capacity-planner

# Capacity Planner Plan team and infrastructure capacity before it becomes a crisis. ## What It Does Takes your current workload data — team size, utilization rates, project pipeline, seasonal patterns — and builds a forward-looking capacity model. Flags bottlenecks 4-8 weeks before they hit. ## When to Use - Sprint planning feels like guesswork - You're not sure if you can take on a new client/project - Hiring decisions need data, not gut feel - Infrastructure keeps getting slammed at predictable times ## How to Use Tell the agent about your situation: ``` "We have 8 engineers, 3 active projects, and a new client starting in March. Can we handle it?" ``` The agent will: 1. **Audit current load** — Map people to commitments, calculate true utilization (not the number in your head) 2. **Model scenarios** — What happens if the new project lands? What if two people quit? What if scope grows 30%? 3. **Flag risks** — Identify single points of failure, overloaded roles, deadline clusters 4. **Recommend actions** — Hire, redistribute, defer, or say no — with numbers behind each option ## Capacity Framework ### Utilization Bands | Band | Rate | Meaning | |------|------|---------| | 🟢 Green | <70% | Healthy buffer for unplanned work | | 🟡 Yellow | 70-85% | Sustainable but tight | | 🔴 Red | >85% | Burnout zone — something will slip | ### Key Metrics - **Effective capacity** = headcount × available hours × efficiency factor (typically 0.7-0.8) - **Demand pipeline** = committed hours + probable hours (weighted by likelihood) - **Buffer ratio** = (capacity - demand) / capacity — target 15-25% - **Time to constraint** = weeks until demand exceeds capacity at current trajectory ### Scenario Template For each scenario, output: - Headcount needed vs. available - Skill gaps (specific roles/capabilities missing) - Timeline risk (which deadlines move) - Cost impact (overtime, contractors, lost revenue from saying no) - Recommended action with confidence level ## Output Format ``` CAPACITY SNAPSHOT — [Date] ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Team: [size] | Utilization: [%] | Buffer: [%] Status: 🟢/🟡/🔴 CURRENT COMMITMENTS - [Project A]: [X people, Y hours/week, end date] - [Project B]: ... PIPELINE (next 8 weeks) - [Incoming work]: probability %, estimated load - ... RISKS 1. [Risk description + impact + timeframe] 2. ... SCENARIOS A) [Scenario]: [outcome summary] B) [Scenario]: [outcome summary] RECOMMENDATION [Clear action with reasoning] ``` ## Tips - Refresh capacity snapshots weekly during planning - Track actual vs. predicted utilization to calibrate your efficiency factor - Include non-project work (meetings, support, admin) — it's usually 20-30% of capacity - Don't plan above 80% utilization. The remaining 20% isn't slack, it's where real work happens. ## Go Deeper Your capacity model is one piece of operational planning. For full business context packs covering finance, operations, and growth strategy across 10 industries: → **[AfrexAI Context Packs](https://afrexai-cto.github.io/context-packs/)** — $47 each, built by operators who've done the work. → **[AI Revenue Calculator](https://afrexai-cto.github.io/ai-revenue-calculator/)** — Find out where your business is leaking money (free tool). → **[Agent Setup Wizard](https://afrexai-cto.github.io/agent-setup/)** — Get your AI agent configured for your specific business in 5 minutes.