BIZOMAT Tools · Projects
Schedule Risk Check
Are you likely to hit the deadline?
Checks whether the remaining work fits in the remaining working days with the people and productivity available.
Open the calculatorRuns in your browser. No account needed.
How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Remaining work | hr | Bottom-up estimate of remaining effort |
| People available | people | People available for the remaining work |
| Productive hours / person / day | hr | Productive hours per person per day |
| Working days remaining | days | Working days until the deadline |
| Planning efficiency | % | Share of hours that become progress (allowing for rework and interruptions) |
What each input means
Open an input to see what it is, its units, the worked example and the common mistakes, with a small diagram.
What this means: Remaining work
- What it is
- The hours of effort still needed to finish, estimated bottom-up from the tasks that remain.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in hr: hours. The form accepts 0 hr or more.
- Example
- The form opens with 600 hr as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Coverage falls and days needed rise in proportion as remaining work grows.
- Get it right
- Re-estimate what is left; budget hours minus hours spent usually understates it.
What this means: People available
- What it is
- How many people will work on the remaining tasks between now and the deadline.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in people: people. The form accepts 1 people or more.
- Example
- The form opens with 3 people as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Capacity rises in proportion to the number of people.
- Get it right
- Count people who are actually available, not everyone on the team list.
What this means: Productive hours / person / day
- What it is
- The hours each person spends on project work in a typical working day, after breaks, meetings and other duties.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in hr: hours. The form accepts 0.1 hr to 24 hr.
- Example
- The form opens with 6 hr as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Capacity rises in proportion; days needed fall.
- Get it right
- Use productive hours, not the length of the shift.
What this means: Working days remaining
- What it is
- The number of working days between today and the deadline, leaving out weekends, public holidays and shutdowns.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in days: days. The form accepts 1 days or more.
- Example
- The form opens with 30 days as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- More days add capacity and raise coverage; days needed does not change.
- Get it right
- Count working days, not calendar days.
What this means: Planning efficiency
- What it is
- The share of working hours that turns into real progress after rework, interruptions, waiting and task switching.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in %: percent: the number is read as a percentage, so type 8 for 8 %. The form accepts 1% to 100%.
- Example
- The form opens with 80% as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Capacity rises in proportion; days needed fall.
- Get it right
- Type a percentage (80 for 80 %). Values above 90 % trigger a warning as unrealistic for most teams.
Method and formulas
- Productive capacity = people × hours per day × days × efficiency
- Coverage = capacity ÷ remaining work
- Days needed = remaining work ÷ (people × hours per day × efficiency)
Limitations
- Ignores task dependencies and the critical path
- Assumes productivity stays constant
Typical uses
- Forecasting whether a date will be met
- Deciding between adding people, extending time or cutting scope
Who it is for
- Project managers
- Engineering leads
What you get
- LOW, TIGHT or HIGH delivery risk
- Coverage % and days needed
Interpreting the result
- Coverage under 115% leaves little contingency
- Check the critical path separately: capacity can exist while a sequence still runs late
References
- PMI, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), schedule management
Learn the Concepts Behind This Tool
These BIZOMAT Library readings explain the method this tool uses, with worked examples.
Method explained here · BIZOMAT original book
Contingency and schedule allowances that grow with novelty
In First-of-a-Kind Technology by the Numbers
What it covers: Cost and schedule allowances graded by readiness: element P50s and P80s, a 10,000-run simulation giving B a P80 of A$22.9m, and the errors of a flat 10% and of adding P80s.
BIZOMAT tools are screening and decision-support utilities. Verify important financial, engineering, safety, legal or operational decisions using appropriate professional standards and your organisation’s approved data.