Setting Up and Navigating the Resource Allocation Chart

The Resource Allocation Chart lets you visually manage your resource allocations, giving you the ability to edit existing allocations and create new allocations directly from the chart. To see the chart view, administrators can go to Lists > Services > Resource Allocation Chart/Grid and click Chart under Resource Allocations. For more information on where to find the chart with other roles, see Resource Allocation Chart/Grid SuiteApp.

Refer to the following image and table to know more about the different parts of the Resource Allocation Chart:

Navigating the Resource Allocation Chart

For each resource, a summary bar shows the total percentage of allocated time within each column. The bars are color coded so you can tell, at a glance, when a resource is overbooked. Each color is explained in the Legend at the top of the chart. The chart considers each resource's work schedule with non-working dates (weekends, for example) which are indicated by a cross-hatched gray pattern. Individual allocation bars are also coded by allocation type.

Important:

Scheduled time off is not displayed in the Resource Allocation Chart.

Refer to the following image and table to know more about the different parts of the Resource Allocation Chart.

	Page Element	Description
1	New Resource Allocation	Click this button to create a new allocation. For more information, see Creating a New Allocation from the Resource Allocation Chart or Grid.
2	Default and Custom Filters	Select a default or custom filter to set the grid view and fields that will appear in the filter panel. You can select from existing filters or create your own custom filter. For more information, see Using Default Filters to Change the Chart or Grid View and Customizing Resource Allocation Chart/Grid Filters.
3	Filter Panel	Set the values for each filter to customize the information you see on the Resource Allocation Chart. You can select multiple values for some filters. The number on the left of the filter field indicates how many values have been selected for the specific filter. Click the X icon next to this number to clear all selected values for the filter. Note: You can select only 1 value for the Resource Type filter. You can leave the field blank to include all three values in the Resource Type filter. Note: If you do not set a value for the Start Date field on the default filters, the system will automatically set it to the current date. The start date is displayed in the format specified on the Set Preferences page.
4	Large Data Component Dropdown	Clicking the double arrow icon opens a popup window that lets you select the values for the dropdown fields. The data in these fields are retrieved only when you click the icon, thereby minimizing data searches when the chart or grid initially loads. The icon appears when the data in a dropdown field is greater than the value of the Maximum Entries in Dropdowns preference. To set the limit, go to Home > Set Preferences > General. Note: You cannot type on dropdown fields with the double arrow icon .
5	Resource Allocation Menu	Expand All — Click to view details of all projects and allocations for each available resource. Collapse All — Click to hide details of the projects and allocation for each available resource. Download Icon — Click to download the data on the Resource Allocation Chart and save it as a PDF, CSV, or Excel file. Hold your cursor over the icon to see download options. Note: When using Firefox, you cannot open exported Excel files directly from your browser. You must first save the file to your computer. Print Icon — Click to print the data on the Resource Allocation Chart. Settings Icon — Click to change the settings for the Resource Allocation Chart. For more information, see Adjusting Resource Allocation Chart Settings. Grid — Click to display resource allocations in grid view. Chart — Click to display resource allocations in chart view. Timeline Display — You can select a specific date or use the buttons beside the date picker to adjust the time frame that is currently displayed. Click Daily, Weekly, or Monthly to adjust how the allocations are displayed, and then use the arrows to move the timeline forward or backward. Pagination — Hold your cursor over the page range and click the page that you want to view. You can also click the right or left arrow to view the next or previous page of the chart. Total Count — Lists the total number of resources currently shown in the chart. Information Icon — Hold your cursor over this icon to display brief information about the resource allocation chart or grid.
6	Search Resource Field	Enter a name in the field and click the search icon to filter the chart for that resource. To return the chart to the selected view, clear the Search Resource field and click the Search icon.
7	Summary Bar	The summary row displays the following information: Total allocation — Shows the total allocation for each resource. You can expand the allocations to view more details about the resource’s allocation. Approved time off — A blue triangle on the lower right corner of the cell indicates approved employee time off. The icon is visible in the Resource Allocation Chart when you are using the daily or weekly view. When viewing allocations weekly, the blue triangle will appear on the week of the approved time off. This feature is available in the Resource Allocation Chart/Grid if the following prerequisites are enabled or installed on your account: Time Off Tracking feature Time Off Tracking SuiteApp
8	Project Details	Shows information about the project currently assigned to the resource. The project details pane displays the customer first, followed by the project name, and then the project task. Hold your cursor over the project to view a popup listing additional details about the project or project task. You can also click the project to open a popup that lets you reassign the resource for the chosen allocation. Important: When in chart mode, only the project name is displayed for each allocation. To view both the project name and customer name, you must enable Auto-Generated Numbers for projects. For more information, see Set Auto-Generated Numbers.
9	Allocation Bar	Hold your cursor over the allocation bars to view details about that allocation. Click the bar to edit the resource’s allocation or drag and drop the bar to reassign the allocation to a different resource. You can also adjust the start or end dates by stretching or shortening the allocation bar. For more information, see Allocation Bars.

Adjusting Resource Allocation Chart Settings

Before you begin using the chart, you can adjust the chart’s appearance and available filters.

To adjust the chart settings:

1. Click the Settings icon at the top of the resource allocation chart.

   

2. Adjust the following settings as necessary:

   • Allocate Using — Select Percentage or Hours to determine how allocations are displayed in the chart.

     Note:

     When switching between Percentage and Hours, you must refresh the chart after saving your preferences for your changes to take effect.

   • Limit Decimal Places Display — Choose the maximum number of decimal places to display in the chart. You can select a number from zero to four. When you choose to limit decimal places, the number displayed will be rounded up or down to the selected number of decimal places.

   • Default Date Range — Select the date range that will be displayed by default when you load the Resource Allocation Chart.

   • Include project templates — Check this box to view project templates with resource allocations on the chart. When enabled, project templates will also be available in the Project dropdown on the filter panel.

     Note:

     You can allocate a generic resource to a project template from the Project Template record. On the Project Template record, go to Resources > Resource Allocations, and then click New Resource Allocation. For more information, see Project Templates.

   • Show numbers on bars — Check this box to list the allocation values within the bars on the chart.

   • Show details on hover — Check this box to show the allocation details when you hold your cursor over an allocation bar.

   • Show project tasks — Check this box to show the allocations made directly to project tasks.

     Note:

     This setting is not available when you are viewing allocations by project or customer.

   • Include resources without allocations — Check this box to show active resources that do not have any current allocations.

     Note:

     This setting is not available when you are viewing allocations by project or customer.

   • Show rejected allocations — If you also use Approval Routing for resource allocations, check this box to add values of rejected allocations to the chart.

   • Chart Density — Select how compact you want your chart to appear.

   • Allocation — Customize colors to define the different allocation ranges.

     Note:

     When you are viewing allocations by Customer or Project, color settings for the allocation bars will not be applied to the chart. The allocation bars will be displayed in white.

3. When you have finished, click Save.

   After you have updated your settings, you can begin using the chart to work with your resource allocations. For more information, see Using the Resource Allocation Chart/Grid.

Allocation Bars

Within the Resource Allocation Chart, you can hold your cursor over an allocation bar to see details about that allocation.

You can drag and drop the bar to reassign the allocation to a different resource. When moving the bar, a small green check icon appears if the allocation can be reassigned at the current location. If the allocation cannot be reassigned to the current location, a small red prohibited sign appears.

You cannot reassign allocations through drag and drop if it overlaps with another assignment, or if the start and end dates fall on non-working days. Collapsed allocations cannot be reassigned with drag and drop.

You can adjust the selected dates for the allocation by stretching or shortening the allocation bar. You can also click the allocation bar to open the Edit Resource Allocation window, where you can modify the allocation details.

Note:

You cannot edit or create new allocations for generic resources assigned to project templates from the Resource Allocation Chart.

Note:

Any changes made to allocations on the chart do not need to be saved before switching to the grid. You can switch between the chart and grid without losing any information. You must however, click Save at the top of the page before you navigate away from the Resource Allocation Chart/Grid. Otherwise, any changes you make while working with the Chart or Grid will not be saved.

For more information about creating resource allocations, see Creating a Resource Allocation Record.

Related Topics

• Creating a Resource Allocation Record
• Resource Allocation Chart/Grid SuiteApp
• Setting Up and Navigating the Resource Allocation Grid
• Using the Resource Allocation Chart/Grid
• Resource Skill Sets
• Project Resource Management

General Notices