What it is
Capacity planning fails when hours are assigned to engagements but nobody checks them against what each person can actually do. A matrix with people across the top and engagements down the side shows both views at once.
Staff capacity comes from weekly hours, weeks in the period, time off and a target chargeable percentage. The matrix totals assigned hours by person and by engagement, flags anyone over capacity and any engagement over or under its budget hours.
When to use it
- Planning a season or a quarter.
- When a new engagement lands and you need to see who has room.
- Reviewing assignment balance with managers.
What’s inside
- Staff tab with level, weekly hours, time off and target chargeable percent
- Assignments matrix for 12 people and 20 engagements
- Capacity, utilization and over-assignment flags
- Budget variance flags and tie-out
Standard cited
This template follows Firm practice. It is written in our own words, except for phrases the standard requires the document to contain, with [bracketed placeholders] for client details, amounts in USD and dates as MM/DD/YYYY. Check it against the current standard and your firm’s methodology before use.
Questions
Can I plan across weeks?
This workbook plans one period. Use the busy-season capacity planner in this library for a week-by-week view.
What target chargeable percentage should I use?
Use your firm’s own targets by level. They are inputs.
Where do names come from?
Names typed on the Staff tab fill the matrix headings.
Related templates
- Busy-Season Capacity Planner (Excel)
- Staff Utilization and Realization Tracker (Excel)
- Time and Budget Variance Workbook (Excel)
- Engagement Status Tracker (Excel)
Last updated 11/05/2026. All free templates.