What is resource planning?

Resource planning refers to the systematic planning, allocation and management of all a company’s personnel, technical, spatial and time-related resources.

Resources that can be scheduled include, amongst others, staff, teams, machines, vehicles, rooms, tools, plant, budgets and available labour capacity.

The aim of structured resource planning is to ensure that the required resources are available at the right time, in the right place and in sufficient quantities. At the same time, the aim is to avoid double bookings, idle time, overloads and capacity bottlenecks.

With a digital resource planning Availability, capacity utilisation, tasks, projects and deadlines can be coordinated in a single visual planning view.

What are the objectives of resource planning?

Resource planning provides a reliable basis for operational and strategic decisions.

The key objectives include:

• Present available resources transparently
• Identify capacity bottlenecks at an early stage
• Avoid double bookings
• Deploy staff and resources as required
• Reduce idle and downtime
• Meet project and delivery deadlines more reliably
• Distribute the workload more evenly
• Find suitable resources more quickly
• Implement last-minute changes in a controlled manner
• Plan resource costs transparently
• Identify investment and staffing requirements
• improve cross-site collaboration

Good resource planning therefore does not merely consider current utilisation. It also takes into account future demand, available capacity, skills, absences and technical constraints.

Which resources can be scheduled?

The term ‘resource’ encompasses all the means required to carry out tasks, projects, orders or operational processes.

Staff and Teams

Human resources include staff, teams, skilled workers, external partners and temporary staff.

The following factors, amongst others, can be taken into account during planning:

• Working hours
• Employment rate
• Qualifications
• Experience
• Holidays and Absences
• Location
• Shift assignment
• Costs
• current utilisation

The specific allocation of staff to tasks, projects or work locations is an integral part of the Staff deployment planning.

Machinery and plant

Technical resources include machines, production plant, construction machinery, test benches and other equipment.

The following factors, for example, are relevant to their planning:

• technical suitability
• Machine capacity
• Processing times
• Set-up times
• Maintenance
• Faults
• Tools and equipment
• required operating personnel

Further information on technical resource planning can be found in the glossary for Machine planning.

Vehicles

Vehicles are often planned in conjunction with drivers, jobs, locations and maintenance appointments.

These include, for example:

• Passenger cars
• Pool vehicles
• Transporter
• Service vehicles
• Lorries
• Trailer
• Construction site vehicles
• Special-purpose vehicles

Vehicle planning can take into account location, equipment, vehicle class, range, maintenance status and the required driver authorisations.

Rooms and workstations

Rooms and workstations are also limited resources.

Examples include:

• Meeting rooms
• Training rooms
• Workstations
• Test rooms
• Laboratories
• Workshops
• Event venues
• Storage areas

When it comes to room planning, capacity, facilities, location, opening hours and access permissions play an important role.

Tools and equipment

Tools and equipment with limited availability often need to be scheduled alongside staff or machinery.

These include:

• Measuring instruments
• Test equipment
• Specialist tools
• mobile computers
• Scanner
• Lifting equipment
• Safety equipment
• Presentation technology

Materials and stock

Materials are not always regarded as traditional planning resources, but they can have a decisive influence on the execution of an order.

A shortage of raw materials, components or consumables can mean that staff and machinery cannot be utilised productively, despite available capacity.

Budgets and financial resources

Budgets can also be planned as a limited resource.

Financial resources include, for example:

• Project budgets
• Capital expenditure
• Staff costs
• Costs of external services
• Travel budgets
• Material budgets

What types of resource planning are there?

Resource planning can be categorised according to the planning period, objectives and type of resource.

Strategic Resource Planning

Strategic resource planning takes into account a company’s long-term resource requirements.

Typical questions include:

• What staff and skills will be needed in the future?
• Is the existing machine capacity sufficient?
• Which vehicles or pieces of equipment need to be replaced?
• Which sites are to be expanded?
• Where are long-term capacity bottlenecks occurring?
• What investment is required?

The planning horizon can span several years.

Tactical resource planning

Tactical resource planning translates long-term objectives into medium-term measures.

These include, for example:

• Setting up additional teams
• Staff training
• Procurement of new machinery
• External capacity planning
• Preparing for seasonal peaks in workload
• Allocation of resources across sites

Operational resource planning

Operational resource planning manages the day-to-day, weekly or monthly deployment of resources.

For example, it answers:

• Which employee is responsible for which task?
• Which machine is available for a job?
• Which vehicle is required for a job?
• Which room can be booked?
• Where are there short-term bottlenecks?
• Which resource can be used as a substitute?

How does resource planning work?

Structured resource planning is carried out in several coordinated steps.

1. Record planning requirements

The first step is to determine which tasks, projects, orders or services need to be carried out.

The following information, amongst other things, is recorded:

• Type of task
• Start and end dates
• planned effort
• Required qualifications
• required machinery and equipment
• Location
• Priority
• Dependencies

2. Determine the resources required

For each task, the necessary personnel, technical and spatial resources are specified.

For example, a task may require a project manager, two skilled workers, a vehicle and a specific piece of test equipment.

3. Record resource inventory

The next step is to check which resources are generally available.

Relevant master data may include:

• Resource type
• Location
• Qualifications
• Features
• Capacity
• Working hours
• Costs
• Responsible person
• Technical specifications

4. Check availability

An existing resource is not automatically available.

The planning must take into account, amongst other things:

• already scheduled assignments
• Holidays and Absences
• Maintenance
• Shift times
• Closing times
• Location
• Delivery times
• Part-time working arrangements

5. Check suitability

A resource must not only be available, but also suitable for the task in question.

For staff, qualifications, certificates or experience can be decisive factors. For machinery, technical capabilities, size, performance or tooling play a role.

6. Allocate resources

Suitable and available resources are allocated to tasks, projects, orders or appointments.

The following may be taken into account when making a selection:

• Qualifications
• Capacity utilisation
• Location
• Costs
• Priority
• technical suitability
• Previous experience

7. Check capacity utilisation

Once the allocation has been made, the system checks whether individual resources or resource groups are overloaded.

A resource may be fully booked, partially available or overbooked.

8. Resolving conflicts and bottlenecks

In the event of overloading or double bookings, alternative solutions must be considered.

Possible measures include:

• Move task
• use an alternative resource
• Distribute work across multiple resources
• Change priorities
• utilise external capacity
• Schedule an additional shift
• Adjust the scope of the project

9. Share and communicate the plan

Once the coordination process is complete, the schedule is made available to the relevant staff, teams and managers.

Everyone involved should be able to identify which tasks, deadlines and resources are relevant to them.

10. Continuously update the plan

Resource planning is an ongoing process. Staff absences, new orders, rescheduled deadlines or technical faults make regular adjustments necessary.

A practical example of resource planning

A technical company is carrying out several client projects simultaneously. For the next two weeks, project managers, service technicians, two specialised vehicles and three measuring devices will be required.

An urgent customer order has come in at short notice. The appropriate service engineer would in principle be available, but is already scheduled for another project. In addition, a measuring device is required, which is located at a different site.

With centralised resource planning, the planner can identify:

• which employees have the necessary qualifications
• which staff members are available during the required period
• which projects would be affected by a rescheduling
• which measuring device is available
• how long transport between the sites takes
• whether a suitable vehicle is available
• whether external capacity is required

The order can be scheduled realistically without double-booking a resource or overlooking necessary transport times.

Digital support for resource planning

The software can centrally display availability, bookings, capacities and conflicts. The most suitable solution depends on the resources to be planned, the existing systems and the required level of detail. An example of a configurable solution is Visual Planning® for operational resource planning.

The difference between resource planning and resource management

Resource planning and resource management are often used interchangeably, but describe different scopes.

Resource planning focuses on:

• Determining resource requirements
• Availability check
• Resource allocation
• Capacity planning
• Conflict detection
• Scheduling of assignments

Resource management also encompasses the overall administration, development and financial management of resources.

These include, for example:

• Procurement
• Maintenance
• Skills development
• Cost control
• Investment planning
• Analysis of usage
• long-term inventory management

Resource planning is therefore a central part of resource management.

The difference between resource planning and capacity planning

Resource planning determines which specific resource is to be used for a task or an order.

Capacity planning, on the other hand, assesses whether the total available capacity is sufficient.

Example: Capacity planning shows that a team has 160 working hours available in the coming week. Resource planning determines which staff members will use these hours for which tasks.

Both areas are closely linked. A specific allocation only makes sense if the total available capacity is sufficient.

Gross and net capacity

For realistic resource planning, a distinction must be made between theoretical capacity and actual usable capacity.

Gross capacity

Gross capacity describes the theoretically available time of a resource.

For example, a full-time employee working 40 hours per week has a gross capacity of 40 hours.

Net capacity

Net capacity takes into account times that are not available for the planned tasks.

These include:

• Holidays
• Public holidays
• Illness
• Meetings
• Further training
• administrative tasks
• Breaks
• Maintenance periods

Net capacity is therefore the better basis for realistic planning.

How is resource utilisation calculated?

Resource utilisation shows what proportion of available capacity is already allocated to tasks or assignments.

A simplified formula is:

Resource utilisation as a percentage = scheduled time ÷ available net capacity × 100

Example:

An employee has 32 productive hours available in a week. Of these, 28 hours are scheduled.

28 ÷ 32 × 100 = 87.5 per cent capacity utilisation

A capacity utilisation of more than 100 per cent indicates over-planning. A very low capacity utilisation may indicate spare capacity or tasks that have not been fully recorded.

Resource planning and staff deployment planning

Staff deployment planning is a sub-area of resource planning and focuses on employees and teams.

It takes into account, amongst other things:

• Working hours
• Qualifications
• Absences
• Shifts
• Locations
• Workload
• legal requirements

The overarching resource planning system also links these personnel resources with machines, vehicles, rooms and other operational resources.

Example: A service technician is available and qualified. However, the job cannot be carried out if the required vehicle or measuring equipment is not available.

Resource planning and project planning

Projects require staff, machinery, premises, vehicles and other operational resources.

The Project planning defines tasks, deadlines and milestones. Resource planning checks whether the required resources are actually available.

When several projects are running in parallel, conflicts often arise because the same skilled workers or machines are required at the same time.

Cross-project resource planning shows:

• which resources are scheduled across multiple projects
• where overloads occur
• which projects have spare capacity
• which appointments are at risk due to bottlenecks
• where external support is required

Resource planning and machine planning

Machine planning focuses on the scheduling and technical allocation of machines and plant.

The following points, amongst others, must be taken into account:

• Machine compatibility
• Processing time
• Set-up time
• Maintenance
• Fault
• Tools
• Material
• Operating staff

Resource planning links the machine with the additional personnel and technical resources required.

Resource planning and production planning

Production planning coordinates production orders, materials, machinery, staff and delivery dates.

Resource planning ensures that the capacities required for a production order are available.

These include, for example:

• Machine hours
• Operating staff
• Tools
• Test equipment
• Materials
• Storage areas

A production order can only be scheduled realistically if all the necessary resources are available within the allocated time frame.

Resource planning and pool resources

Pool resources are resources that can be shared and are not permanently allocated to a single person, department or project.

These include, for example:

• Pool vehicles
• Service technician
• Project Manager
• Measuring instruments
• Meeting rooms
• Special-purpose machinery

The Pool Resource Planning coordinates bookings, availability and the flexible allocation of these shared resources.

Resource planning and fleet planning

Vehicles are important operational resources and often need to be planned alongside drivers, jobs and maintenance.

The following factors can be taken into account in fleet planning:

• Vehicle class
• Location
• Features
• Reach
• Maintenance status
• Bookings
• Driver qualifications

Available vehicle capacity can only be utilised if the vehicle is technically suitable and available at the required location.

Resource planning and shift planning

Shift planning assigns staff to fixed or varying working hours.

When planning resources, it is important to take into account the staff capacity that is actually available within each shift.

Key factors are:

• Minimum staffing levels
• Qualifications per shift
• Working hours and rest periods
• Holidays and Absences
• Work at weekends and on public holidays
• Part-time working arrangements

Resource planning and scheduling

Scheduling determines when tasks, orders or projects are to be carried out.

However, a deadline is only realistic if the required resources are available within the specified timeframe.

Resource planning and scheduling must therefore be considered together.

Example: A customer order is due to start on Monday. The deadline can only be met if staff, a vehicle and the necessary tools are all available at the same time.

Resource planning and budget planning

Resources incur costs. That is why resource planning is often closely linked to budget and cost planning.

The following may be taken into account:

• internal hourly rates
• Machine hourly rates
• Vehicle costs
• external services
• Overtime
• Travel expenses
• Cost of materials

By allocating costs to resources and tasks, the planned expenditure for a project or order can be assessed more transparently.

Cross-site resource planning

Companies with multiple sites often need to coordinate resources across departmental and site boundaries.

The following points should also be taken into account:

• current location
• Transport or journey time
• regional responsibility
• Time zones
• local working hours
• Cost centres
• Approval processes

A resource may technically be available, but may not arrive at the intended location in time due to distance or travel time.

Constraint planning in resource planning

A resource bottleneck occurs when demand exceeds available capacity.

Typical bottleneck resources are:

• Specialists
• Project Manager
• specific machines
• Test benches
• Special-purpose vehicles
• Tools
• Rooms
• external partners

Various measures can be considered to resolve a bottleneck:

• Change priorities
• Move tasks
• use alternative resources
• Schedule additional shifts
• obtain external support
• Expand qualifications
• Reduce the scope of the project

Scenario planning and resource planning

Scenario planning allows you to compare different planning options.

Typical questions include:

• What happens if a member of staff is absent?
• What are the implications of an additional order?
• What are the implications of postponing a meeting?
• Is there sufficient capacity to handle a higher volume of orders?
• What resources are required for a new site?
• What are the implications of machine maintenance?

Scenarios help to prepare for decisions before binding changes are made to the existing plan.

Resource planning and skills management

When it comes to human resources, mere availability is not enough. Employees must also possess the necessary skills and authorisations.

Qualifications that can be scheduled may include:

• Vocational qualifications
• Product training courses
• Machine training
• Safety briefings
• Driving licence categories
• Language skills
• Manufacturer’s certificates
• Project roles

Skills-based resource planning prevents staff who are available but unsuitable from being scheduled.

Resource planning and document management

Resources and assignments often involve documents and supporting evidence.

Examples include:

• Evidence of qualifications
• Test reports
• Maintenance documentation
• Vehicle documents
• Work instructions
• Project documentation
• Photos
• Safety documents

With an integrated Document management Files can be linked directly to resources, staff, projects, tasks or appointments.

Common mistakes in resource planning

Only availability is taken into account

A resource is available but does not possess the required qualifications or technical expertise.

Gross and net capacity are being confused

Holidays, meetings, maintenance and other non-productive periods are missing from the schedule.

Resources are scheduled multiple times

An employee, a machine or a vehicle is assigned to several tasks at the same time.

Part-time working arrangements are not taken into account

Staff are scheduled on the basis of a theoretical full-time capacity, even though they are only partially available.

Locations and journey times are missing

A resource is available but cannot arrive at the site in time.

Maintenance and closure periods are overlooked

Machines or vehicles are scheduled even though they are not ready for use.

Planning takes place only within individual departments

Available capacity and bottlenecks in other areas remain hidden.

Qualifications are out of date

Expired certificates or missing training courses are not taken into account during allocation.

Priorities are unclear

Several projects are competing for the same resource, without there being any binding allocation rules.

Changes are not communicated centrally

Staff, project managers and resource planners work with different planning statuses.

The schedule is not being updated

Completed, rescheduled or cancelled tasks continue to tie up resources.

Overloading is accepted as the norm

Resources are regularly scheduled at more than 100 per cent without any structural measures being taken.

Key metrics in resource planning

Resource utilisation

Resource utilisation shows what proportion of the available capacity has already been allocated.

Availability

Availability describes the extent to which a resource is ready for use and not otherwise occupied.

Overload rate

The overload rate indicates how frequently, or to what extent, resources are scheduled beyond their available capacity.

Idle rate

The idle rate describes the proportion of available capacity that is not being used productively.

Capacity variance

The capacity variance shows the difference between required and available capacity.

On-time delivery

On-time delivery indicates whether tasks and projects are completed within the planned deadlines using the available resources.

Planning accuracy

Planning accuracy compares planned and actual resource requirements or working hours.

Double bookings

This metric identifies conflicts where the same resource has been scheduled multiple times simultaneously.

Rescheduling rate

The rescheduling rate indicates how often existing resource allocations need to be changed.

Operational capacity

Productive capacity describes the time actually available for value-adding tasks.

Cost per resource allocation

This key figure compares the cost of a resource with its actual utilisation.

Skills coverage

Skills coverage indicates whether there are enough suitable staff available for the planned tasks.

Frequently asked questions about resource planning

What is resource planning?

Resource planning refers to the identification, scheduling and allocation of the necessary staff, machinery, vehicles, premises and other operational resources to tasks, orders or projects.

What is the difference between this and capacity planning?

Capacity planning compares demand with the total available capacity. Resource planning allocates specific resources to the designated tasks and time periods.

What is the difference between this and resource management?

Resource planning focuses on demand, availability and allocation. Resource management also encompasses development, procurement, maintenance, costs and the long-term management of resources.

Which resources can be scheduled?

Items that can be planned include staff, teams, machines, vehicles, rooms, tools, plant, external service providers, budgets and available labour capacity.

Conclusion

Structured resource planning combines demand, availability, qualifications, capacity and specific tasks to create a realistic deployment plan.

It helps companies to allocate suitable staff and resources in good time, identify bottlenecks at an early stage and make better use of existing capacity.

As the number of projects, resources and locations increases, separate Excel spreadsheets and manual planning boards quickly reach their limits. Digital resource planning improves transparency, facilitates last-minute changes and provides a more reliable basis for operational and strategic decisions.