Tempo logotype

How Tempo Planner could have helped build the Death Star

From Team '23

Tempo Team

Readers will remember that in 2016 we wrote a little piece tackling the slow schedule of the iconic symbol of imperial terror. As the years pass and we keep dreaming about the Star Wars Universe, it is only natural we dive deeper into the idea that Capacity Planner would have been the perfect match for the Death Star’s construction. 

Episode 1: the phantom workforce

In Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, there is a great scene when Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod, the assigned project supervisor of the Death Star, is faced with the impromptu visit of Darth Vader who informs him that the Emperor will not tolerate any further delays. Jerjerrod quickly mentions that his workers are at full capacity and that the project actually is in lack of resources - Vader seems to think otherwise. 

Are the workers truly fully utilized? Is the Death Star in need of hiring contractors and additional teams? Was Vader’s visit necessary? 

As baffling as it may sound to hear that a hyper-technologically advanced civilization on the brink of creating an armatized artificial planet struggles with resource management, our theory suggests that this is in fact the case! If we consider that the Death Star has an estimated crew team between 1,186,295 to 1,206,293, the inefficiency and chaos to coordinate the project without the proper tools would be overwhelming and result in major delays; no wonder Vader is paying a visit...

Why it matters

Let’s consider the following simplified chain of command structure: 

Without the proper tools to oversee the utilization of some teams, Jerjerrod has no way to accurately identify if some teams and workers go underutilized while others are crumbling through all the work they have to do (departmental silos, lack of transparency and visibility, etc.). His way of acquiring information on that matter is limited to the information his directors give him. 

Having an overview of the utilization of the staff would enable Jerjerrod to 

  1. See the allocation of resources

  2. Easily communicate to stakeholders where gaps in resources lies

  3. Find where inefficiencies appear in terms of utilization

  4. Prioritize the work to be done by ensuring that tasks being worked on are not menial (e.g: maximizing billable work and minimizing email answering)

  5. Ask for additional resources to be approved

As a result, the project could be placed back on track by optimizing the workload of the employees, and if needed to add additional team members to match deadlines. 

Episode 2: Attack on clones’ utilization

Vader claims that he can increase the work done by the workers and expedite the project. Maybe by using the force, he’ll be able to identify teams that are underutilized… Alternatively, he could go with a sure-fire and instantly discover that information at a glance through the resource planning view of Capacity Planner.

As can be seen from the Resource Planning view above, Vader’s hunch was correct: 

  • Not all employees seem to be planning equally

    • Some are planning >8hrs per day while others are planning <5hrs.

  • There are plenty of underutilized resources (1620h available from this example)

  • The allocation of time to menial tasks sometimes composes an important proportion of employees’ time (Death Star 2.0 - Work on Misc.)

Vader could also decide to dive deeper into the data by filtering the information by roles, users, or teams.

For example, it appears that the Wookies, whose role is to assemble the structural framework of the Death Star, are being heavily overused. With their role in high demand, the information from the resource planning view could help management detect a gap in resources and help them decide whether to hire more Wookies. 

Episode 3: Revenge of the team leads

The Emperor, Vader, and Jerjerrod are not the only ones benefiting from the added layers of visibility: team leads benefit tremendously as well. The “Team Capacity” view found in Tempo teams lets them understand whether their team can tackle new initiatives and who could be a prime candidate to do so. By optimizing the allocation of their resources, team leads can help remove some pressure of members who are overworked.

For instance, the Empire Construction Squad is able to see that they have some room left in the bank to work on other activities. Maybe they could lend the Wookies a hand?

Episode 4: A new hope

With the help of Tempo Planner, the Death Star’s stakeholders are able to quickly identify gaps in their resource utilization and uncover areas where more workers need to be hired to have the Death Star constructed on time. Now, Jerjerrod easily communicates that information to his superiors with credible numbers so that there are no more needs for impromptu visits!

Safe travels M’Lord!

But that’s not all Tempo Planner has to offer! DEISER, an awesome team of consultants, used the force to make Tempo Planner even more powerful for them!

You can read how DEISER leverage the tool for their daily operations.

Sign up for a demo

Register

Explore More Content

Unified time and team management

Integration: Timesheets and Structure

Combining Tempo Timesheets and Structure PPM provides a unified view of time tracking and project progress, enabling more accurate reporting and effective portfolio management. Simplify workflows, enhance collaboration, and ensure projects stay on time and within budget.

Learn more

Agile at Scale Software

Agile at Scale

Adapt to changing business needs, rapidly adjust plans, and reallocate investment.

Learn more

AI-enabled capacity visualization

Capacity Insights - Open Beta

Deliver visibility into how your team's time and efforts align with business objectives and project ROI - without the manual effort

Learn more

Strategic Portfolio Management

Strategic Portfolio Management

Modern modular PPM solutions that scale with your business. Align your teams with the integrated platform that bridges the gap between strategy and execution.

Learn more

Never lose track of a brilliant idea again

Idea Manager for Strategic Roadmaps

Never lose a brilliant idea again. Idea Manager for Strategic Roadmaps has built-in best practices to help.

Learn more

Jira ITSM Solutions with Tempo

ITSM

Build and scale a custom ITSM solution at your own pace with Tempo's modular suite of integrated tools. Enhance Jira's capabilities and take control of your entire IT portfolio.

Learn more

For planning leaders looking to add a big-picture roadmap view to their structured Jira data, this integration is essential. Improve visibility to leadership, reduce reporting admin, and keep your team aligned.

Learn more

Take control of your projects

Integration: Portfolio Manager and Jira

Portfolio Manager integrates seamlessly with Jira to give you predictive scheduling, real-time scenario modeling, and advanced resource management – ensuring you stay on track, no matter what challenges arise.

Learn more

Powered by Structure’s custom hierarchies, visualize your roadmap, project plans, timeline & dependencies within Jira Gantt charts

Go to marketplace

No-code BigQuery Jira integration

BigQuery Connector for Jira

Integrate Jira with Google BigQuery to seamlessly export and sync data for advanced analytics and customized reporting

Learn more

Roadmapping software for teams of all sizes

Strategic Roadmaps (Roadmunk)

The roadmapping tool designed for high-performing teams delivering boardroom-ready strategic roadmaps.

Learn more

Jira Portfolio Management PPM

Structure by Tempo

Jira Project Portfolio Management (PPM): Visualize data and manage projects within spreadsheet-like tables — in less than a minute

Go to marketplace

Align your organization with proactive portfolio management

Portfolio Manager (LiquidPlanner)

Predictive scheduling and the ability to forecast project timelines and spot risks so you can meet deadlines with confidence.

Learn more

No-code Tableau Jira integration

Tableau Connector for Jira

Effortlessly bridge Jira with Tableau, unlocking unparalleled insights and enhancing decision-making

Learn more

Industry-leading project plan and roadmap visualizations with a Gantt chart extension

Gantt Charts for Structure PPM

Visualize project plans and roadmaps with a Gantt chart extension for Jira

Learn more

Monitor financial health at every level

Financial Manager for Timesheets

Monitor projects and portfolios to get simple, clear, and real-time views of your costs, budgets, and profits that can be shared throughout your entire organization.

Learn more

Unified time and team management

Integration: Timesheets and Capacity Planner

Seamlessly manage project timelines and resources while accurately tracking time spent on tasks. This integration enhances visibility, improves planning accuracy, and supports data-driven decision-making for better overall project outcomes.

Learn more

Time Tracking Software for Jira

Timesheets

Tempo’s intuitive automation and Jira-native design make it the most trusted time tracking tool for enterprise organization.

Learn more

Jira Team & Resource Management

Capacity Planner

#1 Jira Resource Management App: Optimize team allocation, skillset utilization, capacity planning & project management

Go to marketplace

Jira Project Cost Tracking

Financial Manager

Project financial management for Jira & Timesheets. Monitor project costs, expenses, revenue, billing & budgets. Track Capex/Opex

Go to marketplace

Centralize real-time plans in one view

Integration: Structure and Gantt Charts

Gain a more complete project management solution, simplifying project reporting, improving collaboration, and ensuring projects stay on time and within budget.

Learn more

Project and program management for Jira

Structure PPM

Visualize all your Jira data & manage portfolios of projects in real-time.

Learn more

No more reporting limitations

Custom Charts for Confluence

Create and share all kinds of highly visual and customizable charts directly on your Confluence pages.

Learn more

Get the data you need to succeed

Time Tracker

Extend your Jira with prebuilt and highly configurable reports for straightforward time tracking.

Learn more

Real-time collaboration and capacity planning in Jira

Capacity Planner

A powerful team resource management tool designed to optimize capacity planning and project management in Jira

Learn more
Colleagues interacting around a desk

No-Code Power BI Jira Integration

Power BI Connector for Jira

Effortlessly bridge Jira with your preferred BI tool, unlocking unparalleled insights and enhancing decision-making

Learn more

Custom charts and dashboards for Jira

Custom Charts for Jira

See how work is progressing and where blockers are with the most flexible reporting app in Jira.

Learn more

Jira Time Tracking

Timesheets by Tempo

#1 Jira Time Tracking & AI Apps: Log Tempo Timesheets for Planning, Project Management & Billing. Plugin Office365, Google & Slack

Go to marketplace