What are AI-assisted what-if simulations in Project Insight?

Project Insight's AI-assisted what-if simulations let you test proposed changes before updating live work. Model new projects, scope or priority changes, schedule shifts, PTO, or reassignments and see how timelines, workloads, capacity, and budgets could change across projects and portfolios.

Can we test adding a new customer or project without affecting current plans?

Yes. Project Insight lets you add proposed work to a simulation and evaluate it alongside existing projects without changing the live plan. You can see where workloads increase, which milestones or delivery dates may move, and whether the organization has enough capacity to take on the work.

How do what-if simulations handle PTO and resource reassignments?

Project Insight lets you simulate PTO, medical leave, the loss of a key resource, or task reassignments using current schedules and resource data. You can see how the proposed changes affect individual and team allocations, project timelines, and portfolio capacity before deciding whether to apply them.

How do what-if simulations support executive and sales decisions?

Project Insight shows the original plan, the simulated outcome, and the resulting changes so leaders can evaluate trade-offs using current project and resource data. PMO, portfolio, and sales teams can see what would need to change to accept new work, compare options, and document the decision.

What-if simulations for project forecasting

Test different project scenarios to see how new work, scope changes, and staffing shifts affect timelines, workloads, and budgets across your portfolio. Model scenarios in seconds so you can say yes, not yet, or not now with clear evidence.

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Scenario modeling

Run what-if scenarios before you commit.

Model scenarios across projects, programs, portfolios, and initiatives in one place.
Test if you can add a new customer or project and still meet existing delivery dates.
Evaluate how scope changes and shifting priorities affect work already in progress.
Compare scenario outcomes to support intake, planning, and annual roadmap decisions.
Use consistent what-if modeling instead of rebuilding schedules in spreadsheets.

AI scenario modeling across projects and portfolios

Forecasting and resource impact simulations

Predict impacts

See how every change affects delivery, budgets, and capacity.

Simulate PTO, reassignments, or loss of key resources to see real capacity impacts.
Test adding new projects or customers and visualize which milestones move.
Recalculate budgets and workloads instantly for each proposed scenario.
Identify which initiatives or timelines carry the highest delivery risk.
Present visual scenario summaries that clarify trade-offs for executives and PMOs.
Document the options considered and decisions made for future reference.

DIFFERENTIATORS

What sets Project Insight's what-if simulations apart?

Capacity views can show you where people are overloaded. Project Insight goes further by letting you test what to do about it before you change the live plan. Model a new project, a shift in priorities, a delayed start date, PTO, or a reassignment using current project, resource, and budget data. Then see how that choice changes schedules, workloads, capacity, and costs across the portfolio.

Smartsheet and Jira also offer saved what-if scenarios. Project Insight stands out by bringing portfolio-wide capacity and budget impact together with AI-informed resource and schedule suggestions, so leaders can compare practical options and apply the one they approve without rebuilding the plan.

What-if planning comparison: Project Insight versus Smartsheet, ClickUp, Monday.com, Asana, Wrike, and Jira
Key What-if Simulation Capability	Project Insight	Smartsheet	ClickUp	monday.com	Asana	Wrike	Jira
Test changes without changing live work	Yes: Change dates, assignments, and project plans in a separate simulation	Yes: Scenario Planning keeps changes separate from the plan of record	Related capability: Workload planning is available; saved what-if versions are not documented	Related capability: Resource Planner and Capacity Manager are available; saved what-if versions are not documented	Related capability: Workload and Capacity Planning are available; saved what-if versions are not documented	Related capability: Workload Charts and Resources view are available; saved what-if versions are not documented	Yes: Scenarios create alternate versions inside Plans
Model real planning decisions	Yes: Test new work, scope and priority changes, schedule shifts, PTO, and reassignments	Yes: Adjust project timelines, resources, and allocations	Related capability: Adjust tasks, estimates, assignments, and capacity in planning views	Related capability: Adjust effort, timelines, resources, and allocations in planning views	Related capability: Adjust project allocations and team capacity in planning views	Related capability: Schedule and reassign work through workload and resource views	Yes: Test alternate versions of a plan, including schedule and team-capacity changes
See the impact across projects and resources	Yes: See the effect by person, role, department, project, program, and portfolio	Yes: Timeline and capacity views show project and cross-project allocation impact	Related capability: Workload views show capacity across selected work	Yes: Capacity Manager brings together allocations across projects and portfolios	Yes: Workload and Capacity Planning show team demand across projects	Yes: Workload Charts and Resources view show effort across teams and projects	Related capability: Plans can span multiple teams and work sources; capacity is team-based
See budget impact inside the simulation	Yes: Simulated changes can be reviewed in Budget Portfolio reports, including labor and non-labor data when configured	Not documented in scenario workflow: Scenario Planning documentation focuses on timelines and capacity	Not documented in scenario workflow: Cost fields and reporting are separate from workload planning	Not documented in scenario workflow: Cost management is separate from capacity planning	Not documented in scenario workflow: Cost data can appear in capacity views with the Timesheets and Budgets add-on	Not documented in scenario workflow: Budgeting and workload planning are available as separate capabilities	Not documented: Jira Plans documentation does not include project-budget simulation
Get AI-informed options inside the simulation	Yes: AI can suggest resource moves and schedule options using availability, roles, and current workload	Not documented: AI recommendations are not described in Scenario Planning documentation	Not documented: No comparable AI-assisted simulation workflow is described	Not documented: No comparable AI-assisted simulation workflow is described	Not documented: No comparable AI-assisted simulation workflow is described	Not documented: No comparable AI-assisted simulation workflow is described	Not documented: Scenarios are documented as a planning tool, not an AI-assisted workflow
Compare the original plan with proposed changes	Yes: Show prior totals, simulated totals, and the change in resource-allocation reports	Yes: Compare scenarios in timeline and capacity views	Related capability: Compare workload and capacity views after changing planning data	Related capability: Review allocation and capacity data across connected projects	Related capability: Review planned allocations and team capacity	Related capability: Review effort and capacity in workload and resource views	Yes: Switch between scenarios and review proposed changes before saving
Apply the approved option to live work	Yes: Apply the selected dates and assignments to the original project plan	Yes: Apply the selected scenario to the plan of record	Different workflow: Planning changes are made directly to the underlying work	Different workflow: Planning changes are made directly in resource and capacity tools	Different workflow: Allocation changes are made directly in planning views	Different workflow: Schedule and assignment changes update the planned work	Yes: Save selected scenario changes back to Jira work items

Comparison based on publicly available product information as of July 2026. Features may vary by plan, configuration, add-on, and integration.