# Utilization planner
The utilization planner shows your team's utilization and capacity on a timeline: who's planned on which projects and for how long, plus absences and the total utilization for each week. Use it to spot over- and under-utilization and to plan ahead.

:::lock{title="Required rights"}
Read own planner assignments
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![](/images/guides/utilization-planner/image-mqqghvii.png)

## Reading the planner

* **Staff rows.** Each row is a staff member. The number next to a person is **how many projects they're assigned to**. Expand a person to see each project they're planned on, with the planned hours shown on the timeline.
* **The donut.** Each person's donut shows their **utilization for the selected scope**. Its ring is colour-coded against utilization thresholds, so you can spot under- and over-utilized people at a glance. Hover it for the full breakdown — utilization, the billable / non-billable / internal split, available capacity, and total capacity.
* **Timeline cells.** The grey cells with hours show either **capacity or utilization** per period, depending on the **Availability Display** setting (see below).
* **Absences.** Coloured bars running across a person's row are **absences** (for example *Vacation*).
* **Weekly utilization.** The row above the timeline shows **total utilization per week**. Hover a week for a per-team breakdown and a list of any **over-planned** staff (people planned beyond their capacity that week).

## KPI cards

The cards across the top summarize the current view and scope. The default set:

* **Total utilization** — the share of the team's capacity that's planned, across all projects.
* **Billable utilization** — the share of capacity planned on billable projects.
* **Non-billable utilization** — the share of capacity planned on non-billable projects.
* **Planning accuracy** — how closely planned hours match the hours actually tracked.
* **Hours planned** — total planned hours in the scope.
* **Hours tracked** — total tracked hours in the scope.

**Customize KPIs** lets you choose which cards appear and drag them into the order you want. Beyond the utilization cards, you can add planner KPIs such as **Effort forecast** (billable time and expenses plus the value of future planned billable hours) and **Profitability forecast** (that effort compared with staff and expense costs). Toggle the whole strip on or off with **Show KPIs**.

## Scope

**Scope** sets the timeframe that the per-person utilization/capacity figures and the KPI cards are based on:

* **Automatic** — the timeframe currently visible in your browser viewport.
* **Custom** — a date range you choose.
* **All time** — no timeframe limit.

Use the date arrows and calendar next to the scope to move the timeline.

## Display options

Open **Display** to control what the planner shows:

* **Show hidden employees** — include staff that have been hidden from the view.
* **Show KPIs** — show or hide the KPI cards; **Customize KPIs…** picks and reorders them.
* **Availability Display** — choose how the timeline figures and availability are expressed:
  * **Utilization-based** — show how utilized people are (planned against capacity).
  * **Capacity-based** — show remaining capacity instead.
* **Row options:**
  * **Show project lead** — show the project lead on each project row.
  * **Show status** — show each project's status.
  * **Show health** — show each project's health.
  * **Always show planning info** — keep the planned hours/labels visible on the bars at all times, instead of only on hover.

## Filtering

Open **Filter** to choose who and what is included:

* **Visibility** — **All staff**, **My team**, **Only me**, or **Project Lead** (pick a person to see the staff on their projects).
* **Miscellaneous** — **Show employees**, **Show freelancers**, **Show unplanned staff** (people with no planning entries).
* **Included in calculation** — choose which work counts toward the figures: **Internal projects**, **Billable projects**, **Non-billable projects**.
* **Narrow by**: **Projects**, **Clients**, **Staff**, **Teams**, **Project labels**, **Client labels**, **Staff labels**.
* **Reset** clears all filters.

![](/images/guides/utilization-planner/image-mqqgjl95.png)

## Search

The search bar narrows the list to specific **teams**, **skills**, **labels**, and **staff members**. Add several conditions at once — for example a team plus a skill.

* **Skills.** Add a skill, then click it to set the **minimum required level** (Beginner → Master). Only people who meet it are shown.
* **Row indicators.** When you search, each row can show two labels: a **skill-match indicator** (gem icon) — how well that person's skills match the searched skill and level, shown as a colour-coded bar — and a **capacity indicator** (clock icon).

## Views

Save a configured planner — its filters, display options, and scope — as a named **view** (e.g. *Team Lead*) and switch between your views and the **Default view** with one click.