Research · Published · Updated
Capacity Variance by Work Type
How far does forecast capacity differ from actual available time?
On this page
Headline signal
A local review protocol, not a universal benchmark. (https://www.nist.gov/). Treat this as context for planning, not a guarantee about a particular assistant or operating result.
Analysis and operating context
## Question and scope
How far does forecast capacity differ from actual available time? The scope is the work record and the events the team can observe in a defined window. It does not estimate an industry rate or a legal conclusion.
## Population and unit
Assistants in a defined quarter, sampled by work type and week. The unit is one request, handoff, assistant, or invoice. Linked events are recorded separately so a correction is not counted as an independent success.
## Definitions and measures
Available hours, blocked time, demand, and the gap by work type. Define the window and evidence standard before the sample begins. A count without its denominator and source is not a measure.
## Where the record fails
Meetings, access waits, and rework drive most of the gap. A failure needs a reason code, a next owner, and a recheck date. Silence is not a disposition.
## Worked example
A headcount plan is not a capacity plan until blocked time is visible. The numbers are illustrative. The value is the stage split, which shows whether the delay belongs to intake, review, the destination, or the client.
## Evidence and limits
Public guidance can frame the questions but cannot prove a local result. Samples may exclude untracked work, offline notes, or records that never reached the client system. Record the sample frame, extraction time, and fields that were unavailable.
## Practical use
Change one controlled element at a time: the intake field, the owner, the review cadence, or the stop rule. Recheck the same measure after two cycles.