How can the IT PMO steer capacity without living in spreadsheets?
The IT PMO steers capacity efficiently by centralizing assignments, availability, and actual time in a single record, rather than manually consolidating each project manager's files. It can then detect conflicts between projects, prepare trade-off scenarios, and feed the committee with current data.
Capacity planning for the IT PMO
Consolidate the workload of every project and prepare committees that decide.
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Main challenges
- Consolidating heterogeneous workload plans every month, with diverging versions.
- Reaching the committee with figures that are already stale.
- Enforcing a data-entry process without weighing down teams' daily work.
- Linking plan, actual time, and budget.
What the PMO expects from a tool
- A single record of projects, assignments, and availability.
- Conflict alerts when projects compete for the same person.
- A validation flow for pending assignments and gate passages.
- Planned vs actual fed by time logged in existing tools.
IT PMO indicators
| Indicator | Definition |
|---|---|
| Workload plan adherence | Share of assignments delivered as planned. |
| Consolidation lead time | Time needed to produce the capacity view before the committee. |
| Open conflicts | Number of unresolved assignment conflicts on a given date. |
| Planned vs actual variance per project | Effort drift, project by project. |
Typical workflow with Workload
- Each project manager updates their assignments in the shared record.
- The PMO reviews the conflicts and overload detected automatically.
- Pending assignments and gate passages go through a validation flow.
- The PMO prepares scenarios and the steering committee pack.
- After the committee, decisions are applied and planned vs actual tracking continues.
FAQ
Does a PMO need a full PPM?
Not always. If the need is mostly capacity, conflicts, and planned vs actual, a light capacity layer is enough. A PPM becomes necessary to govern demand, budget, and benefits across the portfolio.
How do you avoid double entry?
By syncing time from the tools already in use (Jira Tempo, Azure DevOps, Toggl, Clockify) rather than asking teams to re-enter it.
What should a capacity committee pack contain?
Available capacity, requested workload, open conflicts, trade-off scenarios, and the month's planned vs actual variance.
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