The Resource Calculators are a set of Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheets that enable you to determine optimal operations staffing levels. They help you answer the question, "How many people do I need for my operations staff?"

Each calculator calls out specific operational activities required for a specific function or technology. As such, you can use it as a reference for the operational tasks that you need to perform in your organization. The specific tasks identified in the Resource Calculators are derived from published Microsoft operational guides as well as interviews and discussions with field experts, consultants, and support professionals. The Resource Calculators also draw on material from the Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) and the Operating Quadrant Service Management Functions (SMFs).

The following Resource Calculators are available:

• System Administration
  
• Security Administration
  
• Network Administration
  
• Service Monitoring and Control
  
• Storage Management
  
• Job Scheduling
  
• Active Directory Management
  
• Windows SharePoint Services Management
  
• SQL Server 2005 Management
  
• Patch Management
  

The Resource Calculators are available online at Operations Templates.

To use a calculator, you open the spreadsheet and enter the amount of time and the frequency required for an operations task. The spreadsheet then calculates the full-time employee (FTE) work effort. When you first open a calculator, you will find placeholder numbers for time and frequency. Delete these numbers before you begin.

For the most reliable results, be sure to obtain valid time and frequency data prior to working with the calculators. Track your resource usage day-to-day and analyze how your staff is spending their hours at work. The more accurate you are at analyzing the effort required by staff to perform a task, the more valid the results provided by calculator.