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Feature - Resource Allocation

Resource Allocation shows how engineering effort is distributed across key work categories by analyzing real Git activity and project management data. LinearB calculates allocation based on issue act…

heather.hazell
Updated by heather.hazell

Resource Allocation shows how engineering effort is distributed across key work categories by analyzing real Git activity and project management data. LinearB calculates allocation based on issue activity for each contributor—providing a factual, audit-ready view of where engineering time is actually invested.

TL;DR

  • Allocation is calculated per person, per issue, per day.
  • If multiple issues are active for a developer in a day, the day is split equally.
  • 30 working days = 1 FTE.
  • Initiatives, epics, and parent items inherit allocation from their children.
  • Supports Jira + Azure Boards (data available for the past 6 months).

Overview

Resource Allocation reveals where engineering effort is being directed across initiatives, issue types, projects, epics, or other PM fields. The calculation is completely automated—no time tracking, surveys, or tagging required.

Allocation answers questions such as:

  • Which initiatives are receiving the most engineering time?
  • How is work distributed across teams and categories?
  • Are we investing enough in roadmap, quality, or customer commitments?
  • How do our allocations trend over time?

Before You Begin

  • Required Access: Admin or Editor
  • Required Integrations: Git + Jira or Azure Boards
  • Teams must be mapped so contributor allocation rolls up correctly
  • Issue hygiene matters: consistent workflows, labels, and associations improve accuracy

How Allocation Works

1. Allocation is calculated daily

Each day, LinearB determines which issues a developer actively worked on (issue activity or Git activity). The day is then divided equally across those issues. 

Daily Allocation Example:
          Developer A works on 3 issues on Monday.
          
          Monday Allocation:
            Issue 1 → 1/3 day
            Issue 2 → 1/3 day
            Issue 3 → 1/3 day

Multiple active issues = equal split. Single active issue = full day to that issue.

2. Allocation aggregates over time

Daily allocation is summed over the selected timeframe (week, month, quarter, etc.). 

Weekly Example:
          Developer works on 5 initiatives every day for 7 days.
          
          Per day: 1/5 per initiative  
          Weekly total: 7/5 = 1.4 days per initiative  
          FTE Conversion: 1.4 / 7 = 0.2 FTE per initiative

FTE Formula: 30 days = 1 FTE

3. Parent items inherit allocation

Allocation rolls upward:

  • Issues → Epics
  • Epics → Initiatives
  • Initiatives → Portfolio themes (if applicable)

If work is done on a child issue, the parent receives that allocation.

4. Allocation is derived from real activity

An issue becomes “active” for the day if:

  • It has an “In Progress” status with recent updates, or
  • There was Git activity on the issue’s branch

Weekends count if work continues or if the issue remains active during that time.

5. Supported breakdown fields

You can view Resource Allocation by:

  • Projects
  • Issue Types (Jira)
  • Work Item Types (Azure Boards)
  • Initiatives (Jira)
  • Epics
  • Features (Azure Boards)
  • Custom Fields (Jira)
  • Fields (Azure Boards)
  • Labels (Jira) / Tags (Azure Boards)

You can enable/disable breakdown fields using the Configure panel.

Using the Resource Allocation Dashboard

Summary View

Shows overall allocation by category or field. Useful for understanding high-level distribution of engineering time.

Work Unit Breakdown

Metrics included:

  • Epics/Issues: count of active work items
  • % of Total Work: proportion of total FTEs
  • Effort (FTE): total FTEs for the timeframe
  • Estimated Cost by FTE: uses average salary to estimate cost
  • Issues With No Epics: highlights unlinked issues
  • FTE Allocation by Issue Type: distribution across issue types
Category Drill-Down

Displays every issue and epic contributing to a category with full traceability.

Team View

Breaks allocation down by team to show how each group contributes to the selected slice of work.

Time Trends

Visualizes shifts over time—helpful for understanding changes in priority, customer demand, or roadmap investment.

Best Practices

  • Use consistent labeling and issue hierarchies across Jira/Azure Boards.
  • Review “Unallocated” regularly to spot workflow gaps.
  • Align initiatives with OKRs or strategic programs.
  • Use Team View to ensure resource balance aligns with expectations.

Troubleshooting

PRs or Issues labeled “Uncategorized”
  • No associated PM item
  • Tags/labels missing
  • Inactive or improperly linked epics
Teams missing from Allocation
  • Team has no active issues during the selected timeframe
  • Developers not mapped correctly to teams
Unexpected allocation values
  • Multiple initiatives remain active for long periods
  • Parent issues misconfigured in PM tool
  • Developers assigned to too many simultaneous issues

How did we do?

Feature - Project Delivery Tracker

Feature - Surveys

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