Planningstijd

Planningstijd is the period allocated for planning activities within a project or operation, i.e., the time used to define objectives, determine tasks, allocate resources, and set schedules before execution. In Dutch terminology it denotes the planning phase rather than the execution or production phase. It is distinct from lead times and from actual working time.

In project management, planningstijd encompasses creating a work breakdown structure, estimating task durations, sequencing activities, identifying dependencies, assessing risks, and producing a project timetable. The length of planningstijd depends on project complexity, information availability, stakeholder involvement, and organizational maturity.

In manufacturing or operations planning, planningstijd may refer to the planning activities that precede production, such as demand forecasting, material requirements planning, capacity planning, and scheduling. It interacts with production lead times, setup times, and inventory policies, and it can influence supply chain coordination and responsiveness.

Impact and management: Adequate planningstijd improves predictability and resource utilization and reduces rework. Under-planning can cause rushed decisions, while over-planning can cause delays and rigidity. Practices to optimize include timeboxing, using templates and standard processes, adopting planning tools (such as Gantt charts or ERP planning modules), and applying iterative planning approaches like rolling-wave planning.

See also planning, project management, production planning, scheduling.