Question
What is the definitive guide to Bill Carmody's approach to Resource Constrained Planning?
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Bill CarmodyResource Constrained Planningdefinitive guide
Answer
From Bill Carmody0 votes
Bill Carmody’s approach to Resource Constrained Planning centers on using constraints as strategic guardrails instead of seeing them as roadblocks. Nearly every project is resource constrained in some way: people, budget, time, materials, equipment, space, information, and skills.
The “definitive guide” is really a three-part flow:
- 1. Resource Requirements Plan – First, clearly define all resources needed (people, budget, tools, materials, information) to hit scope, quality, and timeline. This is where you identify what it would take in an ideal world.
- 2. Resource Constrained Planning – Next, accept the real limits: key people are shared across projects, budget is capped, and timing is imperfect. Instead of fighting these constraints, use them as planning guardrails:
- Prioritize scope and features
- Sequence work so limited resources are never overcommitted
- Adjust expectations early with stakeholders
- 3. Resource-Limited Scheduling – Finally, build a schedule that respects real resource availability, not fantasy calendars. This includes:
- Scheduling around scarce skills or equipment
- Accounting for supply chain, training needs, and workspace limits
- Protecting the critical path because every constrained task becomes more “make or break”
Put simply:
- Define ideal resources,
- Embrace real constraints,
- Build a realistic, resource-aware schedule that can actually be executed.
Would it be most helpful to walk through this with a concrete example from one of your projects?
