This FAQ hub organises frequently asked questions by topic. The detailed answer for each question can be found on the relevant specialist page. This ensures that definitions, selection criteria, industry requirements and product features remain clearly separated from one another.
Fundamentals of Resource Planning
The glossary provides definitions, objectives, processes and scope. The operational solutions page, on the other hand, demonstrates how Visual Planning® is used to manage availability, bookings, capacity and last-minute changes.
- What is resource planning?
- What functions does operational resource planning support?
- What modules and access options does Visual Planning® offer?
Software selection and comparisons
When making a selection, planning requirements, existing systems, integrations, operational model and total costs should be considered separately. The decision-making guides answer these questions on separate pages.
- Overview of decision-making tools
- Compare resource planning software based on selection criteria
- Visual Planning® or Excel
- Digital planning board or ERP/PPS planning board
- Cloud, hosting or on-premises
- Costs of resource planning software
Staff and resource planning
Staff planning describes the overall staffing requirements and the necessary qualifications. Workforce scheduling deals with the specific allocation of available staff to tasks, projects, shifts, clients or work locations.
- Staff planning: definition and process
- Staff scheduling functions
- Resource planning for service and field staff
Production, machinery and the shop floor
Production planning, machine utilisation and shop floor management are interlinked, but address different issues. Production planning coordinates orders and processes; machine planning focuses on utilisation and capacity; whilst shop floor management focuses on transparency and control during execution.
- Digital production planning
- Operational machine planning
- Machine planning: definition and process
- Shop floor management with Visual Planning®
Project planning and project resources
Project planning organises tasks, deadlines, milestones and dependencies. Operational resource planning addresses the question of which staff, machines or other resources are available at any given time.
Interfaces and existing systems
Whether and how data is imported from ERP, PPS, CRM, HR or other specialist systems depends on the source system, the available interfaces and the data exchange required. The existing system should remain the primary system if it already manages the relevant master data reliably.
- Effectively integrating ERP/PPS and digital planning boards
- Visual Planning® software, modules and integration
Industry-specific questions
Different sectors vary in terms of resource types, planning periods, qualifications and existing specialist systems. For this reason, the key requirements for the construction, mechanical engineering, service and field service sectors are dealt with separately.
- Resource planning for construction companies
- Resource planning in mechanical engineering
- Resource planning for service and field staff
Questions about Visual Planning®
The Product and Platform Overview describes modules, functions, deployment and access methods. For a specific planning scenario, it is then possible to check which configuration, interfaces and user roles are actually required.
Technically reviewed: 31.08.2026