Which resource planning solution is right for your business? The answer does not depend solely on a software’s range of functions or price. The decisive factors are your existing planning processes, the resources to be coordinated, your existing IT systems and the effort currently required for planning, coordination and last-minute changes.
This decision-making guide takes you through the key questions to consider when choosing resource planning software. You can go straight to the topic that is relevant to your current decision.
What would you like to ask?
Compare resource planning software
Which features are really important? Compare solutions based on twelve selection criteria covering resources, usability, capacity, interfaces, costs and scalability.
View 12 selection criteria → 02Keep Excel or switch?
Excel may well be sufficient for simple planning tasks. Consider when increasing complexity, a larger number of users or frequent changes would make specialised resource planning the better option.
Compare Visual Planning and Excel → 03ERP/PPS or a separate planning board?
Check when the existing planning in the ERP or PPS system is sufficient and when an additional graphical planning board may be useful for operational resource planning.
Compare ERP/PPS and production planning boards → 04What are the costs involved?
Licence costs are only part of the investment. You should also take into account set-up, interfaces, data migration, training, internal project costs and ongoing operations.
Check the implementation costs → 05Cloud, hosting or on-premises?
Compare the different operating models in terms of IT effort, control, security, integration, updates, availability and cost structure.
Compare business models → 06Resource planning in mechanical engineering
Plan machines, staff, tools, work processes and orders together. Assess when ERP or PPS systems are sufficient and when supplementary planning becomes necessary.
Decision-making guide for mechanical engineering → 07Resource planning for construction companies
Coordinate staff, work crews, equipment, vehicles and construction sites. Find out when centralised resource planning can deliver added value.
Decision-making guide for construction companies → 08Resource planning for service and field staff
Coordinate technicians, service orders, qualifications, vehicles and job locations. Particularly relevant where there are frequent changes and multiple dispatchers.
Decision-making guide: Service and Field Service →How far have you got with your planning so far?
Not every company starts from the same position. The most sensible next step depends on how planning is currently carried out.
You plan using Excel
Do your spreadsheets generally work, but are they becoming increasingly complex? If so, you should first check whether your existing Excel-based planning system can still be operated reliably and with a reasonable amount of effort.
Compare Excel and Visual Planning →You already have an ERP or PPS system
Additional resource planning should only be introduced if the existing planning functions do not adequately meet a specific need.
Compare ERP/PPS or production planning →You are comparing different solutions
Start by defining consistent selection criteria. This will help you avoid comparing different products solely on the basis of lengthy lists of features.
See the 12 selection criteria →You need to plan your budget
Don’t just look at licence prices. Set-up, data migration, interfaces, training and ongoing operation can account for a significant proportion of the total costs.
Check the costs of resource planning →Industry-specific decision-making tools
The requirements vary significantly depending on which resources and operational processes are being planned.
Mechanical engineering
Coordinate machinery, staff, tools, work stages and production orders together.
Resource planning in mechanical engineering →Construction company
Coordinate staff, work crews, equipment, vehicles and multiple construction sites.
Resource planning for construction companies →Service and Field Service
Schedule technicians, qualifications, service orders, vehicles and call-out appointments.
Resource Planning: Service and Field Staff →How would you categorise Visual Planning?
Visual Planning is a configurable software solution for graphical resource and operational planning. Depending on the application, staff, machines, vehicles, projects, appointments and other resources can be linked together and planned within various views.
This solution may be of particular interest where flexible graphical planning is required, where different resources need to be coordinated together, or where operational planning data needs to be linked to existing business systems.
However, Visual Planning is not automatically the right solution for every business.
For simple planning tasks, Excel or a calendar may suffice. If an existing ERP, PPS or service system already includes a suitable planning function, this existing solution may be more cost-effective.
If, on the other hand, a company requires highly specialised automated optimisation, a different category of software may be more suitable.
An overview of the eight decision-making tools
- A comparison of resource planning software: 12 selection criteria
- Visual Planning or Excel: When is it worth making the switch?
- Digital planning board or ERP/PPS planning board: Which solution is right for you?
- Cost: How much does it cost to implement resource planning software?
- Type of business: Cloud, hosting or on-premises?
- Mechanical engineering: Resource planning for mechanical engineering companies
- Construction: Resource planning for construction companies
- Service and Field Sales: Resource planning for service and field service organisations
Conclusion: First clarify your planning requirements, then select the software
Choosing the right software does not begin with a product presentation, but with a clear description of your own planning process.
Companies should first determine which resources are to be planned, where specific problems are currently arising, which systems are already in place, and what data is actually required.
Only then can a sensible decision be made as to whether Excel or existing business software is sufficient, whether specialised resource planning is necessary, and what level of implementation effort is justified.
The eight decision-making guides on this page enable you to explore these questions in greater depth, step by step.