Plan workloads and schedules

Build schedules around the amount of work the business can realistically complete. Consider confirmed commitments, expected demand, task durations, staff availability, equipment limits, and any steps that depend on other work being finished first.

Set clear priorities when requests compete for the same resources, and allow reasonable room for ordinary interruptions or delays. Pay particular attention to the stage that limits how much work can be completed, since its capacity affects what you can promise.

Review the schedule as conditions change, and update the people affected. A useful plan should guide daily decisions and adjust when its assumptions no longer hold.