Table of Contents
- Overview
- Required Permissions
- Permissions Matrix
- Finding Scheduled vs. Actual Report In The System
- Preparing Scheduled vs. Actual Report
- Main Indicators in the Scheduled vs. Actual Report
- How the Report Calculates Values
- Scheduled vs. Actual. Different Reports’ Views
- Creating Personalized Reports With Detailed Data
- Exporting Data
- Export Options
- Saving Scheduled vs. Actual Report Filter Settings
- Example Scenarios
-
Troubleshooting / Common Questions
- Why do I see “—” instead of cost or revenue?
- Why do some staff members show Scheduled Hours but 0 Actual Hours?
- Why do my tasks not appear in the report?
- Why is the Difference value negative?
- How does the report behave when staff move between projects mid-month?
- Why can’t I export cost or revenue data?
- Definitions
- Supported & Unsupported Scenarios After Decoupling
Overview
The Scheduled vs. Actual report shows how much work your team planned compared to how much time was actually tracked. It compares Scheduled and Actual values for hours, cost, revenue, and margin, helping you understand variances and make informed staffing and budgeting decisions.
The report is based on scheduled data, tracked time, and task-level details. It does not display assignments and does not rely on them to calculate Actual values. Instead, task data allows you to understand differences between Scheduled and Actual time at a more detailed level, replacing task-based comparisons that were previously available on calendars.
In this article, you’ll learn what data the report includes and how each value is calculated.
Required Permissions
| Required Permissions | Resource Management for Managers Permission |
Resource Management includes financial information, so access to specific data depends on your permissions. The Scheduled vs. Actual report shows hours, cost, revenue, and margin values, and the visibility of these indicators changes based on your role and access rights.
You can learn more about permissions in this article.
Permission Use Cases
| Granted User Rights Variations | Report Visibility |
| The manager has Project Manager or Project Manager (Read-Only) permission and does not have View/Manage Any Projects | The manager sees only input hours from the projects where they are assigned as Project Manager or Project Manager (Read-Only). |
| Finance Manager permissions granted, and does not have View All Staffers Costs permission | The manager sees cost information only for the staffers they manage as Finance Manager. Costs for all other staffers are hidden. |
| Resource Management for Managers permission without Finance Access |
The following indicators are hidden:
|
If cost or revenue is restricted, summary tiles show totals only for staff members whose financial data the user can access.
Permissions Matrix
The table below shows what each permission combination allows a manager to see in the Scheduled vs. Actual report.
| Permission Level | Hours | Cost | Revenue | Margin | Export Visibility |
| Project Manager (no View/Manage Any Projects) | ✔ Full visibility for assigned projects | — | — | — | Hours only |
| Finance Manager (without View All Staffers Costs) | ✔ | ✔ Only for staff they finance-manage | ✔ Only for staff they finance-manage | ✔ Only for staff they finance-manage | Cost/Revenue hidden for other staffers |
| Resource Management for Managers (no Finances Access) | ✔ | — | — | — | Cost/Revenue/Margin columns hidden; financial fields removed from exports |
| Full Financial Access | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | All export types available (except restricted time-entry exports if disabled by org policy) |
Legend:
✔ visible
— hidden
Finding Scheduled vs. Actual Report In The System
Scheduled vs. Actual report is available in two places in the system after logging to a Manager Role Account. In the Reports tab (available as a separate report) and in the specific project profile in the Scheduled vs. Actual section (available as one of the project-specific reports). Below, you will find instructions on how to reach these places in the system.
Scheduled vs. Actual Report In Reports Tab
Log in to the Manager Role in BigTime Resource Management ➡ Click the REPORTS Tab on the left navigation bar ➡ Go to the Scheduled vs. Actual Report |
Scheduled vs. Actual Report In The Project Profile Tab
Log in to the Manager Role in BigTime Resource Management ➡ Click PROJECTS Tab on the left navigation bar ➡ Click the specific project ➡ Go to the SCHEDULED VS. ACTUAL section in the project profile |
Preparing Scheduled vs. Actual Report
- Choose a time frame for the data you want to review.
- Select Assignment Status to define which scheduled work should be included.
- (Optional) Filter by Team Member, Project, or Client to narrow down your results.
- Click Refresh to update the report.
The report displays Scheduled, Actual, and Difference values for hours, cost, revenue, and margin.
If a staff member has scheduled work or tracked time in the selected period, they will appear in the report.
➡ Assignment Status affects only which scheduled hours are counted. Assignments themselves are not displayed in the report and are not used to calculate Actual values.
Main Indicators in the Scheduled vs. Actual Report
The report compares planned work (Scheduled) with tracked time (Actual) and shows the operational and financial impact of the difference. Values are calculated based on scheduled data, tracked time entries, and task-level details, where available. Actual values always include both submitted and unsubmitted time entries.
Depending on your permissions and column visibility settings, you may see some or all of the indicators described below.
Hours
Scheduled – Total hours planned for the selected period, based on scheduled work included in the report.
Actual – Total tracked hours from time entries (submitted and unsubmitted).
Difference – Scheduled Hours minus Actual Hours.
Cost
Scheduled – Expected labor cost calculated from scheduled hours.
Actual – Labor cost calculated from all tracked hours for the selected period.
Difference – Scheduled Cost minus Actual Cost.
✔ Cost values are visible only if your permissions allow access to financial data.
Revenue
Scheduled – Expected revenue calculated from scheduled hours.
Actual – Revenue calculated from all tracked hours.
Difference – Scheduled Revenue minus Actual Revenue.
✔ Revenue values are visible only if your permissions allow access to financial data.
Margin and Profit
Margin represents the difference between revenue and cost. The report displays monetary margin values only.
Scheduled Margin – Scheduled Revenue minus Scheduled Cost.
Actual Margin – Actual Revenue minus Actual Cost.
A margin or profit difference may be visible in summary tiles, depending on your configuration. The report does not calculate or display margin percentages.
✔ Margin and profit-related values are available only to users with financial permissions.
✔ Some margin or profit values may appear only in summary tiles and not as table columns, which is expected behavior.
How the Report Calculates Values
Each row in the report represents Scheduled, Actual, and Difference values for a specific entity, such as a team member, project, client, or task. The calculations depend on the selected report view and the data available for that row.
When viewing a team member, Actual Hours, Cost, Revenue, and Margin are calculated from that individual’s tracked time entries.
When viewing a project or client, values are aggregated across all included team members and their tracked time.
Assignments are not displayed in the report and are not used in any calculations. Scheduled and Actual values are derived from scheduled data, tracked time entries, and task-level information where available.
If your organization uses Task-Based Resourcing, task rows may appear in the report to provide more detailed comparisons between Scheduled and Actual values. If Task-Based Resourcing is not enabled, task-level rows are not shown.
| Important: If the company does not use Task-Based Resourcing, then rows with tasks are not displayed. |
Scheduled vs. Actual. Different Reports’ Views
The Scheduled vs. Actual report presents the same data in different hierarchies, depending on the selected view. Each view groups Scheduled, Actual, and Difference values around a specific entity, such as team members, projects, clients, or tasks where applicable.
In the Reports Tab
In the Reports tab, you can review the report from three main perspectives:
Team Members – displays Scheduled, Actual, and Difference values grouped by individual team members.
Projects – groups the same values under each project.
Customers – groups the results by client.
Use the view selector to switch between Team Members, Projects, and Clients. The underlying calculations remain the same across all views.
In Project-Specific Report
When you open the Scheduled vs. Actual tab inside a project, you can choose the time range you want to review. The available options are:
- Whole Project – shows all scheduled and actual work across the full project duration.
- Months – filters the report to a specific month.
- Custom – lets you define any time period.
After selecting the time range, click Refresh to update the report.
Understanding the Different Values
For each view, the report shows:
- Scheduled – planned hours, cost, or revenue.
- Actual – tracked hours, cost, or revenue based on the time entries
- Difference – the variance between Scheduled and Actual values.
These values help you quickly compare the original plan with actual execution at different levels of detail.
Creating Personalized Reports With Detailed Data
You can create a customized version of the Scheduled vs. Actual report by using the Create Detailed Report option.
How to create a detailed report
- Open the Scheduled vs. Actual report.
- Scroll to the Details section.
- Click Create Detailed Report.
- Enter a Report Title and choose the export format.
- Select the fields you want to include. Available field groups are:
- Project Fields
- Team Member Fields
- Time Entry Fields
- Click Create Detailed Report.
Your report will appear in the Details section, where you can download it at any time.
Permission note
The fields you can include depend on your permissions. Cost and revenue fields may be hidden if you do not have access to financial data.
| Note: Detailed reports reflect only the data available in the main report and your permission set. |
Exporting Data
You can export the results of the Scheduled vs. Actual report to a file. The available export option depends on the report view (Team Members, Projects, Clients) and on your permissions.
Below you can see what data is included in each export type.
Export Options
| Export Type | Description | Fields Included |
| Export Data | Downloads the report exactly as displayed in the application. |
• Staff Member • Project Name • Client Name • Hours — Scheduled, Actual, Difference • Cost — Scheduled, Actual, Difference (if allowed by permissions) • Revenue — Scheduled, Actual, Difference (if allowed) • Margin — Scheduled, Actual (if allowed) |
| Export Time Entries | Downloads detailed tracked-time information used to calculate Actual values. |
• Staff Member • Project Name • Client Name • Time Entry Date • Actual Hours • Actual Cost (if allowed) • Actual Revenue (if allowed) |
| Export Worklogs | Downloads staffers' time logs for audit or operational use. |
• Staff Member • Date • Logged Hours • Notes (if available) |
Notes
- Export Expanded is no longer available.
- Assignment-related fields (assignment_demand_role, assignment_label) are removed from all exports.
- Financial fields (Cost, Revenue, Margin) are included only if your permissions allow access to financial data.
- Exported data reflects the selected report view (Team Members, Projects, Clients) and the active time range.
- Time-entry-level exports may be restricted or unavailable depending on your organization's security policies and account configuration.
Saving Scheduled vs. Actual Report Filter Settings
In BigTime Resource Management, you can save your filter settings as favorites. This helps you quickly generate reports without having to re-apply the same parameters each time.
How to save a filter set
- Choose the filters you want to apply (Time Frame, Assignment Status, Team Members, Projects, or Clients).
- Click the star icon.
- Enter a name for your filter set and save it.
Your saved filters will be applied automatically the next time you open the report.
| Note: Saved filters apply only to the Reports Tab version of the Scheduled vs Actual report, not to the project-level view. |
Example Scenarios
These examples help illustrate how Scheduled, Actual, and Difference values are calculated in common situations.
Scenario 1: Scheduled hours vs. tracked hours
A staff member is scheduled for 40 hours in the selected period.
They track 32 hours.
| Metric | Value |
| Scheduled Hours | 40 |
| Actual Hours | 32 |
| Difference | +8 (40 – 32) |
Scenario 2: Financial permissions restrict visibility
A manager does not have View All Staffers Costs.
For any staff member outside their finance scope:
| Field | Value |
| Cost | — |
| Revenue | — |
| Margin | — |
Hours remain visible in all cases.
Scenario 3: Staff member switches projects mid-month
- Scheduled: 20h on Project A + 20h on Project B
- Actual: 28h logged entirely on Project B
Results:
Project A
- Scheduled: 20
- Actual: 0
- Difference: +20
Project B
- Scheduled: 20
- Actual: 28
- Difference: –8
Scenario 4: External Time Tracking import
A staffer logs 10h in Clockify, imported into BigTime.
- Scheduled: 8h
- Actual: 10h
- Difference: –2
Imported entries contribute to Actual exactly like native time entries.
Troubleshooting / Common Questions
Below are the most common questions users ask when working with the Scheduled vs. Actual report.
Why do I see “—” instead of cost or revenue?
This means you don’t have permission to view financial data.
Cost, Revenue, and Margin values are hidden unless you have:
- View All Staffers Costs
- Finances Access for Managers
If you are missing these permissions, the report hides financial values in tables, tiles, and export files.
Why do some staff members show Scheduled Hours but 0 Actual Hours?
There are a few possible reasons:
- The staff member has scheduled work but did not track any time for the selected period.
- Time entries exist, but fall outside the selected time frame.
- Time entries are in Draft or were not imported yet from an external tracking tool.
Why do my tasks not appear in the report?
Tasks are displayed only if your company uses Task-Based Resourcing.
If Task-Based Resourcing is disabled:
- Projects and staff rows appear,
- Task rows are not shown in any view (Team Members, Projects, Clients).
Why is the Difference value negative?
Difference = Scheduled – Actual.
A negative value means Actual Hours (or Cost/Revenue) are greater than Scheduled.
Common reasons include:
- Overtime or additional tracked hours
- Incorrect or outdated scheduling
- Billing/cost rates applied to more actual work than expected
How does the report behave when staff move between projects mid-month?
The report aggregates values based on tracked hours, not assignment history.
If a staffer works on multiple projects in the same period:
- Actual Hours are allocated to the project associated with each time entry
- Scheduled Hours follow the current schedule for that time frame
- Differences are calculated per project independently
Why can’t I export cost or revenue data?
Exports follow the same permission rules as the report:
- If you don't have access to financial data, those fields are hidden in exports as well.
- Some companies disable time-entry-level exports for security reasons, so the "Export Time Entries" option may not be available.
Definitions
Actual Cost
The total cost based on tracked hours (submitted and unsubmitted). Calculated as:
Actual Hours × Cost Rate
(Cost values are shown only if your permissions allow access to financial data.)
Actual Revenue
The total revenue based on tracked hours (submitted and unsubmitted). Calculated as:
Actual Hours × Bill Rate
(Revenue values are also permission-dependent.)
Difference
The variance between planned and actual results.
Calculated as:
- Hours Difference = Scheduled Hours − Actual Hours
- Cost Difference = Scheduled Cost − Actual Cost
- Revenue Difference = Scheduled Revenue − Actual Revenue
Margin Difference is displayed only in the summary tile and is not calculated as a percentage.
Margin
Scheduled Margin = Scheduled Revenue − Scheduled Cost
Actual Margin = Actual Revenue − Actual Cost
Margin Difference appears only in the summary tile and not as a table column.
Supported & Unsupported Scenarios After Decoupling
Below is a guide to what the Scheduled vs. Actual report supports after the Time & Assignment decoupling, and what it no longer uses.
Supported Scenarios
Does changing bill rate or cost rate retroactively modify Actual values?
No.
Actual Cost and Actual Revenue always use the rate saved at the time the time entry was created.
Updating a rate afterward does not change historical Actuals.
Can I run the report for any time period, even if project dates fall outside the range?
Yes.
The report shows:
- Scheduled Hours only when they fall inside the selected range,
- Actual Hours only for time entries inside the selected range.
Project start/end dates do not limit the report.
How do External Time Tracking tools (Harvest, Toggl, Clockify, etc.) impact Actual?
Imported time entries behave exactly like time logged directly in BigTime:
- They populate Actual Hours
- They contribute to Actual Cost / Revenue
- They always reflect the rate at the time of logging (not scheduled rates)
Unsupported or No Longer Used Scenarios After Decoupling
Are assignments used to calculate Actual values?
No.
Assignments and time entries are now fully independent.
Can I see Actual Hours inside assignment tiles on calendars?
No.
Calendars show only scheduled work.
Does changing or deleting an assignment affect previously logged time?
No.
Actual values remain intact even if assignments are changed or removed.