A method, computer program and database system are disclosed for guiding the development of workload group definition (WD) classifications for a database system having resources. WD classification information is provided where a workload group is a set of system requests having characteristics defined by a WD and a WD classification identifies one or more WDs with similar performance requirements. If WD classification is not acceptable, one or more of the following functions is performed until WD classification is acceptable: (a) splitting one or more WDs; and (b) merging two or more WDs.