Planning the workload means deciding who does what, when, and with what priorities.
There are several methods, some more rigorous than others, to choose from depending on the context, the team’s maturity, and the project constraints.
Capacity Planning
Workload is distributed according to the available capacity of individuals or teams.
=> This is a very rigorous method that helps prevent chronic overload by balancing workloads.
How does it work?
- The actual capacity of each resource is calculated (e.g., 6 hours/day).
- The estimated workload is distributed across available time slots.
- Adjustments are made to avoid overloads.
Resource leveling
The total workload is taken and distributed evenly over the period.
=> This reduces peak workloads and stabilizes team productivity.
How does it work?
If a person has an estimated workload of 80 hours for a task over a month, the workload is smoothed to around 4 hours per day over 4 weeks, rather than working 35 hours the first week, 35 hours the second week, 10 hours the third week, and 0 hours the last week.
Leveling with scheduling constraints
Very similar to the workload smoothing method, but the project schedule is followed first, then the remaining workload is smoothed.
=> This is useful in projects where some deadlines are fixed (milestones, dependencies) but where the goal is to reduce workload peaks.
How does it work?
- Identify the major constraints in the schedule.
- Prioritize the workload of tasks related to the milestone to ensure deadlines are met.
- Smooth the workload of the other tasks.
=> Regardless of the method chosen, you must ensure that the entire assessed workload is properly planned.