- Who is this for
- Project managers and resource managers
Two recipes for planning work and the people who do it. Your workspace may use different names for some modules.
Why use it
Plans slip when a dependency is hidden or when nobody knows who is free. The Gantt shows the first, and Allocation shows the second.
Example: A project manager on Self-Service Modernization opens Gantt to see which linked task slips into the next, then opens Allocation to find someone with the right skill who is free next month.
Plan dependencies on the Gantt
Arrows between tasks or projects that turn red when one slips into the next. Good for project managers who plan with a team.
- Ask your admin to check that a link type has Affects schedule on. The built-in Blocks type does.
- Ask your admin to add the links: on the Gantt they drag a bar's round handle onto another bar, or select a bar and press L.
- Open Gantt. Each link shows as an arrow in the colour of its type.
- Optional: open Customise, go to the Gantt tab and set Links to Selected to see only the arrows of the bar you hover over or select, plus any conflicts.
A red arrow means the source ends after the target starts. The Gantt warns but never blocks the change.
See Gantt, Link records and Link types.
Find who is free next month with a skill
See who has the skill and the free time, then book them. Good for resource managers and team leads.
- Open Allocation and set the date range to Next 30 days.
- Click Filter, open the Skills tab and add a rule such as React ≥ 4. Click Apply.
- In Customise, make sure Staff is first under Rows. Each person gets an (Unallocated) row with their free time.
- Select the (Unallocated) cells you want to use and click Add unallocated time. The Add dialog opens with the person, period and hours filled in.
- Choose the project and save.
For a quick read in the Staff list, ask your admin to add an Allocation field set to Allocated capacity for a period such as Next 3 months, and a Skills field. Both then show as columns. See Allocation, Skills and Field types.
Go further
- Reports and meetings: take the plan into a review. See Reports and meetings.
- Tables and views: keep a tab of what needs you each week. See Tables and views.
- Set up for your team: ask your admin to set up link types and starting tabs. See Set up for your team.
- Roles on allocations: see Roles.