Schedule Calculation and Capacity Planning in Project Management – Definition and Meaning
Time scheduling and capacity scheduling refer to the combined calculation methods in project management that take into account both time planning (scheduling) and resource availability and utilization. Within the framework of network planning, time scheduling determines the earliest and latest possible start and finish dates for all activities, as well as float (buffer times). In parallel, capacity scheduling checks whether the required resources (people, machines, materials) are available in sufficient quantity; it calculates the dates and the resource loading of the resources planned in the project. Both methods are used to create a realistic and feasible overall project plan.
In PLANTA, Scheduling means an automatic calculation of the schedules of the projects. In scheduling, all factors of the schedules like dates, duration, resource effort, and costs are calculated by a special algorithm while taking different planning schemes and settings into account.
In PLANTA, Scheduling means an automatic calculation of the schedules of the projects. In scheduling, all factors of the schedules like dates, duration, resource effort, and costs are calculated by a special algorithm while taking different planning schemes and settings into account.
Example, best practice, and additional information
Using time scheduling and capacity scheduling, the earliest possible start date for each activity in the project plan is calculated, taking into account all predecessor dependencies and the availability of required resources. A best practice is to run both calculations in an integrated way after every significant plan change to keep the plan up to date and realistic. Time scheduling is a fundamental component of schedule management in the PMBOK Guide (especially the Critical Path Method), while capacity scheduling supports resource management. Correct time scheduling and capacity scheduling ensure a coherent, realistic schedule and help identify both time-related and resource-related bottlenecks early.