Choose Direct or Capacity-Based Assignment

Goal

Decide whether employees should be assigned directly to a task or whether capacity balancing should be performed first.

This page summarizes the decision. Detailed workflows are available here:

Variant 1: Direct Assignment

This variant is useful when only a few employees are involved, the project is manageable, and no complex capacity check is required.

Short workflow:

  1. Select the task.

  2. Assign the employee directly from the Resource pool. If project resources are active, the button is Project resources; check the status bar to see which mode is active.

  3. Check workload, effort, and dates.

  4. Check calendars and non-working days.

  5. Check overloads after assignment.

Direct employee assignment in task properties Employee view for assignment checks

Variant 2: Assignment After Capacity Balancing

This variant is recommended when professional qualifications, several employees, several projects, different working times, or non-working days are relevant.

Short workflow:

  1. Plan tasks first by professional qualifications.

  2. Check resource demand and resource supply in capacity balancing.

  3. Show suitable employees with the required professional qualification.

  4. Consider working times, calendars, and non-working days.

  5. Assign employees bindingly.

  6. Check utilization and dates again.

Capacity-based employee assignment

Decision Guide

Question

If yes

Is the team small and easy to oversee?

Direct assignment may be sufficient.

Are there several suitable employees?

Use capacity balancing first.

Are non-working days, shifts, or vacation relevant?

Use capacity balancing first.

Are there several projects with the same employees?

Use capacity balancing first.

Should a specific person deliberately be fixed?

Use direct assignment and then check utilization.

Basic Rule

The larger the team, the more projects are involved, and the more important availability is, the more likely it is that you should first plan by professional qualification and then perform capacity balancing.

direct assignment, capacity based assignment, assignment decision, qualification demand, resource planning, resource assignment, resource demand, resource supply, project manager, resource manager