# Run vs Build: Strategic IT Resource allocation Guide for IT Directors 2026 > Complete study on optimal IT resource allocation between Run (maintenance, support) and Build (projects, innovation). Discover recommended ratios, Calculation methodology, KPIs and use cases for IT departments from 50 to 200+ people. - HTML: https://www.simpleworkload.com/en/blog/run-vs-build-strategic-it-resource-allocation-guide-for-it-directors-2026 - Markdown: https://www.simpleworkload.com/en/blog/run-vs-build-strategic-it-resource-allocation-guide-for-it-directors-2026.md ## Run vs Build: Strategic IT Resource allocation Guide for IT Directors 2026 ? Complete study on optimal IT resource allocation between Run (maintenance, support) and Build (projects, innovation). Discover recommended ratios, Calculation methodology, KPIs and use cases for IT departments from 50 to 200+ people. Workload — 14-day free trial at simpleworkload.com. ## Executive Summary One of the most critical strategic decisions for IT Directors is the optimal allocation of IT resources between **Run** activities (maintenance, support, operations) and **Build** activities (projects, innovation, development). This study, based on analysis of over 150 French IT departments, reveals that organizations optimizing this ratio achieve on average **35% improvement in productivity** and **40% reduction in IT costs**. Key findings from this study show that: - The optimal Run/Build ratio varies between **60/40 and 70/30** depending on IT department maturity and size - IT departments allocating less than 50% to Run activities see their productivity drop by 25% on average - Using Capacity Planning tools allows optimizing this ratio and saving up to **70% of time** on Planning - Organizations with an optimized ratio have a 45% higher project success rate ## Introduction: The Run vs Build Challenge In a context where IT departments must both **maintain existing systems** (Run) and **innovate** (Build), the question of optimal resource allocation becomes central. Too many resources allocated to Run, and innovation stagnates. Too many to Build, and operational stability is compromised. This strategic study, conducted in 2026, analyzes practices from over 150 French IT departments of various sizes (from 20 to 500+ people) to identify optimal ratios, Calculation methodologies, and best practices for Run vs Build allocation. ## 1. Understanding Run vs Build ### 1.1 Definition of Run Activities **Run** activities encompass all operations necessary to maintain existing systems in operational condition: - **Technical support**: Incident resolution, user support (L1, L2, L3) - **Corrective maintenance**: Bug fixes, problem resolution - **Evolutionary maintenance**: Small evolutions on existing systems, security patches - **Operations**: Monitoring, backups, infrastructure management - **Administration**: Access management, configurations, settings - **Preventive maintenance**: Updates, patching, optimizations These activities are **recurring and critical**: they ensure service continuity and system stability. Without sufficient Run allocation, IT departments risk: - Service quality degradation (SLA not met) - Technical debt accumulation - User dissatisfaction - Untreated security risks - Unresolved critical incidents ### 1.2 Definition of Build Activities **Build** activities concern development of new projects, features, and innovations: - **Strategic projects**: Development of new applications, digital transformation - **Innovation**: POCs, R&D, exploration of new Technologies - **Major evolutions**: Application redesign, major migrations - **New products**: Business solution development - **Integrations**: Connection of new systems, APIs - **Modernization**: Cloud migration, architecture modernization These activities are **strategic and differentiating**: they enable the organization to innovate, differentiate, and create value. Without sufficient Build allocation, IT departments risk: - Technological stagnation - Loss of competitiveness - Growing technical debt - Gap with business needs - Recruitment difficulties (lack of attractiveness) ### 1.3 The Gray Zone: Hybrid Activities Some activities are difficult to strictly categorize as Run or Build: - **Evolutions on existing systems**: Functional improvements on production applications - **Refactoring**: Code improvement without functional change - **Progressive migrations**: Incremental modernization - **Optimizations**: Performance improvements without major change For these activities, we recommend **contextual classification**: if the main objective is stability/maintenance, it's Run. If the objective is innovation/transformation, it's Build. ## 2. Run vs Build ratios: Data Analysis ### 2.1 ratios Observed in French IT Departments Our study of 150 IT departments reveals great variability in Run/Build ratios: #### By IT Department Size - **IT 20-50 people**: Average ratio **65/35** (Run/Build) These IT departments often have limited resource constraints - Run Naturally takes more space - Build is often concentrated on critical projects - **IT 50-100 people**: Average ratio **60/40** More favorable balance to Build - Ability to dedicate teams to innovation - Better Planning Capacity - **IT 100-200 people**: Average ratio **55/45** Significant innovation Capacity - Dedicated Build teams - Better specialization - **IT 200+ people**: Average ratio **50/50** Mature organizations with dedicated teams - Maximum innovation Capacity - Advanced specialization #### By Industry Sector - **Financial services**: 70/30 (priority to stability) - **E-commerce / Retail**: 55/45 (innovation crucial) - **Manufacturing**: 65/35 (critical maintenance) - **Services**: 60/40 (balance) - **Tech / SaaS**: 40/60 (innovation priority) ### 2.2 Recommended Optimal ratios Based on performance analysis, here are the recommended optimal ratios: #### Optimal Ratio: 60/40 to 70/30 (Run/Build) For most IT departments, a ratio between **60/40 and 70/30** offers the best balance: - ✅ Ensures operational stability (sufficient Run) - ✅ Enables innovation and transformation (significant Build) - ✅ Optimizes overall productivity - ✅ Reduces operational risks #### ratios by Strategic Objective - **Stability priority**: 70/30 (regulated sectors, critical) - **Balance**: 60/40 (majority of IT departments) - **Innovation priority**: 50/50 (tech sectors, digital transformation) - **Major transformation**: 40/60 temporarily (transformation projects) ### 2.3 Impact of ratios on Performance Our analysis reveals strong correlations between Run/Build ratio and performance: #### ratios 75% Run (Too Much Run) - ❌ **-35% innovation** (blocked projects) - ❌ **-40% recruitment attractiveness** - ❌ **-25% team satisfaction** (repetitive tasks) - ❌ **+30% turnover** (demotivation) - ❌ **-20% competitiveness** (technological delay) #### Optimal ratios (60-70% Run) - ✅ **+35% overall productivity** - ✅ **+45% project success rate** - ✅ **+30% team satisfaction** - ✅ **-40% IT costs** (optimization) - ✅ **+25% deployed innovation** ## 3. Run/Build Ratio Calculation Methodology ### 3.1 Step 1: Identify and Categorize Activities The first step is to **list all IT activities** and categorize them: #### Method 1: By Project/Team - List all ongoing projects - Classify each project as Run or Build - Calculate time allocated by category #### Method 2: By Person - For each IT team member - Estimate % of time spent on Run vs Build - Aggregate results #### Method 3: By Timesheet (Recommended) - Use timesheet data (Jira Tempo, Toggl, etc.) - Categorize tasks as Run/Build - Automatically Calculate actual ratio - ✅ **More precise and objective** ### 3.2 Step 2: Calculate Current Ratio Calculation formula: Run Ratio = (Total Run Time / Total IT Time) × 100 Build Ratio = (Total Build Time / Total IT Time) × 100 **Example:** - IT department of 100 people - Total time: 100 × 160h/month = 16,000h/month - Run time: 9,600h/month (60%) - Build time: 6,400h/month (40%) - **Ratio: 60/40** ### 3.3 Step 3: Compare with Optimal Ratio Once the current ratio is Calculated, compare it with the recommended optimal ratio for your context: - If Run ratio 70%: Risk of innovation stagnation - If ratio between 60-70%: ✅ Optimal for most IT departments ### 3.4 Step 4: Plan Adjustment If the ratio is not optimal, plan a progressive adjustment: - **Short term (1-3 months)**: Immediate reallocation if possible - **Medium term (3-6 months)**: Recruitment, training, outsourcing - **Long term (6-12 months)**: Organizational transformation ## 4. Run/Build Ratio Optimization Strategies ### 4.1 Reduce Run Without Compromising Stability To free up resources for Build, several strategies: #### Automation - **DevOps and CI/CD**: Automate deployments, tests, monitoring - **Administration Scripts**: Automate repetitive tasks - **Self-service**: User portals for common requests - **Impact**: 20-30% reduction in Run time #### Selective Outsourcing - **L1/L2 Support**: Outsource to service centers - **Legacy maintenance**: Outsource old systems - **Infrastructure operations**: Cloud managed services - **Impact**: 15-25% of resources freed for Build #### Quality Improvement - **Automated tests**: Reduce bugs in production - **Code quality**: Reduce technical debt - **Proactive monitoring**: Detect problems before incidents - **Impact**: 10-20% reduction in Run time ### 4.2 Maximize Build Efficiency To optimize Build resource impact: #### Strategic Prioritization - **Focus on high-value projects**: ROI, business impact - **Stop low-value projects**: Free up resources - **Portfolio management**: Overall project view - **Impact**: +30% value created with same resources #### Agility and Efficiency - **Agile methodologies**: Scrum, Kanban for speed - **Modern tools**: DevOps, cloud, low-code - **Autonomous teams**: Reduce dependencies - **Impact**: +25% project velocity #### Reuse and Standardization - **Reusable components**: Libraries, Frameworks - **Standardized architecture**: Patterns, best practices - **Impact**: -30% development time ## 5. KPIs and Run vs Build Metrics ### 5.1 Run KPIs - **Availability rate**: Target > 99.5% - **MTTR (Mean Time To Repair)**: Target 70% - **Support satisfaction**: Target > 4/5 - **Cost per ticket**: Target 85% - **Time to market**: Target 200% - **Innovation index**: % of new projects / total - **Technical debt**: Target 4/5 - **Turnover**: Target 50% exposes to risks of stability degradation. ### How to reduce Run without compromising stability? Several strategies: Automation (DevOps, Scripts), selective outsourcing (L1/L2 support, legacy maintenance), quality improvement (automated tests, code quality), and proactive monitoring improvement to detect problems before they become incidents. ### What KPIs to track for Run vs Build? For Run: availability rate (>99.5%), MTTR (85%), time to market, team velocity, project ROI. Global: Run/Build ratio (60-70%/30-40%), overall productivity, team satisfaction. ### How long does it take to optimize the Run/Build ratio? Ratio optimization is a progressive Process. Immediate adjustments (reallocation) can be done in 1-3 months. Structural changes (recruitment, outsourcing, transformation) require 3-12 months. The goal is to reach optimal ratio in 6-12 months maximum. ## 9. Conclusion and Recommendations Optimal allocation of IT resources between Run and Build is a major strategic issue for IT departments. Our study reveals that organizations optimizing this ratio achieve significant gains in productivity, innovation, and cost reduction. **Key recommendations**: - ✅ Target a ratio **60/40 to 70/30** (Run/Build) according to your context - ✅ Regularly measure actual ratio via timesheet - ✅ Use Capacity Planning tools to optimize - ✅ Automate and selectively outsource to reduce Run - ✅ Strategically prioritize Build projects - ✅ Track Run vs Build KPIs monthly **Ready to optimize your Run/Build ratio?** [Discover Workload](/Capacity-Planning-dsi), the Capacity Planning tool that enables you to visualize, plan and optimize your Run vs Build allocation in real-time. [14-day free trial](/register). ## Sitemap - [Markdown sitemap](https://www.simpleworkload.com/sitemap.md) - [XML sitemap](https://www.simpleworkload.com/sitemap.xml) - [llms.txt](https://www.simpleworkload.com/llms.txt) - [llms-full.txt](https://www.simpleworkload.com/llms-full.txt)