SA-301i · Module 2

Resource Planning

3 min read

Resource planning connects the architecture to the people who will build it. The architecture determines the skill mix: the microservices architecture needs distributed systems expertise, the ML component needs data science capability, the client integration needs someone who has worked with their ERP before. Resource planning that ignores the architecture produces teams that lack the skills the architecture demands — and the team discovers the gap during implementation, not during planning.

Do This

  • Derive the skill requirements from the architecture — each component and integration surface requires specific expertise
  • Plan for ramp-up time when team members are new to the technology or the client's environment — the first two weeks are learning, not delivering
  • Identify the critical-path roles — the integration specialist who must be available during the ERP connection phase — and protect their availability

Avoid This

  • Assign resources by availability rather than by skill match — a full-stack developer without distributed systems experience is not a microservices developer
  • Assume full productivity from day one — new team members, new technologies, and new client environments all have ramp-up costs
  • Plan without identifying the single-point-of-failure roles — if one person holds all the knowledge and they leave, the engagement stalls