Combined Task and Allocation People Schedule Heatmap (Beta)

The feature

A mode of the People Schedule heatmap that is able to show over/under/on-target utilization of resources with demand coming from both project allocations and task assignments.

The heatmap has a dropdown to select between project allocation view, task-based view or the combined view.

Combined view heatmap – how it works

The combined view on the heatmap is able to show demand coming from both project allocations made for a resource and tasks assigned to that resource.

On a project by project basis, for the given period (whether day, week, month etc), the system looks at which is greater: time allocated for the resource or time registered + remaining time on tasks assigned for the resource. Whichever figure is greater is considered the demand for the resource for that project in that period of time.

For example, a resource (Chandler) is working on Project A and we’re looking at a week-by-week heatmap of the upcoming weeks. Chandler is staffed on the project 20 hours per week. In the first week, Chandler has been assigned to tasks for a total of 25 hours. In the second week, Chandler has been assigned to 10 hours worth of tasks. The system would show, coming from Project A, 25 hours of demand for Chandler’s time for the first week (coming from tasks) and 20 hours of demand for Chandler’s time for the second week (coming from the allocation).

The row for the project will show the hours of demand along with the source for the demand: allocations if allocations are higher; task estimates if time entries + remaining task estimates is higher.

The total demand for Chandler’s time is the sum of the demand coming from all his projects, plus allocations for internal time.

The combined utilization modal

Clicking on a cell of the heatmap will bring up the utilization modal for the resource for the given time period. This modal shows the breakdown of the demand expressed in the heatmap cell. The combined mode introduces new versions of the modal that are streamlined to contain the most relevant information with minimal noise.

The cells of the heatmap reflect the demand on the resource’s time against their capacity in the period. Capacity is the resource’s working hours minus time off or calendar holidays.

This modal is responsive to show demand whether it is coming from planned work (task estimates or allocations), from time registered, or remaining task estimates.

Option for seeing actuals vs planned time

There is a setting to choose whether only planned time is reflected in the heatmap (Exclude time registrations in the heatmap), or if time entries and remaining time are reflected (Include time registrations in the heatmap). This is governed by a company setting in Company Details along with the resourcing mode for the heatmap. This option is accessible and editable by Admin permission profile users only.

If the option to exclude time registrations is selected, users will see planned demand coming from task estimates or allocations, regardless of actual time registered.

With the setting to include time registrations in the heatmap enabled:

• Past periods will reflect time registered rather than estimates or allocations
• Periods with both time registered and time remaining will include both

Include time entries in the heatmap setting details

For periods entirely in the past, the heatmap will show utilization based on time registrations and will be colored in blue.

If a period has time registrations and no time remaining (e.g. because the period is entirely in the past), the utilization modal will show demand as the sum of time entries for the period. For additional context, the modal shows per project the time registered versus the time planned for the resource. The planned time is calculated as whichever is higher between assigned task estimates or allocations. The modal will also calculate the amount that time registrations are over or under the planned hours.

If a period has no time registered, the utilization modal will show demand as the sum of future time remaining across projects and internal time. For a given project, the future remaining time is equal to whichever is greater: future time allocated or time remaining on assigned tasks.

If a period has both time registered and time remaining (e.g. a period that spans past and future), the utilization modal will show demand as the sum of time registered and time remaining per project in the period. Time remaining will be based on whichever is greater: future time allocated or time remaining on unfinished, assigned tasks.

If time is registered in the future, those time registrations will come through in the heatmap and the utilization modal. 

Exclude time entries in the heatmap setting details

Regardless of whether the time period of the cell is past, present or future, and regardless of whether there is time registered in the period, the utilization modal will show the planned time in demand versus capacity (working hours - time off) for the period. Planned time demand from a given project will be based on whichever is greater: time allocated for the resource on the project or time estimated on tasks on the project assigned to the resource.

Switching modes

Admin users can switch into combined mode from either task assignment mode or project allocation mode. No data is modified or removed when switching into combined mode.

You’ll be able to change back to your previous setting, but you won’t be able to change from task assignment mode to combined mode to project allocation mode, or from project allocation mode to combined mode to task assignment mode. The unavailable setting will be grayed out and not selectable. This is because there is logic to convert between task assignment mode and project allocation mode, and we don’t convert anything when you switch to combined mode.

Win probability

Users can toggle on ‘Use win probability’ in the People Schedule when in the Allocations-only or the Combined view.

This will apply the win probability of the project (must be in Opportunity stage) to the demand that comes from Soft Allocations. The heatmap will use the same logic of determining which is higher between hours on assigned tasks vs allocated hours and using that for the overall demand.

Time approval

With Timesheet Approval on

Timesheet entries will show up in the People Schedule heatmap, regardless of submission and approval status.

With Internal Time Approval on

Timesheet entries for internal time will show up in the People Schedule heatmap, regardless of submission and approval status.

With Time-off Approval on

If the company has Time-off Approval enabled, time off entered into timesheets will not appear in the People Schedule until it is approved. Once the time off is approved, a time-off allocation is created. The time off can only be modified from the allocation and can no longer be modified from timesheets.

If this feature is not enabled, time-off entered into the timesheet will come through in the combined heatmap when the option to include time entries is selected. This does not apply for time off entered via timesheets in the future.

Utilization report

Users will be able to see time registered, time allocated, time planned on tasks as well as key variances in the Utilization Report.