Say it like this
- We're at full capacity
- Over capacity
- Capacity planning
- Headroom in capacity
Use it at work
Planning a sprint
- We have less capacity this sprint because two people are on holiday.
- Let's plan to 80% of our capacity.
Saying no
- We don't have the capacity to take this on before Q3.
- I'm at capacity this week.
Systems
- The database is near capacity. We should scale up.
- How much capacity do we need for launch day?
Don't say this
Capacity is not something you build into something; you increase it or design for it.
Don't mix it up
| Term | What it is | Who writes or uses it | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| capacity | How much work a team or system can handle | Managers, planners | Planning |
| bandwidth | Your personal free time and energy | Anyone | "I don't have bandwidth." |
| velocity | How much work a team actually finished | Scrum teams | After each sprint |
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. Our servers are running at 85% _______, so we should plan to scale soon.
2. Which sentence uses capacity correctly?
3. Your manager asks if the team can do more work. What do you say?
4. Rewrite in tech English: We need to look at whether our system can hold all this new data and if our team has enough time and people to handle the new project.
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 4
"We're at full capacity"
We don't save your recording. The word check uses your browser's speech recognition.
More about capacity
Real examples(3)
- in a standup
"We're still below capacity on the database servers, so we can handle more traffic this month."
- in a team meeting
"Our team is at full capacity right now, so we can't take on any new projects until next quarter."
- in a technical discussion
"We need to increase our API capacity by 50% to support the new payment system."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. Do not confuse capacity (available resources) with capability (ability to do something). Capacity is about quantity and limits; capability is about what you can do.
- ✕John has no capacity to learn Python.✓John doesn't have the capability to learn Python yet, or John doesn't have the capacity to take on learning Python right now.
Capacity refers to available resources or limits, not someone's ability. Use capability for skills.
- ✕The server is running at 150% capacity, so it is working well.✓The server is running at 150% capacity, so it's overloaded and needs to be scaled.
Over 100% capacity means the system is overloaded and struggling, not performing well.
Other forms(2)
- capacity noun
"The data center has a storage capacity of 10 petabytes."
- capacities noun
"We assessed the capacities of each team member to assign work fairly."
Often used with(6)
- at capacity · Describes a system or team that is fully utilized and cannot take on more work
- over capacity · When a system is pushed beyond its maximum and is overloaded
- capacity planning · The process of predicting future resource needs and preparing infrastructure
- full capacity · Operating at maximum limit
- storage capacity · The maximum amount of data a device can hold
- bandwidth capacity · The maximum data transfer rate
Similar words(4)
- capability · Capability refers to what you can do; capacity refers to how much you can do or available resources
- throughput · More technical; refers to the amount of data processed per unit time
- limit · More general; capacity is about reaching a specific limit
- headroom · Refers to available capacity before reaching the limit
Opposites(2)
- underutilization
- scarcity
Questions(5)
- What does capacity mean in software engineering?
- Capacity refers to the maximum amount of work, data, or load that a system, server, or team can handle. For example, a database might have a capacity of 1 TB of storage, or a team might have capacity for 40 tasks in a sprint. When capacity is reached, performance degrades or the system fails.
- How is capacity used in sprint planning?
- In sprint planning, the team calculates their capacity by considering how many hours each person has available and then subtracts time for meetings, support work, and other non-development tasks. This capacity tells them how much work they can commit to in the sprint.
- What is the difference between capacity and capability?
- Capacity is about available resources or how much you can do (a limit or quantity). Capability is about what you are able to do (a skill or ability). For example, Your team has capacity for 100 features this year means they have the resources. Your team has the capability to build mobile apps means they have the skill.
- What happens when a system runs over capacity?
- When a system exceeds its capacity, it becomes overloaded. This can cause slow performance, timeouts, crashes, or service failures. This is why capacity planning and scaling are critical in tech.
- Is capacity formal or informal?
- Capacity is a neutral, professional term used in both formal and informal settings. You will hear it in meetings, documentation, and technical discussions.
