Resource forecasting for architects

It is important to determine whether you will have the correct number and mix of people available to be able to deliver the work that has been accepted. Having adequate resources in place to provide clients with a professional service is a requirement of both the ARB and RIBA codes.

RIBA Guidance Note 2 & Guidance Note 4

• 2.4 "Members should ensure that they have, or will have when needed, the appropriate competence, skills and resources to meet the requirements of the work for which they are bidding".
• 4.4 "When accepting an appointment members should not undertake to provide services which they know, or ought to know, are beyond their competence or resources".

ARB Code: Standards of professional conduct and practice

• Standard 4: Competent management of your practice.4.3 "You should ensure that you are able to provide adequate professional, financial and technical resources when entering into a contract and throughout its duration. You should also, where appropriate, ensure you have sufficiently suitably qualified and supervised staff to provide an effective service to clients".

To determine if their will be enough staff for a project, start by producing a people allocation forecast. This shows how work has been allocated to each individual in the practice over the coming weeks. The people allocation forecast should take into account people away on study leave, holiday, sick leave and so on. These values are deducted in arriving at the people available total. This total can then be carried forward to a project resource forecast which compares the total practice requirement with total current availability in order to predict shortages or spare capacity.

A rolling weekly forecast can be produced of the number of people that will be needed on a project-by-project basis. This can then be compared with the total number of people available. From this report it can be seen where shortages or surpluses may occur.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Architects fees.
• Cash flow forecast.
• Fees.
• Fee forecasting.
• Forecast period.