How can you calculate a workload plan to better manage your resources?

The workload plan helps to manage resources and allocate time, two key factors in the success of a project.

Optimizing time management is particularly important for companies that bill on a time-spent basis, such as service companies and agencies. Increasing billable time and improving team productivity are at the heart of their efficiency, and therefore profitability.

The dual challenge lies in anticipating project requirements and managing team occupancy rates .

How does the workload plan help facilitate this planning? What are its advantages? And how can use it to optimize resource utilization and time management? Appvizer has the answers! 💡

What is a workload plan?

A workload plan, also known as a load schedule, is a tool used to manage project resources:

• human resources,
• material resources,
• time resources.

It facilitates planning and optimizes resource allocation; it provides an overview of past and forecasted times. This summary of times can be obtained :

• by employee,
• by team,
• by project or business.

Its purpose is to optimize workload distribution.

Challenges and benefits of workload planning

Challenges: between monitoring and anticipation

For any project manager, effective management of human resources is crucial to the success of a project.

The key challenge for organizations is to anticipate and optimize resource allocation, based in particular on time spent.

To do this, they need to monitor and anticipate project workloads as accurately as possible, in order to optimize allocations and readjust priorities as necessary.

Managers and teams alike must be able to access essential information on :

• resource usage and remaining bandwidth,
• current and upcoming projects, and new requests,
• the ability of teams to work on new projects,
• forecasting the need for external resources or recruitment, as the case may be, etc.

A tool is essential to centralize all this information and update it in real time.

Benefits: an operational vision

The workload plan provides an operational vision and generates key indicators for optimizing future projects.

The workload plan gives you the advantages of

• Precise team availability, with real-time information on employee workloads. At a glance, you can detect any overloads, and know whether or not you can accept new projects within the required timeframe;
  
• identify any discrepancies or inconsistencies between the forecast workload and the work actually carried out, and thus uncover any bottlenecks in the event of delays, to boost team efficiency;
  
• draw up realistic schedules: by analyzing times more closely, you'll gain a better understanding of the ratio between time needed and time available, and be able to improve your planning for future projects;
  
• optimize talent management: you can easily see whether you have the necessary resources, and if not, you can quickly identify which profile to recruit and when, by assessing future needs by skill;
  
• demonstrate transparency to your employees: reassure and motivate your teams.

👉 The risks in terms of deadlines, quality and costs are better balanced.

How to create an Excel workload schedule

Prerequisites for creating a workload schedule

In practice, to create a workload schedule, you need to :

• define the duration of each task,
• find the right resources (number, availability, skills required),
• indicate vacations and other constraints specific to the project.

The 6 key steps

You can create a planned capacity or load planning graph in Excel. This is used to represent the ratio between planned and available time for your resources, and to report on whether the workload balance is being respected.

A typical scenario is to find out whether a department (or team) can take on new projects.

1. Calculate the planned capacity, i.e. the ratio between the number of hours planned for this department and the total number of hours available for the same department, using the formula :
   
   (Total planned hours / Total available hours) x 100
   

2. Create an Excel spreadsheet in which you enter the various departments in your company and the planned capacity for each over a given period;
   
3. Highlight the table, then click on Insert (toolbar), and choose the desired chart format;
   
4. Right-click on the resulting chart, then click on "Select data";
   
5. In "Legend entry (series)", reverse the columns and rows, keeping only your team and total capacity;
   
6. Finally, click on OK to obtain your data for analysis in the capacity planning graph.
   

Here's an idea of what you should get. 👇

💡 However, Excel files have their limitations:

• they are not updated in real time,
• they may contain errors,
• they do not provide reliable support for decision-making.

What about software?

The scheduling software solution

The use of simple planning software or shared calendars is also widespread. These are more practical than Excel, thanks to the collaborative aspect they offer, and their different views depending on the chosen timeframe.

However, they also have their limitations:

• they don't account for budget tracking,
• they don't allow for forecasting,
• they don't support decision-making with relevant performance indicators.

Tools for the construction industry

Workload planning is also a key element in site management, and is therefore often included in the functionalities of software designed for building and civil engineering professionals.

The advantage of using BTP software for your workload planning is that you can manage all your operations from a single platform, including :

• management of your human and financial resources
• project planning,
• schedule management,
• site progress monitoring,
• invoicing,
• data analysis, etc.

Our selection of tools

If you're a construction company, you'll love these tools for optimizing your entire business.

🛠 ANAV

ANAV is a worksite planning solution designed specifically for small and medium-sized construction companies in both the finishing and structural trades, seeking toidentify and activate cost-cutting levers.

Suitable for companies with between 10 and 100 employees, this solution helps you anticipate workloads, simplify day-to-day tasks, and optimize the profitability of your worksite. Of course, ANAV also offers a workload planning solution.

Anav is a truly collaborative tool, with sophisticated features that are easy to learn and use. These include

• intuitive workload plans, which provide an overview of key indicators by displaying the workload capacity of your various divisions, enabling you to anticipate activity optimally over the day, week or month;

• updated workload planning based on task distribution and team progress, keeping it up to date while making business organization simple, user-friendly and reliable;
  
  
• agile and flexible multi-planning, through which tasks can be planned by profession and skill using the system, ensuring a balanced and efficient distribution of tasks;
  
  
• business management based on real data, as ANAV consolidates planning with feedback from the field, offering precise management based on concrete data, enabling rigorous monitoring of site progress;
  
  
• simplicity of use and time savings are also among the significant advantages gained, thanks to a user-friendly interface that simplifies users' day-to-day work, reducing low value-added tasks.The user-friendly interface simplifies users' day-to-day work, reducing low value-added tasks through task allocation, team planning, note and document sharing, and time recording.

As a planning tool first and foremost, ANAV proves to be an invaluable ally when it comes to setting up an optimal workload plan to best monitor available resources.

🛠 Staff Planning

Staff Planning is a software program for scheduling and clocking in and out staff. Intuitive and collaborative, it is aimed primarily at small and medium-sized businesses and groups in the construction, industry and nuclear sectors.

So it's only natural that Staff Planning should include workload planning among its functions.

More concretely, Staff Planning really helps you to gain visibility over the distribution of your resources, and you will derive numerous benefits from using this solution:

• the creation, in just a few clicks, of forecast workload plans taking into account all elements (duration, work cycle, skills and authorizations, etc.) ;
• analysis of discrepancies between the forecasted workload and capacity, to better anticipate resource shortages;
• greater visibility of assigned personnel, thanks to various schedules: Portfolio, Project Schedule, Absence and Training Schedule and Personnel Schedule;
• multi-agency planning, to manage your resources across several agencies or departments;
• time and attendance functions (by team and project) and absence and training management functions to complete the tool and automate HR processes;
• dedicated support from Staff Planning teams at every stage (kick-offs, workshops, training courses, etc.).

All this with the help of intuitive software that encourages collaboration between employees, managers, HR and management, and helps everyone become more efficient.

Our selection of online workload planning software

Key benefits of workload planning software

Workload planning is the science of time allocation, and must be rigorous.

To ensure the efficiency and profitability of a project, online workload planning software enables you to optimize all the key success factors of your projects:

• resource planning based on availability and skills,
• time tracking for efficient resource management,
• analysis of data from completed or ongoing projects to improve resource allocation on the basis of time spent,
• anticipate risks or constraints in an environment marked by rapidly changing demands.

Our selection of tools

We have selected a number of SaaS-based tools to help you draw up an online workload plan, and bring more intelligence to your project workload planning and management.

🛠 Beesbusy

Beesbusy is an intuitive, ultra-easy-to-use project planning and management software that lets you manage your projects and tasks with ease. Suitable for experts and beginners alike, this fully customizable solution makes it easy to manage your resources and optimize your workload.

Beesbusy is a truly collaborative tool with sophisticated, easy-to-use features such as :

• advanced resource planning, enabling you to plan and track the time spent by your employees in detail (time scheduled, time completed, time remaining) ;
• a global view of your schedules and tasks to manage several projects at the same time, with 3 customizable multi-project views providing useful data for project management (planning, Gantt and calendar);
• Intuitive workload plans providing an overview of the duration of each task and the associated workload, as well as the resources required in terms of availability and skills, taking into account their vacations and other constraints;
• 3 types of dashboard, enabling you to create customized indicators that make it easier to track your tasks and projects (individual dashboard to track your tasks according to their status, personalized dashboard to track the tasks of your teams or collaborators, global dashboard for an overall view of project portfolios);
• an App for smartphones (Android and iOS) to stay efficient anywhere, anytime.

What's more, the software offers very good value for money, with a free version that's relevant for VSEs and small structures, and sliding-scale pricing thanks to team packs.

In conclusion, Beesbusy is a real all-in-one tool that gives you a 360° view of your business, while streamlining communication within your teams .

🛠 F itnet Manager

Fitnet Manager is an ergonomic, easy-to-use management solution for project-oriented organizations, such as consulting firms and service companies. Its Capacity Planning tool optimizes workload management.

Highly functional and fully customizable, it allows you to :

• obtain an overview of all employees assigned to each job or project, and adjust the schedule according to different views (by employee or by job);
• automatically modify and update data directly on the schedule;
• filter by month or week, and provide information on completed activities entered by collaborators and the forecast schedule;
• color-code resource availability and schedule anomalies , and sort employees in ascending or descending order;
• optimize the staffing rate, corresponding to the billing rate, which can be analyzed in a dedicated monthly or annual report.

In addition, four comprehensive reporting tools are integrated into the software to summarize time spent and planned by employee and by project/business.

🛠 F urious Squad

Furious Squad, a solution for the global management of agencies, firms and ESNs, helps you improve the profitability of your projects. Its workload planning tool lets you focus on production, staffing and customer satisfaction.

Designed as an autopilot, it offers:

• actual occupancy rate monitoring , to detect any overrun of the current load and help maximize billable time;
• intelligent workload planning, by automatically suggesting long-term improvement paths;
• a true decision-making tool, centralizing all the company's decision-making flows;
• predictive functions, such as pre-sales probabilities for certain types of skills;
• a clear, graphical interface for visualizing tasks according to importance criteria, and quickly detecting where to focus.

This tool draws on data and artificial intelligence to calculate the shortest route to productivity and facilitate your decision-making.

🛠 monday.com

monday.com is a multi-featured project management tool to facilitate the creation and routing of your projects from A to Z. Customizable and easy to use, it facilitates your overview thanks to a user-friendly interface.

Here's what monday.com can help you achieve:

• an overview of your projects thanks to several calendar templates, a colorful and easy-to-understand interface ;
• an agile and flexibletool , with the possibility of modulating your interface with the functionalities of your choice;
• information on the progress of your current projects at a glance, thanks to a functional and customizable dashboard;
• rapid decision-making thanks to time-tracking tools and task automation;
• easier management of your teams, with real-time availability;
• access to all your advanced updates and budget approvals for maximum productivity.

🛠 Project Monitor

Project Monitor is a comprehensive project portfolio management software package. As a result, it enables optimum management of resource allocation and workload planning, even for companies running a large number of projects simultaneously.

Rich in functionality and automation, the solution's assets are numerous:

• a simple planning system enabling the manager to anticipate the workload based on available resources;
• the ability to plan resources progressively, starting with a macro vision, then refining to obtain a more detailed view;
• real-time updates to keep the workload plan in line with reality in the field (e.g. sick leave), and an alert system in the event of understaffing or overstaffing;
• a time recording and tracking tool, with the possibility of automation, to facilitate schedule management and ensure the accuracy of the workload plan;
• reports and analyses to ensure ROI on current projects and anticipate future needs and projects.

In short, with Project Monitor, you can intelligently manage your resources, even in the case of numerous and/or complex projects, and draw on your feedback to better plan future projects.

🛠 S tafiz

Stafiz is an ERP aimed at service company teams operating in project mode, and more specifically at ESNs, consulting firms, agencies, software publishers and integrators, and training organizations.

It goes further than project management software, supporting the management of all the organization's activities, from pre-sales to invoicing.

The tool's comprehensive features include staffing management functions, integrated with resource planning and project tracking, for optimum management of your workloads. Key features include

• the Smart Staffing function, which automatically indicates the most suitable profiles according to the various criteria entered beforehand (availability, skills, functions, etc.);
• real-time visibility of capacity risks, to avoid over- or under-work;
• indicators to determine which skills will be in short supply in the future;
• monitoring of forecast workloads for customer projects, internal projects and absences, so as to anticipate future needs;
• the ability to create a pool of subcontractors and freelancers, to maintain collaboration with them and staff them on your projects;
• advanced time tracking and validation functionalities, including vacation management, usable via a mobile application (Android & iOS);
• assignment tracking reports (consolidated, by project, customer, employee, etc.) to help you better plan future workloads and respect margins;
• synchronization with all your calendars, for greater visibility of your schedules.

Stafiz guarantees complete visibility to improve your workloads and the profitability of your projects, as well as significant time savings thanks to the end-to-end automation of all your operations.

🛠 Teamleader

Teamleader is a complete business management software package, enabling you to manage all your company's activities in a single tool.

Designed for VSEs, SMEs and agencies working in digital, media or advertising, this turnkey solution offers you all the features you need to organize your business and customer projects. In addition to planning, it enables you to manage and track sales, and even invoicing.

Teamleader has over 10 years' experience and more than 15,000 satisfied customers!

Accurate tracking of hours worked and resource availability are major issues of efficiency and profitability for your company. Improve your performance with :

• timetracking functionality to accurately time the time spent on a project, automatically or manually, and export time reports in one click for easy invoicing to your customers;
• capacity estimation to determine whether the right people are available to ensure the smooth running and success of your project;
• optimize your organization by analyzing time spent via different filters (by project, by customer, by user, etc.) and generating reports to better manage future projects;
• intelligent management of human resource allocation for each project, to ensure that the workload is evenly distributed and processes run smoothly;
• Teamleader's API synchronization with other software applications to save time and optimize organization (shared calendar, administrative tools, lead generation, etc.);
• experts to help you set up the software in your company and monitor its use, and a customer service team available to answer your questions on a daily basis.

Teamleader is an easy-to-use software package that lets you manage your entire business from a single interface for just €15 per month per user, with new features added regularly.

🛠 Triskell

Triskell is also a project portfolio management software. What makes it special? To support strategic planning and overall organizational governance, addressing the entire management value chain.

It is therefore particularly well suited to small and medium-sized companies and large accounts.

In terms of resource management, and therefore workload planning, Triskell is particularly powerful:

• a top-down resource allocation system, enabling you to plan generic resources (by business line, for example), and not just by name. This gives you an initial overview, without having to waste time going into too much detail right away;
• simultaneous management of resources at both macro and micro levels, to give you the most accurate picture possible of your company's capacity;
• accurate monitoring of workloads within the company, across all activities, to see which resources can be allocated to each project;
• scenarios to identify the best configuration to adopt;
• timesheets to accurately track the time spent by employees on each project;
• an agile, flexible and modular tool: add the bricks you want to the software and adapt it to your needs.

🛠 Whoz

Whoz digitalizes resource staffing for service companies and consultancies, thanks to powerful analysis and resource management tools. This SaaS solution gives you better control over your business, to boost performance.

The goal? Less profit leakage and more opportunities thanks to :

• a global, accurate, real-time view of the workload, to quickly identify consultants on assignment, on intercontract and scheduling anomalies;
• an intelligent dashboard that consolidates real-time and forecast data (actual occupancy rate, overall TACE, available days, etc.) to better anticipate activity;
• simulation of several staffing scenarios with different profiles, analyzing the impact of each choice on margin and profitability;
• rapid, multi-criteria identification of the best profiles for a given assignment (skills, geographical location, availability, profitability);
• internal and external visibility of the company's resources among its business units and trusted partners (companies, freelancers, etc.).

Make faster, more informed decisions, based on intelligent, predictive data processing, to sustainably improve your results.

🛠 Wrike

Wrike stands out as a cloud-based collaborative software offering simplified project management. Its compatibility with other applications, advanced synchronization options , powerful automation and intuitive interface make it an essential tool for optimizing your workload. Maximize your team's efficiency and ensure increased productivity with optimal team collaboration!

Objectives: efficiency and profitability

Say goodbye to Excel and delays due to lack of anticipation, and use past times to better predict tomorrow's projects!

The major challenges for your organization are to maximize your sales-generating activities, the allocation of your resources with as many invoiced contracts as possible, and customer satisfaction. All with the best possible efficiency.

Automated workload planning in a dedicated tool assists you in this, to increase visibility of these key criteria, and ultimately optimize the company's profitability.

Are you convinced of the benefits of using an online tool to make the most of your workload planning?