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If you're reading this, you’re probably a resource or project manager or even a team lead in a hurry to put together a resource plan.
Instead of making you scroll through several sections explaining the basics of resource planning, we’re going to assume that you know these already and skip to giving you the resource plan templates right away.
If you want to learn more or need a refresher, you can check the FAQ section for a quick explanation or visit our resource planning guide. And now, without further ado, here are the templates you need + a better way to plan your resources when you’re tired of Excel formulas.
There’s an easier and more accurate way to plan resources
Use Float, a resource planning software that’s easy to use and get started
Try for free4 resource planning templates handpicked for you
1. Float resource planning template
What it is: Our resource planning template lets you create a simple resource plan in less time.
You can collect and store information about your team, like their names, job titles, work hours, allocated hours, and project or task names.
Who is it for: This template is best suited for smaller teams (fewer than 10 people) managing a few projects and doing resource planning on a monthly or weekly basis.
2. Toggl resource capacity planning template
What it is: This template allows you to monitor team members' workloads, including their available hours, blocked hours, and utilization levels for a month. It helps identify whether team members are overburdened or available for new tasks.
Who it is for: It is ideal for planners who want more information on team capacity and plan for incoming projects.
3. Clicktime resource planning and budgeting template
What it is: This free resource planning template helps you schedule and keep track of employee hours and billing rates. It contains fields for budget allocation, hours allocated, hours worked, and employee and project names.
Who is it for: This resource planning template is best for tracking project resource costs.
4. Smartsheet project resource planning template
What it is: This project resource plan template is super detailed and lets you plan your resources across project phases. It contains fields for information about individual projects, resource requirements, expenses, and extra staffing.
Who it is for: It is best for complex projects that involve several departments.
A better way to plan your resources (that doesn’t require you to be an Excel pro)
Under some conditions, spreadsheets can work as resource planners—for example, if you have a small team (give or take 20 people), you’ve tons of time to update the sheets manually, and you’ve taken a lot of courses on Excel and know how to bend it to your will.
But spreadsheets are complex to operate, inevitably get unwieldy as your team grows, and are unusable when you get past a certain headcount.
After speaking to customers who switched from using spreadsheets for resource planning to using Float, we can safely say that resource planning templates might be the best solution for you.
This was something that our customers at Scholz and Friends discovered when their team grew.
While they initially used Excel for planning, with an increasing number of projects and brands to manage, they realized the need for improved efficiency.
“Excel is great, but it can only do as much. As we got more projects and more brands to take care of, we found out that we needed to work more efficiently,” says Comfort Agemo, Senior Capacity and Freelance Manager at Scholz and Friends.
When they started using Float, it became easier for them to understand their team members and interests using tags (something that Excel lacks), and they could find people to take on work when their team had too much on their plate.
“We noticed that team members could learn a little bit more about their colleagues than when they just looked in the Excel list. We could see how much work people are doing, which you didn't see in an Excel list. We can understand more and we feel we can help the people by finding available team members from somewhere else to support.”
So if you’ve reached the limits of your spreadsheets and want to graduate away from templates, here’s an alternative option for you: a dedicated resource management tool that makes it easier to create accurate project plans.
- Dedicated capacity planning tools offer a visual and highly interactive schedule overview that shows you who is assigned to what tasks and when they are scheduled
- Capacity management features like tags, work hours, and availability indicators help you allocate your team members to the right task
- You can switch between project and people views when necessary.
A dedicated tool like Float (yes, it’s us! 👋), for example, will automatically calculate and update resource capacity based on work hours, task allocations, time off, holidays, etc. It will integrate with other tools to import data, eliminating the need for manual data entry. And you’ll be able to easily compare planned time against actual time spent on tasks using detailed reports.
Still using spreadsheets for resource planning?
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Resource planning shouldn’t be this hard
Resource planning doesn’t have to take up most of your day or require you to manually update the sheet every time the direction of your project changes. It takes less effort if you use a purpose-built tool that automates capacity management, utilization tracking and project reports.
With a tool like Float, planning your team’s time and scheduling your resources can save you up to hours a week!
FAQs
What is a resource planning template?
A resource plan template is a document with a pre-set format that you can use for collecting and organizing resource-related information.
How do you write a resource plan?
There are five steps involved in creating a resource plan
1. Lay out project tasks and the resources you have
2. Assign work based on availability, skills, and interests
3. Consider the future demands on resources
4. Get feedback from stakeholders on proposed allocations
5. Make adjustments to your resource plan when needed
What does a resource plan include?
Your resource plan should include the following details:
- A list of the specific resources required for the project. This could include human resources (e.g., project team members), physical resources (e.g., equipment), financial resources (e.g., budget), and more.
- Specifications of how each resource will be allocated to the project, including quantities, timeframes, and roles or responsibilities.
- Information about the availability of each resource, taking into account factors such as working hours and time off.
- Cost estimates of each resource
- Reports and visualizations to provide insights into resource utilization and project progress.
Try the #1 rated resource management software
Float is the #1 rated resource management software on G2 for planning projects and scheduling your team’s time.
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