Aikabudjetti

Aikabudjetti, or time budget, is a planning concept used to allocate a fixed amount of time to a set of tasks within a project, event, or personal work period. The aim is to constrain time the way a monetary budget constrains money, to improve focus, prioritization, and timely delivery. It is used in project management, software development, education, event planning, and personal productivity.

To create an aikabudjetti, define the total time available, list tasks or deliverables, estimate the duration of each task, and check that the sum fits the total. Include buffers for uncertainty. Assign owners and deadlines, and translate the plan into a schedule, time blocks, or a kanban workflow with limits. Track progress by comparing elapsed time with the time budget and adjust as needed by re-prioritizing work, cutting scope, or adding buffers.

Benefits include clearer priorities, better pacing, and earlier risk signals. Potential drawbacks are inaccuracy of estimates, pressure that limits creativity, and the risk of rigidity if the budget is treated as a hard constraint.

In Finnish management discourse, aikabudjetti is discussed as a practical complement to other time-management tools, emphasizing disciplined time use and delivery discipline.