ABSTRACT
Capacity planning is important for any business process because it determines the most effective allocation of resources to meet customer service needs. It is especially challenging in business processes because service times almost always vary, and often customers arrive in random patterns. Capacity planning for services requires consideration of the expected demand, capacity available, and a capacity buffer. Capacity buffers are required for effective planning, which will be larger when customers arrive at random or when service times exhibit higher levels of variation. Resource utilizations should be projected for each time interval, and resources (especially workforces) should be planned to best match demand with server ability to satisfy demand. Worker schedules, by hour or by shift, can be created by reconciling demand with the restrictions inherent in shift or hourly schedules. There are ways to make customers less aware of the time spent waiting, although that should not be considered preferable to shorter wait times.
