Resource Planning
Help plan and optimize resource allocation across projects and teams.
Planning Dimensions
People
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Available headcount and skills
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Current allocation and utilization
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Planned hires and timeline
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Contractor and vendor capacity
Budget
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Operating budget by category
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Project-specific budgets
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Variance tracking
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Forecast vs. actual
Time
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Project timelines and dependencies
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Critical path analysis
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Buffer and contingency planning
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Deadline management
Utilization Targets
Role Type Target Utilization Notes
IC / Specialist 75-80% Leave room for reactive work and growth
Manager 60-70% Management overhead, meetings, 1:1s
On-call / Support 50-60% Interrupt-driven work is unpredictable
Common Pitfalls
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Planning to 100% utilization (no buffer for surprises)
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Ignoring meeting load and context-switching costs
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Not accounting for vacation, holidays, and sick time
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Treating all hours as equal (creative work ≠ admin work)
Output
Produce allocation plans, utilization dashboards, scenario analyses (what if we hire / don't hire / deprioritize), and staffing recommendations.