How do you estimate resource availability for agile and lean projects?

1 Use historical data

One of the best ways to estimate resource availability is to use historical data from previous projects or iterations. You can analyze how much time and effort your team spent on different types of tasks, such as development, testing, documentation, or maintenance. You can also track the average velocity, throughput, or cycle time of your team, which measure how much work they can deliver in a given period. Historical data can help you identify patterns, trends, and bottlenecks in your resource utilization, and adjust your estimates accordingly.

2 Involve your team

Another important tip is to involve your team in the capacity planning process. Your team members are the ones who know their skills, availability, and preferences best. They can provide realistic and accurate estimates of how much work they can handle, and how much time they need for each task. They can also communicate any potential risks, issues, or dependencies that might affect their resource availability, such as vacations, sick leaves, training, or technical debt. By involving your team, you can foster collaboration, transparency, and accountability, and ensure that everyone is aligned on the project goals and expectations.

3 Use a visual tool

A visual tool can help you estimate and monitor your resource availability more easily and effectively. You can use a tool such as a capacity matrix, a resource histogram, or a Kanban board to display the available resources, the planned work, and the actual work in progress. A visual tool can help you see the big picture, spot any gaps, imbalances, or overloads in your resource allocation, and make adjustments as needed. A visual tool can also help you communicate your capacity plan to your stakeholders, and show them how your team is delivering value.

4 Review and update regularly

Finally, you should review and update your resource availability estimates regularly, as agile and lean environments are dynamic and unpredictable. You should check your resource availability at the start of each iteration or sprint, and compare it with the planned work and the expected outcomes. You should also monitor your resource availability throughout the iteration or sprint, and track any changes or deviations from your plan. You should review your resource availability at the end of each iteration or sprint, and evaluate how well your team performed, and what lessons you learned. By reviewing and updating your resource availability estimates regularly, you can adapt to changing needs, priorities, and feedback, and improve your capacity planning over time.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?