Graphs

The purpose of this component is to visualize the historical load and output on projects flow, expected future load for the resources, track progress towards a project completion with Burnup and Remaining weeks of planned work per resource.

Screen #1 – Graphs (main)

• To go to the Graphs page, please, select second menu item from the top – GRAPHS.

Currently we do have next four types of graphs:

• Historical load

• Future load

• Burn-up graph

• Remaining weeks

To review any of those please select an appropriate tab with Graph name description. In case if you don’t have required type of Graph displayed it can be visualized by selecting from the tab to the left from all displayed.

Screen #2 – Graphs (tabs)

Historical load

Overview

The purpose of this graph is to show your team performance over time in accordance with the projects that we have in the pipeline. This feature of Epicflow allows you to make a thorough analysis of your team progress and compare the load, capacity, and output of your resources.

Output of the graph at the same moment graduates by four groups: On Schedule(color in blue), Attention(colored in green), Urgent (yellow) and Overdue(red).

• Select “Historical Load” tab in the left top corner of the Graphs page.

Visualized graph with two axes “Date” and “FTE” (Full-time equivalent) will contain historical information for all selected Resource groups from the “Resource Groups” list area to the right from the graph itself.

History of the graph is presented by next composing graphs lines:

• Load
• Ready to Start
• Capacity
•  Output
  • On Schedule
  • Attention 
  • Urgent
  • Overdue

Screen #3 – Historical Load graph

LOAD, indicated as a red line, shows the historical workload in FTE for the selected teams over time.

Screen #3 – Historical Load graph – Load

READY TO START, visualized as dot red line, shows historical amount of workload over none blocked tasks.In other words it’s a tasks list in “Ready to start” stage. In comparison to Load it doesn’t include blocked tasks in “Not ready to Start” and “Upcoming” stage.

Screen #4 – Historical Load graph- Ready To Start

CAPACITY, depicted as a blue line, indicates expected output from the team based on historical availability and working hours for each team member. 

Screen #4 – Historical Load graph- Capacity

OUTPUT, depicted as a light-blue line, shows historically produced output in FTE by the team.

Screen #4 – Historical Load graph – Output

At the same moment Output is divided into next subgroups:

• On Schedule (Blue)
• Attention (Green)
• Urgent (Yellow)
• Overdue (Urgent)

Color of the subgroup has the straight connection to the priority of the closed task which indicates an urgency of the task at the time of its accomplishment

Graph elements

• To set a period for the graphs data representation you can
  • set start and end date right in the appropriate date pickers, located in the left top corner.
  • in opposition to that, you can drag left or right corners in the bottom graph representation
• System also allows to perform zooming-in zooming-out by scroll-mouse button usage.
• To move over the graph, with some defined in the date pickers range, you can either
  • drag the bottom graph representation
  • or drag graph itself
• To refine Graph’s data representation, for any particular Resource group(s), select the appropriate one from the list “Resource groups”, located to the right from the Graph itself. 
• For Multigroups you can click over the “Next” icon, located to the right from the group name, to visualize graph only for groups which are part of the Multigroup.

Recommendations

Main strategy here is to perform a joint periodic overview with the team to analyze historical output and define causes why it was low. The ideal situation an output equal to capacity.

Few items to pay attention to:

• If the system does not display the output and capacity lines at the same level, there are reasons why your team does less than it could and cannot produce the expected output.

• If the load line is higher than output and capacity, it means that your resource groups are overloaded, and it is one of possible reasons why your team’s output is not equal to capacity.
• Balancing the load and capacity will help you achieve better output.

Future load

Overview

The purpose of this graph is to display a picture of Load for any groups or resources in accordance to the active projects in Pipeline active area. It helps management to take control on resource planning and predict the impact from additional projects.

Screen #5 – Future Load graph

• Select “Future Load” tab in the left top corner of the Graphs page.

Visualized graph with two axes “Date” and “FTE” (Full-time equivalent) will contain information for all selected Resource groups or Users from the “Resource Groups” list area to the right from the graph itself.

Screen #6 – Future Load graph for one group

When we have line of the Group’s load above x axis system indicates overload for the particular resource group.

In case if graph line is located bellow x axis we can say for sure that particular resource group is not loaded enough.

Graph elements

• To set a period for the graphs data representation you can
  • set start and end date right in the appropriate date pickers, located in the left top corner.
  • in opposition to that, you can drag left or right corners in the bottom graph representation
• System also allows to perform zooming-in zooming-out by scroll-mouse button usage.
• To move over the graph, with some defined in the date pickers range, you can either
  • drag the bottom graph representation
  • or drag graph itself
• To refine Graph’s data representation, for any particular Resource group(s), select the appropriate one from the list “Resource groups”, located to the right from the Graph itself. 
• For Multigroups you can click over the “Next” icon, located to the right from the group name, to visualize graph only for groups which are part of the Multigroup. The same action can be done for a group to review load per each resource assigned to the group.
• To highlight any particular line, for all defined period, hover your mouse cursor over the line
  • or hover over mouse cursor on the Resource name in “Resource groups” list area
  • or click left mouse button on the color icon to the left from the Resource name in the “Resource groups” list area

Capacity View

Screen #7 – Future Load graph – Capacity view

Additional function for the Future Load graph is “Capacity View” mode. In such mode system represents your team’s capacity changes in accordance to holidays\vacation or illness periods of your resources.

• switch on toggle “Capacity View” to have this mode activated

All functionality described for the future Load graph also can be used for the “Capacity View” mode.

Recommendations

Main strategy here is to Avoid situations when you have team all time overloaded. Cause, As we’ll see it on the Historical Load Graph, in case of overload, team will experience an output falling.

Few items to pay attention to:

• Future Load review must be used as an additional tool of control to identify moment in time, starting from which, team wont be able to accomplish all planned work for the set period.
• In joint usage with “What-If analysis” tool it can grant good basis for analysis and understanding of action items which must be taken to keep projects flow in most efficient way.
• Keep in mind that under-load for the team also can have negative effects as for the project and team itself.Load balancing is the key to success.

Burn-up graph

Overview

The purpose of this graph is to display a picture of the current and historical status on project(s) accomplishment in a way of costs control and that the project didn’t cross estimated boundaries.

Screen #8 – Burn-up graph

• Select “Burnup” tab in the left top corner of the Graphs page.

Visualized graph is presented on two axes “Date” and “Cost Estimation”(measured in work hours) area and contains information for all selected Projects from the “Porjects” list area to the right from the graph itself.

Graph itself is presented as a three composing graphs line and areas:

• Approved
• Total Expected (Remaining)
  • Budgeted
  • Scheduled
• Burned

APPROVED, presented as a red line, indicates planned project’s cost measured in work hours.

TOTAL EXPECTED, a purple one, is an indication of estimated project cost and it consist of two areas:

• Budgeted

and

• Scheduled.

First one is a set of our reserves and second one is an indication of the part which is already assigned for some work accomplishment.

Last area is BURNED. Meaning of it, is the costs which already are spent on project accomplishment.

Graph elements

• To set a period for the graphs data representation you can
  • set start and end date right in the appropriate date pickers, located in the left top corner.
  • in opposition to that, you can drag left or right corners in the bottom graph representation
• System also allows to perform zooming-in zooming-out by scroll-mouse button usage.
• To move over the graph, with some defined in the date pickers range, you can either
  • drag the bottom graph representation
  • or drag graph itself
• To refine Graph’s data representation, for any particular Project(s), select the appropriate one from the list “Projects”, located to the right from the Graph itself. Note that Projects list is divided into two blocks in a similar way to Pipeline: Active and Not Active.

Financial view

Screen #9 – Burn-up graph – Financial view

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Recommendations

Main strategy here is to have a periodic overview from Project Manager side to control budget and flow of the project. You need to control situation and do not allow running out of estimated Budgeted area and furthermore fit in to Approved expenses.

Remaining weeks

Overview

The purpose of this graph is to display a historical dynamic how the total value of planned work in Weeks was decreasing in time for each Resource group or Resource.

Screen #10 – Remaining weeks graph – Financial view

• Select “Remaining weeks” tab in the left top corner of the Graphs page.

Visualized graph is presented on two axes “Date” and “Remaining weeks” area and contains information for all selected Group(s) from the “All groups” list area to the right from the graph itself.

Graph elements

• To set a period for the graphs data representation you can
  • set start and end date right in the appropriate date pickers, located in the left top corner.
  • in opposition to that, you can drag left or right corners in the bottom graph representation
• System also allows to perform zooming-in zooming-out by scroll-mouse button usage.
• To move over the graph, with some defined in the date pickers range, you can either
  • drag the bottom graph representation
  • or drag graph itself
• To refine Graph’s data representation, for any particular Resource group(s), select the appropriate one from the list “Resource groups”, located to the right from the Graph itself. 
• For Multigroups you can click over the “Next” icon, located to the right from the group name, to visualize graph only for groups which are part of the Multigroup.

Special features for the RM

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