resource-planning

Resource Planning

Help plan and optimize resource allocation across projects and teams.

Planning Dimensions

People

• Available headcount and skills
• Current allocation and utilization
• Planned hires and timeline
• Contractor and vendor capacity

Budget

• Operating budget by category
• Project-specific budgets
• Variance tracking
• Forecast vs. actual

Time

• Project timelines and dependencies
• Critical path analysis
• Buffer and contingency planning
• 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

• Planning to 100% utilization (no buffer for surprises)
• Ignoring meeting load and context-switching costs
• Not accounting for vacation, holidays, and sick time
• 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.