Capacity planning focuses on long-term planning and determines the need for productive hours over the entire project phase. Resource planning, on the other hand, is operational and allocates the available hours to individual employees. It ensures that resources are optimally allocated to specific tasks and projects.
Linked resource and capacity planning
Optimum interaction between deployment and capacity planning
Capacity planning and resource planning are two central processes in corporate management that must be closely linked in order to ensure the efficient use of resources. Both processes should not be viewed in isolation, but should be coordinated with each other as part of an overarching system. The aim is to maximize the utilization of resources through forward-looking and iterative planning, while at the same time enabling flexible adjustments.
Capacity planning: basic structure and objective
In capacity planning, the productive hours required for a project or department are first determined over the entire project phase and distributed over the available time. Based on this distribution and the number of available productive hours, the capacity utilization can be seen at company level. This can be used to identify bottlenecks or overcapacity at an early stage.
Operational planning: operational allocation of resources
Resource planning builds on capacity planning by allocating the hours determined in the capacity plan to specific employees. The aim here is to allocate the available resources to the projects as optimally as possible. The comparison between planned (TARGET) and actually deployed (ACTUAL) resources is crucial here in order to identify deviations at an early stage and take measures to compensate for them.
Synergies between capacity and resource planning
The interaction of these two processes ensures that resources such as personnel are used efficiently and costs are optimized. The linking of both planning processes plays an important role, especially for larger projects whose phases have to be postponed. Flexibility and adaptability are ensured by constant monitoring of capacity utilization at company level.
Influence of temporary employees
Employees who are only deployed temporarily or at peak times must be specifically included in the planning so as not to distort the company's capacity utilization. These resources should only be included in capacity and deployment planning for the period of their actual availability.
FAQs
How do bottlenecks or overcapacities affect company capacity utilization?
Bottlenecks and overcapacity can severely impair a company's efficiency. While bottlenecks can lead to delays and additional costs, overcapacity causes unused resources and unnecessary costs. By closely coordinating capacity and resource planning, these problems can be identified at an early stage and compensated for with appropriate measures.
Warum ist eine regelmässige Kontrolle der Auslastung auf Unternehmensebene wichtig?
Why is it important to regularly monitor capacity utilization at company level?
How should temporary employees be included in capacity and deployment planning?
Temporary employees should only be included in the planning for the period of their actual availability. It is important to clearly define their assignments so as not to distort capacity planning.
What role does flexibility play in capacity and deployment planning?
Flexibility is crucial in order to be able to react to unforeseen changes such as project postponements or sudden resource bottlenecks. A close link between capacity and resource planning creates the basis for reacting quickly to such changes and adapting planning accordingly to ensure optimal resource utilization.