacity Planning?
To finish projects, teams and organizations require the right resources. These resources might include people, money, or tools. This is the purpose of capacity planning. Capacity planning may be defined as follows:
Access to the right resources at the right time will ensure that your project is completed on time and with excellent quality. Conversely, lack of access to the right resources might result in project delays or even outright derailment.
What Exactly Is The Significance Of Capacity Planning?
It improves company processes. It is also beneficial to them. Understand the budgetary requirements for obtaining, allocating, and managing resources. Project teams require the right resources to deliver outstanding work. This is an excerpt from the Global Work Culture Report. In 2020, more than 79 percent of employees will be burned out. Your employees are in danger of becoming burned out. Among these employees are:
- 2.6 times more likely to leave their current employer
- 220 percent less active
- 210 percent less likely to market the company
- Let us now examine the various types of capacity planning.
What Types Of Capacity Planning Exist?
Capacity modeling approaches are classified into three types based on:
- Planning level,
- Capacity goals,
- and, Strategies used.
Depending On The Amount Of Capacity Planning
Capacity planning at the organization level
This is where the organization determines if it has a sufficient number of competent people. This helps in determining if a hiring process is required.
Resource allocation at the project level
A project manager assesses available resources and asks for project allocations. Find more about resource allocation here.
Workload management at the individual level
To avoid burnout, you must carefully monitor each member of your team. This will ensure that team members are neither overburdened nor underutilized.
Based On The Capacity Target
Capacity for short-term use
Depending on the season or consumer demand, teams may increase or reduce the number of employees. As a result, short-term capacity plans might be for one day, week, month, or quarter.
Capacity for medium-term use
This is a popular choice for projects spanning one to three years.
Long-term Capacity
The industry determines the time range for planning. Experts frequently use industry trends to anticipate capacity demand. Forecasting is used to plan capacity.
Using The Capacity Fulfillment Strategy
Strategy to increase lead capacity
This is the point at which you increase your capacity to meet demand. Unfortunately, this strategy frequently results in unused capacity.
Strategy to reduce lag capacity
Only when there is genuine demand will the lag capacity strategy allow you to increase capacity. This strategy may lead to overworked teams and project projects.
Strategy to match capacity
This occurs when capacity is gradually raised to meet demand.
What Factors Have An Impact On Capacity Planning?
The fundamental factors influencing capacity planning are demand and availability. However, when it comes to team project planning, three other factors are critical.
Project Schedule
The project schedule specifies the quantity, time, and kind of resources required.
Human Resources
Compensation, training, and retention of employees within a business directly impact capacity planning.
External Factors
Government regulations, labor laws, budget cycles, and other factors can impact capacity planning.
What Procedures Are Involved In Planning Resource Capacity?
We now understand what capacity planning entails. So let’s have a look at the procedures.
1 – Current capacity: First, you must determine the current capacity. This will help you to optimize your project’s resources.
2 – Determine demand: To estimate demand for additional resource capacity, examine the project timeline and existing resources. External factors might also influence this demand.
3 – Consolidation opportunities: Third, determine if it is possible to rearrange current resources to meet demand. You may be able to find underused people on your team who can meet the demand.
4 – Plan your capacity: Make a plan outlining the steps you must take to meet current and future demands.
5 – Lastly, take action.
Capacity for planning is a continual process. You must always review your capacity and plan for future demand. If you have the right tools, this shouldn’t be too difficult.
5 Best Resource Capacity Planning Tools
We’ve learned a lot about capacity planning already. We also learned about the capacity planning process and the many types. So let’s look at some tools to make this process go more smoothly. Five tools, ranging from simple to complicated, will be discussed. While some tools are free, others, particularly enterprise tools, might cost thousands of dollars.
1. Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets can help you plan your capacity. A spreadsheet is an excellent tool for capacity planning. You may either design your layout or use one of the many templates accessible on the internet. However, keeping spreadsheets up to date and error-free can be difficult. Sharing spreadsheets complicates the update process even more. In addition, because each project has its spreadsheet, it might not be easy to manage resources between teams.
2. Toggl Plan
Toggle Plan is a straightforward project planning and execution tool. It may also be used to manage team capacity and workload. The team timeline view aids in the management of team resources. You may also focus on a specific week, quarter, or year. This enables goal-based capacity planning for the short, medium, and long term. The project timeline in Toggle Plan makes it simple to create a project plan. Tasks are assigned to team members according to the plan timeframe timetable. These tasks are synced with the team timetable automatically.
3. 2Plan
2Plan is free and open source project planning software. It lacks the user interface and experience of other open source tools that may assist your team in getting up and running quickly. Toggl Plan is comparable to 2Plan. It supports rudimentary time monitoring, which is a benefit. It is not a hosted service. You will be responsible for downloading, installing, and maintaining the software.
4. Teamup
Teamup is a collaborative calendar for teams. Work may be scheduled by putting persons, events, or locations on color-coded sub-calendars. Teamup may rapidly get crowded if you have a large team or are active in numerous projects. Unfortunately, no zoom tool is available to view a person’s skills.
5. Saviom
Saviom is a capacity planning tool for big organizations with established operational efficiency improvement plans. It offers all of the capabilities required to optimize resource utilization. However, small and medium-sized teams may find the pricing and user experience overwhelming.
The Bottom Line: Resource Capacity Planning Tools
Capacity planning is a tool that assists you and your team locate the appropriate resources at the appropriate time. First, we investigated capacity planning and how it is carried out. Also, we looked at several strategies and types of resource capacity management. Finally, we looked at the factors that affect it. Using capacity planning tools can help to streamline this process. There are numerous tools available for capacity planning and resource management. Toggl Plan is a wonderful option if you want a basic tool for managing people, tasks, and projects.
