What's the best Excel capacity plan alternative for a CIO office?
Excel works to start (< 15 IT staff, few projects). From ~30–50 staff or multi-project portfolios, Excel TCO spikes: for an 80-person IT org, ~$92k/year in team time vs ~$29k with Workload (licenses + time). Workload detects overload, consolidates net capacity, and syncs timesheets — 14-day trial, from $59/month. Calculate your ROI at /calculator-roi.
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Jira Tempo, Azure DevOps, and Toggl integrations from the Professional plan
The Starter plan includes the full trial and CSV import; native integrations start on Professional.
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Excel is where many IT departments start. Workload automates what spreadsheets can't: real-time conflicts, net capacity, timesheet, and IT portfolio.
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Compared TCO — 80-person IT department (year 1)
| Line item | Excel | Workload |
|---|---|---|
| Licenses | $0 | ~$20,000 |
| Team time (consolidation, conflicts) | ~$92,000 | ~$9,000 |
| Year-1 total | ~$92,000 | ~$29,000 |
Assumes 8–12 h/week of manual consolidation. Internal Workload 2026 benchmark — refine with the ROI calculator.
Switch to Workload if…
- Multiple shared Excel files and version conflicts
- Can't see overload in real time
- Manual consolidation > 5 h/week (often 8–12 h)
- Need to link planned (capacity) and actual (timesheet)
- IT team > 30 people or portfolio > 10 projects
- Year-1 Excel TCO exceeds a dedicated tool (see table below)
Excel is still enough if…
- Small IT team (< 15 people)
- Few simultaneous projects (< 5)
- Single master file, few changes
- No timesheet or CIO reporting need
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Frequently asked questions
Can we migrate from Excel to Workload?
Yes. Workload imports CSV/Excel with mapping wizard (teams, projects, allocations). Most IT departments migrate in one day. See also /migration.
What ROI when leaving Excel?
For an 80-person IT org, year-1 TCO gap is about $63k ($92k Excel vs $29k Workload). Teams typically save 5–12 h/week of consolidation. Model your case at /calculator-roi.
Do we have to abandon Excel completely?
No. Many customers export from Workload to Excel for ad-hoc analysis. Workload becomes the capacity source of truth; Excel remains an export tool.
Excel or dedicated tool for an IT capacity plan?
Excel for < 15 people and < 5 projects. Dedicated tool once you have cross-project conflicts, a capacity committee, or > 5 h/week of consolidation. Workload targets IT departments of 20–500.
What makes a good Excel capacity plan alternative?
A tool that computes net capacity, detects multi-project overload, and links plan vs timesheet. Workload replaces the shared master spreadsheet while keeping Excel export for ad-hoc analysis.
Does Workload offer a free trial?
Yes — 14-day free trial with no credit card at simpleworkload.com/register. CSV import on Starter (~30 minutes for first setup).
Do you need Jira to use Workload?
No. Workload runs standalone with CSV/Excel import (Starter). Jira Tempo and Azure DevOps integrations are on the Professional plan.
What IT team size is Workload built for?
CIO and IT PMO teams from 20 to 500 people. Below 15 staff Excel may suffice; from 30–50 onward a dedicated tool typically pays off quickly.
Can you migrate from Excel or an existing PPM?
Yes. Workload offers CSV/Excel, Sciforma, and MS Project migration kits with guided wizards. Most IT departments migrate teams and projects in hours.
Does Workload replace full enterprise PPM?
Not at multi-BU PPM parity. Workload is the tactical IT capacity layer (teams, allocations, conflicts, timesheet) — often alongside Sciforma/Planview or replacing Excel.