Abstract: Method for optimization of the determination of the actual personnel requirement for creation of a service plan for a hotel, a guesthouse and/or a restaurant with the aid of a data processing system having a memory, a processor, at least one input unit, at least one interface to a reservation program and a budget planning program as well as a common user interface, with the method comprising the following steps: a) storage of employee data, including individual employee characteristics, b) storage of department-specific requirements and/or event-dependent requirements, c) immediate entry of those absent, d) inclusion of data relating to current occupancy via the interface to a reservation program and to a budget planning program, e) determination of the actual or current personnel requirement, or the personnel required for a time period which can be defined, on the basis of the required employee hours per department, with the aid of department-specific formulae based on the data from the method steps a) to d)