THE GUIDE
Team capacity planning: a simple method that works
Capacity planning answers one question: does the work we have promised fit into the time we actually have? Most plans assume everyone has five full days a week for project work. Nobody does.
The method
- Start with the working days in the period.
- Take off each person’s leave and public holidays.
- Take off the share of time that goes on meetings, support, admin and interruptions: often 30 to 40%.
- Add up the estimates for the work and assign each piece to one person.
- Aim to fill 80 to 85% of the time left. The rest is for the surprises that always come.
When the plan does not fit
- Cut scope before you cut quality.
- Move work from overloaded people to those with room, including pairing to spread knowledge.
- Say no, or not yet, to your own manager with the numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Ask the person doing it, in days, and add a buffer for anything new. Compare with how long similar work took last time.
For most teams it is 25 to 40%. Ask people to track a typical week once; it is often higher than you think.
At the start of each sprint, month or quarter, and when someone is off sick or a big request lands.
