While it can be complex, capacity planning is an important resource for any business because it allows not only for an understanding of current resources, but also for a better understanding of a business’s potential for growth into the future. Capacity planning can apply to many areas of a business, including but not limited to, its network, its storage needs, its workforce and its product manufacturing needs. Understanding all of these facets when it comes to capacity planning and learning the various steps in this process can help a business in immeasurable ways.
Analyzing Current Capacity
One of the first steps a business must undertake is determining its current capacity in the various areas mentioned above. Knowing what a business is capable of at the present time allows a business to have certain expectations when it comes to how and when work gets done. A few stages exist within this specific step of the process, including the establishment of specific workloads, the determination of units of work and setting of service levels. Using tools to visualize data regarding capacity helps make decisions about these factors.
Decisions Regarding Future Capacity
The next step is to make strides toward a business’s future capacity. Any business should have plans in mind for how they want to continue to grow into the future. Looking at data for current growth, a business should be able to forecast how they will be able to grow based on current trends and consumption. This can be used for both speed of potential growth and rate.