BIZOMAT Tools · Operations
Staffing Need
How many people are required for this workload?
Converts demand and labour minutes per unit into the full-time equivalents needed.
Open the calculatorRuns in your browser. No account needed.
How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Units required | units | Units required in the period |
| Labour minutes / unit | min | Standard labour minutes per unit |
| Available hours / person | hr | Paid hours per person in the period |
| Productive efficiency | % | Share of paid hours that become productive work |
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: Units required
- What it is
- The number of units the team must produce in the period you are staffing for.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in units: a count of units. The form accepts 0 units or more.
- Example
- The form opens with 1000 units as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- The FTE requirement rises in proportion.
- Get it right
- Use the same period as the hours per person, for example a month.
What this means: Labour minutes / unit
- What it is
- The standard hands-on labour time to make one unit, from time study or routing standards, across all operators involved.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in min: minutes. The form accepts 0 min or more.
- Example
- The form opens with 6 min as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- The FTE requirement rises in proportion.
- Get it right
- Enter minutes per unit, not hours, and include every labour operation on the unit.
What this means: Available hours / person
- What it is
- The paid hours one person works in the period, before allowing for unproductive time.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in hr: hours. The form accepts 0.1 hr or more.
- Example
- The form opens with 120 hr as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- More hours per person lowers the FTE requirement.
- Get it right
- Use paid hours here; efficiency then removes breaks, meetings and other non-productive time.
What this means: Productive efficiency
- What it is
- The share of paid hours that becomes productive work on the units, after breaks, meetings, training and waiting.
- 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 85% as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Higher efficiency lowers the FTE requirement.
- Get it right
- Type a percentage (85 for 85 %). If leave is already out of paid hours, do not remove it again here.
Method and formulas
- Workload = units × minutes per unit ÷ 60
- Productive hours per person = hours × efficiency
- FTE = workload ÷ productive hours per person
Limitations
- Ignores skill mix, shift coverage and absence unless built into the inputs
Typical uses
- Workforce planning
- Checking overtime or temporary labour needs
Who it is for
- Operations managers
- HR and workforce planners
What you get
- People required (rounded up) and FTE
- Workload hours
Interpreting the result
- Small spare capacity after rounding means little cover for absence
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
Staffing ramp-up, late additions and the cost of turnover
In Project Teams and Contracts by the Numbers
What it covers: The DC core team's 194.6 FTE-months peaking at 16.2 in month 15, a leaver costed at 3 FTE-months (A$66k), turnover at 18% against 10%, and Brooks's law in a commissioning crunch.
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.