The Skills Matching feature in BigTime primarily helps with planning future resource allocation, but it can also give firms a sense of how skills have been used in past projects. After activating skills matching, you'll have the option to add a skills-specific field to any report you create. Skill fields on reports will show you which skills your staffers are applying towards the projects they’re working on. This can be helpful in understanding how certain skills may come in handy on future similar projects. In this article, you’ll learn how to activate the Skill List field for reports, and what that field can teach you about your projects and staffers.
NOTE: This article, and all other articles in the Skills Matching section, explain how to use BigTime's basic skills matching features. If you need a more advanced tool for skills management that also lets you manage time off and utilization, talk to your customer support person about adopting BigTime's resource management module, BigTime Foresight. You can learn more about this module by visiting the BigTime Foresight section of our Knowledge Base.
1. First, open a report either by clicking one of the tiles in the Report Center or by selecting an option in the ALL REPORTS section.
2. Navigate to the CUSTOMIZE button in the top right corner and click the GRAY ARROW. From the picklist that generates, choose CUSTOMIZE.
3. This will take you to a page where you can add or remove field columns on your report. Click on one of the pre-existing columns to expand it, and then click the + button to add a new Skills column.
4. You’ll be prompted to choose a field type from a picklist at the top of the column. Scroll to the STAFFER DETAILS section and check the box next to SKILL LIST. You can alternately type into the search bar at the top of the picklist to find SKILL LIST without having to scroll.
5. A SKILL LIST column will now appear in your report customization window. You can edit the display name and text formatting here. When you’re satisfied with your edits, click the SAVE button at the bottom of the column.
6. Now, click the CREATE REPORT button in the top right corner of your screen.
In the PUBLICATION SETTINGS window, go ahead and add a name for your report and adjust the other report settings as needed. Then, click the PUBLISH REPORT button.
7. You’ll now see a SKILL LIST column on your report. It will display a list of the skills assigned to staffers who worked on each project.