Question 1

When do I need resource planning?

Accepted Answer

When you have 5+ people or multiple concurrent projects. Before that, informal coordination works. Capacity problems = planning problem.

Question 2

Which tool is best for resource planning?

Accepted Answer

Float: clean, visual. Resource Guru: affordable. Monday: combines with project management. Forecast: AI-assisted. Start simple—spreadsheets work initially.

Question 3

How do I estimate capacity?

Accepted Answer

Available hours minus meetings, overhead, vacation. Typically 6 productive hours/day max. Build in buffer. Track actuals to improve estimates.

Question 4

How do I handle capacity across projects?

Accepted Answer

Allocate percentages per project. Visual timeline helps. Watch for over-allocation. Some tools show utilization automatically. Trade-offs are explicit.

Question 5

What about unexpected work?

Accepted Answer

Buffer capacity (10-20%). Clear process for interrupts. Something has to give—make trade-offs explicit. Track unplanned work to improve planning.

Question 6

How do I handle different skill sets?

Accepted Answer

Not all resources are interchangeable. Track by role/skill. Identify bottlenecks. Cross-training expands flexibility. Hiring fills gaps.

Question 7

Should I plan at the hour or day level?

Accepted Answer

Days for longer projects. Hours for agencies billing by hour. Too granular = overhead. Match precision to need.

Question 8

How do I show stakeholders capacity constraints?

Accepted Answer

Visual capacity reports. Timeline showing commitments. Clear when team is full. Saying no requires visible justification. Transparency helps.

Question 9

How do I prevent overallocation?

Accepted Answer

Capacity visible before committing. Hard limits on utilization (80% max). Regular review of workloads. Culture of sustainable pace.

Question 10

What about vacations and holidays?

Accepted Answer

Track time off in planning tool. Reduce capacity accordingly. Plan around known absences. Cover essential work. Don't overload before/after.

Question 11

How do I handle contractors in capacity planning?

Accepted Answer

Include as resources with their availability. Note constraints (hours, scope). Plan their work like employees. Less flexibility but still plannable.

Question 12

How far ahead should I plan capacity?

Accepted Answer

4-8 weeks detailed. Quarter directional. Longer = less reliable. Rolling planning works better than annual.

Question 13

What if plans change?

Accepted Answer

They will. Flexible tools help. Re-plan regularly. Communicate changes. Agile mindset—plans are living documents.

Question 14

How do I connect capacity to project management?

Accepted Answer

Some tools integrate (Monday, Asana). Or manual sync. Project plans should reflect available capacity. Disconnected plans fail.

Question 15

What metrics should I track?

Accepted Answer

Utilization rate. Planned vs. actual. Over/under allocation frequency. Project timeline accuracy. Use data to improve planning.

I need to plan and allocate team capacity

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