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The Field-Service Capacity Constraint Diagnostic

Do you need more technicians — or a more resilient plan? Distinguish a genuine technician shortage from capacity lost to planning, readiness and schedule instability. Follow the branches; there is no score.

Start at the top
Answer YES / NO
Stop at your branch
START · THE OBSERVED PROBLEM Demand is not being completed within available capacity. DECISION 1 Over a full operating cycle, does completed work consistently fall short of demand? NO OUTCOME Not a headcount shortage Capacity is adequate — the plan is the constraint. Go to the fork. YES DECISION 2 Are overtime and unfinished work rising together? NO OUTCOME Likely a genuine shortage Capacity converts efficiently — hiring may be justified. YES DECISION 3 · THE FORK — capacity is being lost inside the operation Where is the loss entering? Follow the first branch that best matches the evidence. Planned vs actual durations diverge CONSTRAINT Planning accuracy EVIDENCE TO PULL Planned vs actual duration, by job type and technician FIRST ACTION Re-baseline durations before touching any target HEADCOUNT Don’t hire yet Jobs change after they were prepared CONSTRAINT Schedule instability EVIDENCE TO PULL Share of changes made after prep — and who authorised them FIRST ACTION Set a change-freeze point; measure the breaches HEADCOUNT Don’t hire yet Parts, skills or access missing on arrival CONSTRAINT Job readiness EVIDENCE TO PULL Repeat visits by cause; readiness at point of release FIRST ACTION Hold jobs that fail a readiness check — don’t release HEADCOUNT Don’t hire yet One delay propagates across the whole day CONSTRAINT No recovery capacity EVIDENCE TO PULL Knock-on jobs per overrun; buffer actually left in the plan FIRST ACTION Protect a buffer sized to your variability HEADCOUNT Don’t hire yet Some centres overloaded, others have space CONSTRAINT Network imbalance EVIDENCE TO PULL Completion rate and overtime by centre and territory FIRST ACTION Rebalance territory and coverage rules HEADCOUNT Rebalance before hiring still not completing? Headcount may still be justified after the fork — if the losses are fixed and demand still exceeds completed work over a full cycle. Fix the leak first, then size the gap against a plan that actually holds.

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