The Demand & Capacity Management project aims to establish foundations of a long-term strategy and technical solution for understanding incoming demand, available capacity, and how WashU IT resources are aligned to work. By bringing together processes and tools to evaluate demand, understand resource needs, and support prioritization, the initiative helps WashU IT make informed decisions about where time is focused and align work with strategic priorities and the University’s mission.
Why Demand & Capacity Management Matters
Balancing demand with available capacity helps WashU IT make more informed decisions about the work we take on, when we take it on, and how resources are aligned to organizational priorities.
Greater visibility into demand, project work, and resource capacity can help teams:
- Understand incoming and planned work
- Identify resource needs and capacity
- Make more informed prioritization decisions
- Improve visibility into project and resource information
- Better align work and available resources
Balancing demand with capacity is about building trust and confidence that WashU IT can reliably meet the University’s needs. By aligning resources with strategic priorities, we demonstrate our commitment to delivering what matters most and supporting the institution’s long-term success.
Understanding Demand & Capacity Management
Demand Management is the process of understanding, prioritizing, and planning for requests and needs across the organization to ensure the right work gets done at the right time.
Demand is the total set of requests, needs, or expectations for services, projects, or support from across the University.
Capacity is the available resources (people, time, and skills) that WashU IT can use to fulfill those demands.
Project Information
- Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) | In Progress
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As the Demand & Capacity Management initiative continues, WashU IT is implementing ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM).
SPM will replace Planview and provide a modernized platform to support project, resource, demand, capacity, and related work management.
- Demand Management | Complete
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The implementation of the Demand Management process is complete, and the process is now available across WashU IT.
Teams can use the process to consistently submit and evaluate requests for new work.
Introducing Strategic Portfolio Management
ServiceNow Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM) establishes a stronger foundation for how WashU IT understands and manages its work. By connecting information from the idea stage through delivery, SPM provides a more complete view of demand and capacity. This visibility helps teams and leaders make more informed decisions about priorities and resources while better connecting the work we deliver to university outcomes and value.
Who Will Use SPM?
- Project Managers
- Keep project information connected in SPM, with key information following the work from initial idea through delivery. Dashboards provide instant visibility into project details, status, and quick access reporting.
- Resource Managers
- SPM brings team capacity and demand data together in one place, reducing reliance on spreadsheets and providing a clearer, real-time view of resource needs for planning and decision-making.
- Time Users
- Your time matters. By accurately capturing the time you spend on work, you help create a clearer picture of where IT’s time and resources are going—supporting better planning, prioritization, and decisions across the organization.
Preparing for SPM
Role-based training and support will be available to help Project Managers, Resource Managers, and Time Users prepare for SPM.
Training dates, registration information, and additional details will be shared as they become available.
Support will include:
- Live Training — Role-based instruction designed for Project Managers, Resource Managers, and Time Users
- SPM Learning Labs — Short, 15–30 minute sessions focused on specific SPM topics, processes, and common questions
- SPM Help Hubs — One-hour drop-in support sessions where users can stop by anytime during the hour to ask questions and get help
- Teams Peer Support — A space to ask questions, share information, and get support from SPM Champions and peers
- On-Demand Resources — Training recordings, job aids, FAQs, and other resources available when users need them
SPM Resources
The SPM Resource Hub (coming soon) will provide a central location to access role-specific training and support resources, including:
- Live training, labs and support schedules
- On-demand training resources
- FAQs
- How to get help during roll-out and after
Demand Management Resources
Looking for information about the Demand Management process?
Questions?
For questions about the Demand & Capacity Management initiative or SPM implementation, contact:
- Karen Schilli Director IT Governance
- Tom Imlay Project Manager