This article helps a Salesforce user understand Flux Utilization records and the important role they play in Flux Capacity reporting.
Flux Utilization Definition
Flux Utilization is a custom object used to aggregate Flux Schedule data and join it with Flux Resource targeted utilization data to serve as the basis for Flux Capacity reporting.
Like a Flux Schedule, a Flux Utilization record is linked to a Flux Team Member and represents a daily increment.
Flux Schedules tell us the following about a single Task or Time Away request :
- how much time is expected to be worked
- how much time was actually worked
- how much time is deducted from targeted utilization
Flux Utilization summarizes the above across all Tasks and Time Away requests for a Flux Team Member on a single day.
Flux Utilization Field Definitions
Flux Utilization is the primary object used in the Flux Capacity dashboards and source reports. The following key Flux Utilization fields drive those reports.
- Flux Utilization Date: Date used for reporting date range filters and groupings.
- Flux Team Member: Specifies the Flux Resource and associated Flux Team. A single Flux Resource that is a member of multiple Flux Teams will have a Flux Utilization record for each Flux Team for each day (365 days/yr).
- Forecast Hours: Rollup of Flux Forecast Hours from related Flux Schedules.
- Total Utilization Target (hrs): Flux Resource’s Daily Total Utilization Target x Flux Team Member Percent Allocation to Team.
- Billable Utilization Target (hrs): Flux Resource’s Daily Billable Utilization Target x Flux Team Member Percent Allocation to Team.
- Non-Billable Utilization Target (hrs): Flux Resource’s Daily Non-Billable Utilization Target x Flux Team Member Percent Allocation to Team.
- Total Capacity Deduction (hrs): Rollup of Flux Capacity Deduction (hrs) from related Flux Schedules.
- Billable Capacity Deduction (hrs): Total Capacity Deduction (hrs) x Flux Resource’s Daily Billable Utilization %.
- Non-Billable Capacity Deduction (hrs): Total Capacity Deduction (hrs) x Flux Resource’s Daily Non-Billable Utilization %.
- Billable Capacity (hrs): Billable Utilization Target (hrs) - Billable Capacity Deduction (hrs).
- Non-Billable Capacity (hrs): Non-Billable Utilization Target (hrs) - Non-Billable Capacity Deduction (hrs).
- Total Capacity (hrs): Total Utilization Target (hrs) - Total Capacity Deduction (hrs).
- Actual Total Time (hrs): Rollup of Actual Total Time (hrs) from related Flux Schedules.
- Actual Billable Time (hrs): Rollup of Actual Billable Time (hrs) from related Flux Schedules.
- Actual Non-Billable Time (hrs): Rollup of Actual Non-Billable Time (hrs) from related Flux Schedules.
In the example Flux Utilization record below, we see:
- Multiple Flux Schedule records for the same date (10/3) - highlighted yellow.
- One Flux Schedule of Type “Individual Time Away” with a capacity deduction of 1.60 hours. That deduction is allocated to billable and non-billable buckets - highlighted teal.
- Three Flux Schedules of Type “Task”, two of which have billable time logged. Time is rolling up to the Actuals - highlighted blue.
Flux Utilization Lockout Range
Flux Utilization data is maintained in real-time. As users create and modify TaskRay Tasks and Time, the related Flux Schedules and Flux Utilization rollups are recalculated. This gives you constantly fresh real-time data.
However, it can be important to protect historical data from changing at a certain point. This is especially the case with actual utilization reporting. The Flux Utilization Lockout Range is a custom setting (controlled by your Salesforce System Administrator) that defines how long changes to the following data are allowed to impact the daily Flux Utilization records:
- TaskRay Tasks (forecast hours)
- TaskRay Time (actual hours)
- Flux Time Away (capacity deductions)
Once a Flux Utilization falls out of the lockout range, that record is considered locked. Any new or modified Tasks, Time, or Flux Time Away with dates outside of the range can be edited, but their associated Flux Utilization record will remain as-is.
Let’s illustrate how this works with an example...
- Example Assumptions
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- Your Flux Utilization Lockout Range is set to 7 days.
- Today’s date is 10/23/2019, making the effective lockout date 10/16/2019.
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- Time Logs
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- Ruth Testington logs Time for 10/18/2019 (inside the 7-day range). That Time is rolled up to the Flux Utilization record for 10/18/2019.
- Stewie Bishop logs Time for 10/14/2019 (outside the 7-day range). That Time is NOT rolled up to the Flux Utilization record for 10/14/2019.
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What Happens When Flux Resource Settings Are Changed?
Flux Resource settings (utilization targets, team memberships, and business days) can be modified, as needed, for active Flux Resources.
Flux Resource settings will be refreshed on all Flux Utilization records from the day of the edit forward. Flux Utilization records for prior dates remain as-is.
Let’s illustrate how this works with an example...
- Flux Resource Settings
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- Today is 10/16/2019. Your Flux Admin updates Ruth Testington’s Daily Total Utilization Target from 6 to 7 hours. All Flux Utilization records from 10/16/2019 forward for Ruth Testington’s Flux Team Members are updated with her new 7-hour utilization target. Flux Utilization records prior to 10/16/2019 remain as-is.
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