What-If Planning

What-If Mode lets administrators and superusers experiment with scheduling changes without affecting the live data.

How It Works

1. Click the What-If toggle in the header
2. The interface changes visually to remind you that you're in planning mode
3. Make any changes: move phases, reassign staff, adjust dates, etc.
4. Changes are not saved to the database — they exist only in your session
5. When done, choose:
6. Commit changes — Apply all What-If modifications to the live database
7. Discard changes — Reload original data, discarding all modifications

Key Behaviors

• What-If changes are broadcast in real-time to other connected users via WebSocket, so collaborators can see your experimental planning
• Changes are not persisted until explicitly committed
• Only administrators and superusers can enter What-If mode
• The visual appearance changes (header indicator) to remind you that you're in planning mode

Committing and Discarding

When you're finished experimenting:

• Commit changes — All modifications made during the What-If session are saved to the database in a single batch. This includes moved phases, reassigned staff, date changes, and any other edits. Once committed, changes become the live data visible to all users.
• Discard changes — All modifications are thrown away and the original data is reloaded from the database. No trace of the What-If session remains.

Warning

Committing cannot be undone. Review your changes carefully before committing, especially if multiple phases or assignments were modified.

Use Cases

• Test resource reallocation before committing
• Explore "what happens if we move Project X to Q3?"
• Plan team changes without disrupting the live schedule
• Present planning options to stakeholders before deciding
• Run capacity scenarios during planning meetings with real-time visibility for the team