Free resource planning spreadsheet template

resource planning spreadsheet

On the hunt for a top-notch free resource planning template spreadsheet? Look no further.

Grab our downloadable resource plan template, conveniently available in both Excel spreadsheet and Google Sheets formats, to kickstart your resource planning journey.

And for those who reckon spreadsheets might not cut it, we’ve got your back—we’ll explore alternative options for resource planning that truly get the job done.

Table of contents

Resource planning spreadsheet template features

Check out the key features packed into our free resource planning template spreadsheet:

  • Availability Management. Effortlessly handle resource availability.
  • Project and Resource Allocations Tracking. Keep tabs on allocations with a detailed breakdown by project and resource.
  • Color-Coded Utilization Reporting. Get a visual grasp of resource utilization through our color-coded reporting system.
  • Comprehensive Availability Summary. Obtain a bird’s-eye view of availability across all your teams.
  • Tailor it to your needs. Ideal for resource planning, staff planning, and team planning alike.
Download free resource planning template

Resource planning spreadsheet template Excel: Free download

Follow the link below to download the template in Excel format.

Download Excel: free resource planning template

Resource planning spreadsheet template Google Sheets: Free download

Follow the link below to download the template as a Google Sheet.

Download Google Sheets: free resource planning template

Kelloo - a better alternative to resource planning spreadsheets

If you think spreadsheets are not a great fit for resource planning, there are other options and alternatives to consider. Perhaps resource planning software may be a better option?

Solutions like Kelloo provide a simple and cost effective way to manage your resources. Here are some of the key differences between a tool like Kelloo and a resource planning spreadsheet.

  • Visual representation of your resource availability.
  • Simply drag bars to plan resources.
  • Out of the box reports and analysis.
  • Built in features for resource planning, forecasting and what if analysis.
  • Report builder so you can create your own analysis.
  • Easy to collaborate and share plans.
  • Supports both agile resource planning and waterfall planning.

As you plan in Kelloo you can see the impact on your resources and projects instantly. The visual heatmap provides a great way to spot resource constraints, conflicts and resource utilization issues.

reschedule

All resource planning in Kelloo is done in a shared workspace meaning collaborative planning is easy and reports and analysis can be shared with your team.

resource capacity graph

Kelloo's resource planning tools

Resource planning, forecasting and reporting in one place. We help you get the most from your projects and people.

The Kelloo report builder is a great tool to help you unlock insights into your resources and help you more accurately plan future work and forecast resource needs.

Resource management report

When to use spreadsheets for resource planning

Spreadsheets can be a great way to dip your toe into resource planning. But they only work for some organizations.

Consider using spreadsheets for resource planning if you tick all the boxes below. Otherwise, resource planning software may be a better and more cost effective option.

So in conclusion, resource planning templates and spreadsheets may work for some folks if they have simple resource planning needs. But for most organizations, the trade off in wasted time, inaccurate data and poor analytic abilities make spreadsheets a poor choice for resource management.

If you are ready to look at resource planning software try a free trial of our resource planning software.

You have a small pool of resources

If you have a small pool of resources (we think around 10-15 is about the upper limit), you will probably be ok managing your resource planning in a spreadsheet. But as your resource pool size grows the data maintenance headache grows.

You manage a small number of projects and you don't share resources across projects

One of the major drawbacks of using spreadsheets for resource planning is that you will eat up a lot of time updating them. As you increase the number of projects you manage, the time spent keeping on top of your resource plans will grow exponentially.

Most organizations also share resources across multiple projects. This adds another layer of complexity and also increases the data maintenance burden.

You have one person responsible for all planning

Spreadsheets are not great tools for collaborative working. If you have more than one person planning your resources you have two options:

  • Each resource planner maintains their own spreadsheet and you combine the data for reporting (heads up this is a major headache).
  • Use and share single a spreadsheet. When you have multiple people updating the same spreadsheet you will have to work around version control issues and tracking changes. 

You have simple reporting needs

Reporting is key to effective resource planning. And the truth is spreadsheets are not great reporting tools. Sure they will let you build graphs and pivot tables but you have to craft these by hand. Sharing the analysis is also difficult unless you email screenshots or spreadsheets.

You understand how to build macros

Macros are used in tools like Excel or Google Sheets to automate repetitive tasks. And when using spreadsheets for resource planning there will be a lot of repetitive tasks, data entry and management. If you are not able to create macros you will spend a lot of time editing and manipulating your data.

Visual representations are not important to you

When resource planning you should be able to see at a glance which of your resources are available, their utilization and which resources are overbooked. Spreadsheets just don’t offer you that option. By their very nature, they are number based. Which makes it hard to make sense of how resources are allocated and where there are problems. It is far easier to use visual representations such as histograms and heatmaps.

Our latest articles and tips straight to your inbox

If you liked it then share it

Other things you may like

What if scenario analysis

What if scenario analysis in project management

The new what if planning features in Kelloo give you a crystal ball at your fingertips so you can see the future. What if planning shows what will happen if you change project timings, delay projects, hire or fire resources or cancel or commit to new projects.