Planning capacities on a rolling basis

As a project manager, I’ve learned that a good plan is the key to project success – but it should never be set in stone. That’s why I always start with a broad overview. The first step in any project is rough medium- and long-term planning. We set clear goals, estimate resource requirements, and establish the general direction. This creates a solid foundation that we can build upon. But as we all know, the devil is in the details. And this is where the crucial transition to more detailed planning begins.

Pre-reservation: The foundation of planning

In medium- and long-term planning, resources and capacities are initially roughly allocated at the department or team level over a longer period of time. Capacities are reserved – not necessarily for specific individuals, but rather for functional units. These pre-reservations help ensure that the necessary resources are available at the planned time. The focus is on identifying bottlenecks early and reserving resources to ensure they are ready for upcoming projects or tasks. This also allows us to determine whether the desired workload or team capabilities will be available during the planned timeframe.

Rolling detailed planning – Flexibility at the forefront

The transition from rough to detailed planning happens on a rolling basis, usually for a short-term period of the next 4, 6, or 8 weeks. During this phase, I focus on breaking down the roughly reserved capacities into specific tasks. This is known as top-down planning, moving from broad to detailed. It’s no longer just about whether a department has enough capacity, but rather which specific resources – whether specific employees, skills, or roles – are required. With each level of detailed planning, the pre-reserved capacity is gradually consumed. In simple terms, the initially pre-reserved capacities are progressively converted into concrete resource and task plans. Flexibility is key here: one must be ready to react to changes, such as shifting priorities or unexpected challenges. A good resource management tool helps keep track of everything and implement adjustments efficiently.

How this looks in Can Do is shown as an example in the gallery I have included.

1 Generic rough planning of resources at the phase level.

2 Rough planning of reserved capacities at the phase level.

3 Generic rough planning of resources at the work package level.

4 Capacities are deducted from the reserved total capacity of the phase using the deduction function.

5 Detailed resource planning for individual employees.

Why detailed planning for the entire project is not practical

Good project managers know that flexibility is the key to success. Detailed planning for the entire project? It might sound appealing, but it’s rarely the best solution. Just take a look at your Outlook calendar: while the next two weeks are often filled with appointments, many time slots are still open in the following month. So why plan every minute now? In the project world, things are constantly changing – new priorities, unexpected challenges, or fresh ideas. It makes little sense to plan resources in detail for time periods that are too far ahead, as many things may change in the meantime. Instead of sticking rigidly to a detailed plan, it’s much smarter to leave room for adjustments, allowing us to quickly respond to changes.

Moreover, do we really want to spend our valuable time on endless data maintenance? As a project manager, I see it as my job to focus my energy where it adds the most value – leading the project, solving challenges, and driving goals forward. A flexible plan gives us the freedom to do just that. Let’s not get bogged down by rigid details but rather use the freedom that rolling planning provides. This way, we stay on course while focusing on what truly matters: the success of our project!

Conclusion

Planning is more than just a snapshot. The journey from rough medium- and long-term planning to detailed planning is a continuous process. It’s about maintaining flexibility while keeping an overview of capacities and resources. By pre-reserving and gradually refining capacities, you ensure that you remain capable of taking action and guiding the project to success. Invest in a robust resource planning system that enables you to adapt efficiently to changes. This way, you’ll ensure that you always have the right resources at the right time, both now and in the future.