How to Create Utilization Report in Jira?

Utilization Reports ActivityTimeline
In this article
What is Resource Utilization?
Resource Utilization Reporting in Jira
ActivityTimeline Resource Reports
Manage Resource Utilization with ActivityTimeline
TL;DR
  • Resource utilization measures your team's efficiency by comparing assigned work to their actual free time.
  • Standard Jira reports are okay for basic capacity planning, but many teams end up struggling with limited features.
  • ActivityTimeline provides advanced forecasting, real-time availability, and cross-project views.
  • Jira gadgets allow you to see utilization charts directly on your project dashboard without switching tools.
  • Better visibility helps managers spot overbooked teams quickly to prevent burnout and redistribute tasks.
Team Capacity Chart in ActivityTimeline

It doesn't matter how big or small your organization is, managing resources is essential of any project. A utilization report is a great way to track team performance and find areas for improvement.

Resource utilization is a vital metric for your business because it shows how effectively your team works. Every experienced PM constantly asks the following questions: “Are we wasting resources? Is our equipment running efficiently? Are we making the best use of each employee's time?” A well-structured utilization report provides the clear answers needed to solve these problems.

While tracking these details can feel overwhelming, Jira makes the process much easier. Read this guide to learn how to master resource workload management and get the most out of Jira reporting.

What is Utilization Report?

Resource utilization is how an organization uses its available human and non-human resources (e.g. staff, materials, machines, etc.) to produce products and services. The term resource utilization is a broad concept that includes efficiency, effectiveness, and capacity. A utilization report is a visual representation of this data for efficient Jira resource management.

Proper utilization actually helps a business grow. It measures how well a company uses its assets, including people, to generate revenue and make a profit.

To manage utilization, you need to track two things: workload (assigned work) and availability (free time). You cannot balance your team without measuring both. You can use reports like the Jira User Workload Report and the Utilization Report to gather these insights and monitor your team effectively.

Resource Utilization Report in Jira

When managing tons of projects and teams, you need clear data to measure overall performance. The key to success is not just about collecting the data but also about analyzing it for better insights and metrics.

Teams use Jira to streamline their workflow, collaborate better and reduce time spent on repetitive tasks. Jira project dashboards are designed to provide a clear overview of the project at a glance. However, it is easy to miss important details about resource utilization. Since there is no one-size-fits-all approach, Jira allows you to choose from various reporting methods, including built-in tools or add ons.

Employee Utilization Reporting Role

Reporting plays a big role in the analysis. The Project Manager or Resource Manager can find many reports in Jira. Two of them are especially helpful for basic resource planning: the Time Tracking Report and the User Workload Report. You can find them in the Reports section of every Jira project.

Reporting in Jira
The Time Tracking Report displays the original and current time estimates for issues with the ongoing project. You can use it to see progress by comparing original estimates with the actual effort  spent on resolved tasks and the time remaining.

The User Workload Report shows how much work is assigned to a specific person. It displays the unresolved issues assigned to them and their remaining workload across different projects.

To create a report, follow these steps:
  • Open your project in Jira and click the Reports tab in the sidebar.
  • Search for the report you need. If you don't see it, check the "All Reports" category.
  • Configure the settings. 
  • Click Next to generate the report.
While these basic tools are a good start, they only cover a small part of project planning. For a full range of resource utilization features, many teams use the ActivityTimeline plugin.

ActivityTimeline Resource Reports

ActivityTimeline is a resource management add-on for Jira and one of the most popular Jira reporting plugins. It comes with powerful features that allow you to monitor team performance and generate detailed Jira reports for better insights.

The app is fully synchronized with Jira. All data is reflected on a planning dashboard that shows current projects and tasks. It provides a cross-project view for shared resources and creates timesheets for improved resource allocation.
Users can create numerous reports based on data from Jira and ActivityTimeline. These reports fall into three main categories: Forecasting (based on remaining time), Timesheets (based on logged hours), and Tracking (planned vs. actual time and time off).
The app provides a special Jira Resource Utilization Report (Forecast) to help you assess and plan your team's workload. This helps you avoid employee burnout and prevents underutilization. Create meaningful utilization reports in a few clicks—just choose the needed values, use filters, and enjoy the view:
Loto-Québec used ActivityTimeline to match team skills with specific project needs and balance workloads. The organization gained full visibility over their team's backlog and resource availability. This data allowed managers to justify new hiring by clearly demonstrating work overload. It ensured the right people were always assigned to the right tasks at the right time.For managers who use Sprint the Period filter is highly useful. The Week view shows the seven days period of time. The Month view provides the upcoming projects. Reports are available at both the team and individual levels:
Real-time resource availability reporting makes planning effortless. With the Resource Availability Report, you can determine how much free capacity you have for new projects and how much is required for current tasks. For even better accuracy, you can use Skill and Position Availability Reports to see the status of availability across different roles.
For efficient workload distribution, the utilization report shows the team's total availability and utilization percentage. This percentage and color clearly highlight if a team is overbooked and needs help.
ActivityTimeline makes it easy to integrate utilization insights directly into your Jira dashboards. You can now add reports as Jira gadgets(for example, the Team Capacity Chart, Planned vs. Actual Chart, and Team Utilization Pie Chart) . This allows you to monitor critical data without switching tools.
ActivityTimeline - Icon Play
Jira Dashboard Analytics with Activity Timeline Gadgets
How to Add Activity Timeline Reports to Your Jira Dashboard (Customizable Gadgets)?
These gadgets come with smart caching and refresh only when you visit the dashboard or hit the refresh button. You can also set auto-refresh intervals—hourly, daily, or custom—to keep your data updated without overloading your system.
Customization is key for meaningful utilization reports, and ActivityTimeline delivers with grouping by custom fields. Use this feature in reports like Resource Utilization, Project Resources, or Planned vs. Actual to organize data in ways that work best for you.
Grouping in ActivityTimeline
You can also use Dynamic Report Grouping to switch your view "on the fly" using a dropdown menu, without going back to the settings. These enhancements transform standard summaries into powerful, customized insights tailored to your team's unique needs.
Dynamic Report Grouping
Start Capacity Planning in Jira with ActivityTimeline

Manage Resource Utilization with ActivityTimeline

The base of resource utilization is people. To understand a project fully, managers must check their resources regularly. After your research into how resources are used, you can easily redistribute or replan future tasks. Regular monitoring increases your chances of long-term success.

It is also important to keep an eye on the resources skills and expertise level. Every project has specific requirements. By checking job roles and a utilization report, you can ensure the right people are on the right tasks. Managers can then decide if the team requires upskilling or if resources should be moved to different parts of the project.

A utilization report in Jira makes resource allocation effortless. You can separate billable hours from non-billable tasks to see exactly where time is going. Get a clear picture of the resource capacity with the help utilization reports generated on specified key metrics.

To learn more about ActivityTimeline Schedule a Demo or Start a Free Trial on the Atlassian Marketplace!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a resource utilization report?
It is a visual tool that shows how well your organization uses its people and assets. It helps you see if your team is overloa shows originalded or if they have free time for new tasks.
Which built-in Jira reports help with resource workload management?
The Time Tracking Report and the User Workload Report are the main native options. They show estimates and unresolved issues assigned to users.
Can I see ActivityTimeline reports on my Jira dashboard?
Yes. You can add charts like Team Capacity or Planned vs. Actual as Jira gadgets. They update automatically, so you can monitor data without leaving your main dashboard.
How do these reports help prevent team burnout?
Utilization reports show the exact percentage of a team’s workload. So, managers can see the problem immediately and redistribute tasks to keep the team healthy.
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