What is a typical risk buffer?
20-30% is common for high-uncertainty feature work; 10-15% often works for maintenance-heavy cycles.
Planning Inputs
Effective capacity = total capacity × (1-buffer%) - carry-over
Roadmap Capacity Result
Effective Capacity
54.0
Planning Gap
-22.0
(+ headroom, - overload)
Suggested Scope Cut
22.0
Status
Overloaded
Current plan is overloaded. Reduce scope by at least 22.0 points or defer to next sprint.
What is this tool?
Teams often miss deadlines because of overcommitment, not wrong priorities. This tool catches overload early during planning.
How to use
- 1Enter total sprint capacity and planned points.
- 2Include risk buffer (%) and carry-over points.
- 3Review effective capacity and planning gap.
- 4If overloaded, reduce scope or split timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should carry-over points be subtracted?
Carry-over work consumes capacity in the upcoming cycle and must be accounted for.