Manpower scheduling is the process by which the daily manpower level for each craft or skill is selected to complete the work in the most efficient (orderly, economical, safe) manner.

The most important consideration is the work to be performed, with all of the logistical and safety aspects playing an important role.

Manpower should be scheduled so as to avoid interruptions of productive time, repeated staffing up and de-staffing (hiring/firing of workers), repeated movement of workers from one end of the unit/plant to the other, creating a work logjam or peak demands for equipment (such as cranes, trucks, etc.) or loading the work area with more men than it can adequately and/or safely hold (workspace density saturation).

Evaluating the workspace density saturation can be done by calculating the total work area and dividing it by the number of workers inside that area. This total area must include not only the ground level area, but platforms, elevated walkways, etc.

Also, certain operations require a greater area or room than others: equipment removal/installation, major repairs, large scale demolition, etc.

The best efficiency can be accomplished when the scheduled work exceeds the available manpower by at least fifteen (15%) percent. This means that every shift, all supervisors should have on their schedules at least 15% more work listed than they can physically achieve with their crews. The reason for this is that in the event that some of the listed (scheduled) work cannot be performed for whatever reason (tools, equipment, materials, safety, weather, etc.) then there is always other work available. This will prevent interruptions or delays in the utilization of manpower, and therefore it will help achieve a high level of productivity.