Skill capacity planning
Introduction
What is the Skill capacity planning tab?
The Skill capacity planning tab in the Project app is the working screen for capacity planning at project level. It sets the different types of project hours—such as Allocation, Planned, Request, and Actual—against each other per Skill and per period. This shows whether the capacity the project needs matches the capacity the project has been given.
Because of the project dynamics, the project produces the most accurate and timely capacity planning. The capacity planned here feeds the Skill capacity planning of the portfolio with detailed, up-to-date demand for the medium term.
Who uses it?
- Project managers, to plan the required capacity per Skill and signal deviations.
- Portfolio managers, to see the project's planned and requested hours reflected in the portfolio.
- Resource managers, to use the project demand as input for deploying people.
What value does it deliver?
- Insight into whether the allocated capacity covers the planned capacity of the project.
- A formal route to request additional capacity from the portfolio.
- Comparison of planned versus actual hours once time is written.
Understanding the board
The board works the same as the Skill capacity planning in the portfolio, scoped to one project and its plan items. It is an FCC planning grid; see the Grid article for the shared controls. The toolbar contains a capacity type selector (e.g. Allocation) with a comparison dropdown to set a second type against it, a unit selector (e.g. hours), a time scale selector with period slider, a Filter skill option, and a gear icon for the configuration.
Setting up
The Skill capacity planning tab must be available in the project. This is configured in the Project model: click the configuration icon at the bottom left of the screen and select the tab Capacity planning on skills. This is typically done by the FCC functional administrator or the manager of the organizational unit in which the project model resides.
Working with the Skill capacity planning
Step 1: Plan the project in detail
Capacity is planned on the plan items of the project. Start with a detailed project schedule in the Project planning tab; the plan items from the schedule form the rows on which capacity is planned.
Step 2: Plan the required skill capacity
Add the required capacity per Skill to the plan items in the schedule. The planned hours are summed per Skill and per period, so the total demand of the project becomes visible.
Step 3: Compare allocated versus planned capacity
By now, the project may have received capacity from the portfolio in the form of an Allocation. Set Allocation against Planned in the toolbar to see the difference between what was given and what is needed. If the planned capacity differs substantially from the allocated capacity, coordination with the appropriate bodies (e.g. Steering Committee, Portfolio Management, Change Board) is needed.
Step 4: Request additional capacity from the portfolio
To signal to the portfolio manager that there is an explicit need for a change in allocated capacity, a request can be made from within the project:
- In the toolbar, set Planned against Request.
- Click the
⋮menu behind the project name and copy Planned to Request. - Apply the change with the button at the top right. The request is now visible in the portfolio.
Tip: Use the built-in Approval workflows to formalize the change process and record the decision making. A document can be linked to the workflow, such as an export describing the change and its consequences.
Step 5: Compare planned versus actual hours
Once time is written in the project, set Planned against Actual to compare the actual hours with the planned capacity. Deviations may lead to changes in the schedule or in the capacity needs.
Capacity types
The board uses the standard FCC capacity types (Allocation, Planned, Request, Rough estimate, Actual). See Understanding capacity types in the portfolio article for an explanation of each type and the comparisons they support.
Best practices
- Keep the schedule current: The capacity planning is only as accurate as the project schedule it is based on.
- Compare regularly: Review Allocation versus Planned at a fixed cadence, so deviations are coordinated early.
- Use Request for formal changes: Copy Planned to Request instead of informally asking for more capacity. This makes the demand visible in the portfolio.
- Combine with Approval workflows: Secure the decision making on capacity changes in FCC.
FAQ
Why don't I see the Skill capacity planning tab in my project?
The tab must be activated in the Project model. Contact your functional administrator.
Where do the allocated hours come from?
From the portfolio: the portfolio manager allocates capacity to the project in the portfolio's Skill capacity planning.
How does the portfolio see my request?
After copying Planned to Request and applying the change, the requested hours are visible to the portfolio manager in the portfolio's Skill capacity planning.
Can I plan capacity without a project schedule?
The capacity planning is based on the plan items of the project, so a (rough) schedule is needed first.
Need more support?
For step-by-step instructions or troubleshooting, contact your Fortes Change Cloud administrator or consult in-app help.