Introduction:
Managing tasks and projects can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to tracking resource allocation. Luckily, there’s a solution that makes it easy and visually appealing – timeline views. In this article, we’ll delve into how you can leverage the Utilization function in timeline views to gain better control over task and project deadlines.
Resource Allocation Overview
When thinking about project completion, several resources come to mind. Consider individual employee working hours, total team working hours, holidays/time off, task completion durations, external contracting needs, and headcount planning. If any of these factors resonated with you, the Utilization function in the summary bar can help you and your team gain a deeper understanding and control over deadlines.
Base Schema
To understand how to set up the Utilization feature, let’s use a base schema as an example. You can click on the link provided to make a copy of the base and follow along. Alternatively, if you already have a base set up similarly, try to identify concepts that match the workflow or adjust your base to mirror our example.
The base schema consists of three distinct tables: Projects, Assignee, and Days off. Essential date, linked record, and lookup fields provide all the necessary information to configure the timeline view and Utilization summary function. The fields within the green box correspond to the Utilization setup, while the pink arrow lines represent linked or looked-up information in connected tables.
Three key components are required to fully leverage the Utilization function:
-
Allocated hours (Number value): Determine how much of a resource an event requires. Is the allocation for the entire event or repeated daily, weekly, or monthly? For example, for a task, it could be the number of hours needed each week.
-
Resource (Linked record field preferred): Identify the employees or teams associated with the event. Using a linked record field allows you to bring in dynamic information for availability.
-
Available hours (Number value): This can be a static or dynamic number. When a linked record field is added, you can reference dynamic availability and unavailability data through Lookup fields associated with that linked record. Additionally, if you account for days off, a date value option will appear when using a linked record in the “Resources” section.
Setup
Now, let’s get hands-on and set up the Utilization feature in your base. Open the base you copied earlier and follow these steps:
-
In the “Projects” table, create a new timeline view (if unsure, refer to the timeline overview article).
-
Add a Utilization summary by clicking the “Summarize” option in the view menu.
-
Configure Allocated hours: Map the fields that the Utilization function will use to output utilization percentages. In our example, we’ll match “Allocated hours” to the “Hours” field in the “Projects” table. Set the rate to “Per week” since the project requires a specific number of hours each week.
-
Configure Available hours: Clicking this option will open another configuration window. Here’s what we’ll do:
- Match Resource to the “Assignee” field. In our example, the assignees for the project are the resources used to complete it.
- Set the Working hours as the “Availability” lookup field. For weekly availability, set the cadence to “Per week” in the “Assignees” table.
- Optionally, account for time off by toggling it on. You can choose to create a new table for tracking days off or use an existing table. In our case, we’ll choose the “Days off” table. Configure the start date and, if necessary, the end date for tracking hourly time. Lastly, set a label for the time off, which defaults to “PTO” (Paid time off).
-
Click the “Back” button to return to the main configuration window.
-
Choose a Label: Options include “None,” “Function name,” or “Custom.”
-
Choose a Color: To easily identify over-utilization, set up one or more color conditions. In our example, we used red for utilization equal to or over 100%, orange for utilization over 75%, and green as the default color.
-
Show in: Adjust where the summary bar appears. For per-assignee utilization, the bottom summary bar might not make sense. In our example, the “Assignee groups” toggle is on by default, and the “Bottom summary bar” option cannot be enabled.
-
Click anywhere outside the configuration window to complete the setup.
FAQs
After setting up the Utilization function, you might have some questions. Here are answers to common queries:
- How can I create a timeline view?
- Can I customize the label and color conditions?
- Is it possible to include more than one utilization summary in a timeline view?
- What happens if an assignee is over-utilized?
- How can I adjust the appearance of the summary bar in the timeline view?
If you have any further questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out. Start leveraging the Utilization function in timeline views to streamline resource allocation and gain better control over your projects.
