In my opinion, people understand a problem when they are included in the discussion around the impact of not doing 'something'; in this instance, the impact of capacity planning issues. Whether the individuals are tech or non-tech, explaining the business impact in layman's terms is the way to go, as this will pave the way to comprehend the potential impact.

In my opinion, I think capacity planning in IT operations is a balancing act between resource availability and business demand. When explaining it to non-tech stakeholders, I focus on relatable analogies—like comparing IT infrastructure to road traffic: too many cars (users/applications) on a narrow road (limited resources) or bad road lead to congestion (performance issues). Using data-driven visuals, such as trend charts and predictive analytics, helps bridge the gap between technical complexities and business impact. Ultimately, aligning capacity decisions with business goals ensures cost efficiency and scalability.

Explaining capacity planning to non-tech stakeholders requires clarity. Start with an analogy—compare IT capacity to a restaurant kitchen. Too few resources lead to delays, while too many waste money. Highlight key factors: demand forecasting to predict usage, resource allocation to optimize costs, and scalability planning to handle growth smoothly. Emphasize that the goal is to balance performance and cost, ensuring the system runs efficiently without unnecessary spending or slowdowns.

Think of IT capacity like a busy road. If there aren’t enough lanes, traffic jams happen (slow systems). If there are too many, you’re paying for empty roads (wasted resources). The goal is to balance cost and performance so everything runs smoothly, even when demand changes.

Capacity planning ensures IT systems can handle current and future demands without performance issues or downtime. If we underestimate, we face systems slow down or crash; if we overestimate, we waste resources and money. It's like booking the right-sized banquet hall for an event—too small, and guests are cramped; too big, and we pay for unused space.