Utilisation signals check

Five questions on reading utilisation signals.

utilisation, capacity, heatmap, forecasting

Checks the course Reading utilisation signals. No pass mark — it is here so you can check yourself.

Question 1

Question 1 of 5

How should an experienced resourcing lead read the utilisation heatmap?

As a scorecard for the last four weeksAs a set of forward-looking signals about the next six weeksAs a record for payrollAs a target for every individual to hit exactly

The value is in what the pattern says about upcoming capacity, not in grading past weeks.

Question 2

Question 2 of 5

A single week of low utilisation for one person most likely indicates what?

A performance problem to escalateNoise - short gaps between engagements are normal and usually self-correctA data breachThe ontology needs restructuring

One-week dips are usually scheduling gaps; the signal to act on is a sustained trend.

Question 3

Question 3 of 5

Which pattern is the strongest early warning of a capacity crunch?

One senior person at 100 percent for a weekForecast utilisation rising across a whole grade or skill group several weeks outA dip during a holiday periodA single unfilled request

Broad rising forecast utilisation in a group means demand is outrunning supply and lead time is running out.

Question 4

Question 4 of 5

Why can headline average utilisation be misleading?

It is always calculated wronglyIt hides the spread - a healthy average can conceal some people overloaded and others idleAverages are only valid for financeIt excludes partners

The distribution matters more than the mean; the problems live at the two tails.

Question 5

Question 5 of 5

Booked versus actual hours diverge consistently for one team. What does that suggest first?

The team is underperformingBookings are not being maintained, so the forward view for that team cannot be trusted until the habit is fixedUtilisation targets should be raisedThe platform is miscalculating

Consistent divergence is usually a data hygiene issue with bookings, which undermines every forward signal.

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