Capacity planning in my software team meant typically setting aside about 80 percent of developer time for customer work. The remaining time provided room for unexpected issues, technical discussion and learning. It helped us make realistic promises to customers and gave colleagues a workable week when plans changed.
How the 80/20 approach worked
In my company, we booked 80 percent of employees' time for customer work as a starting point. In a 37-hour working week, that meant 29.6 hours, while 7.4 hours left room for the unexpected. It was not a mechanical rule for every person and every week. It was a way of not selling the same hour twice: first as a firm delivery and then as necessary time for bug fixing, learning or coordination.
How the remaining time was used
When the buffer was not needed for unexpected tasks, it could be used for upskilling, knowledge sharing and team activities. We also set aside every other Friday for learning. That gave the team room to work with new methods and tools without having to hide the time in a customer task. I experienced more calm and better retention, and employees stayed four to five years on average. I cannot reduce that to a single cause, but it supports my experience that planning and wellbeing go together.
When priorities changed
I have prioritised the work together with my partner Lasse Ingerslev Koitzsch and with a Product Owner, and aligned needs, quality and capacity with our customers' decision-makers. A plan only creates value when everyone knows what matters most, what can wait and who decides. That conversation can be difficult, but it is better than a promise the team cannot keep.
In a new organisation, I will start by understanding which tasks actually take up time and where interruptions occur. Then we can agree on realistic room to manoeuvre. I offer experience in turning capacity into a leadership decision that both the business and the developers can understand.
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