Setting Up Departments
Departments organize your team by function. Learn how to create departments, assign members, configure capacity, and use department-level analytics.
Overview
Departments in MovaLab represent functional teams within your organization: Design, Development, Marketing, Project Management, etc. They enable capacity tracking by team and department-scoped permissions.
Organization Structure:
Organization
├── Department: Design
│ ├── Role: Design Lead
│ ├── Role: Senior Designer
│ └── Role: Designer
│
├── Department: Development
│ ├── Role: Engineering Lead
│ ├── Role: Senior Developer
│ └── Role: Developer
│
└── Department: Project Management
├── Role: PM Lead
└── Role: Project ManagerTeam Organization
Group users by function for clearer structure and reporting.
Capacity by Department
Track available hours, utilization, and workload per team.
Scoped Permissions
Roles can be limited to their department's resources.
Department Analytics
Performance metrics, trends, and insights by team.
Creating Departments
Navigate to Settings → Organization → Departments to create and manage departments.
Step-by-Step Guide
Access Department Management
Go to Settings > Organization > Departments. You'll see existing departments and an 'Add Department' button.
Create New Department
Click 'Add Department' and enter a name (e.g., 'Design'). Use clear, recognizable names.
Set Department Head
Assign a department head who oversees the team. They'll have visibility into all department resources.
Configure Capacity
Set default weekly hours for the department. Individual user hours can override this.
Add Description
Describe the department's function and responsibilities. Helps with onboarding and org clarity.
Assign Color (Optional)
Set a color for visual identification in charts, calendars, and capacity views.
Department Fields Reference
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| name | Yes | Department name (e.g., "Design", "Engineering") |
| description | No | Brief description of department function |
| head_id | No | User ID of department head |
| default_hours | No | Default weekly hours (defaults to 40) |
| color | No | Hex color for visual identification |
| parent_id | No | Parent department for sub-departments |
Team Structure
Organize your team with departments and roles that reflect your actual organizational structure.
Assigning Users to Departments
Users are assigned to departments through their role. When you create a role, you can scope it to a specific department.
Assignment Flow: 1. Create Department: "Design" 2. Create Role: "Designer" (scoped to Design dept) 3. Assign User to Role: "Sarah → Designer" → Sarah is now part of Design department OR 1. Create Role: "Project Manager" (no department scope) 2. Assign User: "Mike → Project Manager" → Mike is cross-departmental
Department Hierarchy
Departments can have parent-child relationships for larger organizations:
Flat Structure
Organization ├── Design ├── Development ├── Marketing └── Operations
Nested Structure
Organization
├── Product
│ ├── Design
│ └── Engineering
└── Go-to-Market
├── Marketing
└── SalesDepartment Roles
Department Head
Oversees department, sees all resources, approves time
Team Lead
Manages a team within department, limited admin access
Team Member
Works within department, sees assigned resources only
Capacity Settings
Configure how capacity is calculated and displayed for your department.
Capacity Configuration
Default Weekly Hours
Standard hours per week for department members. Default is 40. Part-time roles can override.
40 hrs/weekBillable Target
Target percentage of hours that should be billable. Used for utilization calculations.
75% billableOvertime Policy
Whether overtime is allowed and if it counts toward capacity calculations.
Allow up to 10 hrsPTO Handling
How vacation and sick time affects available capacity.
Deduct from availableCapacity Calculation
Department Capacity = Sum of all member capacities Member Capacity Calculation: Weekly Hours: 40 (from role or user override) - PTO Hours: -8 (if any PTO scheduled) = Available: 32 hours Split across assigned accounts: If assigned to 2 accounts: - Account A: 16 hrs available - Account B: 16 hrs available Department Total: Design Dept (5 members × ~32 hrs avg) = 160 hrs available
Viewing Department Capacity
Access department capacity from multiple places:
High-level department utilization overview
Detailed capacity breakdown with forecasting
Department-specific capacity details
Department capacity allocated to specific account
Department Analytics
Track department performance with built-in analytics and reports.
Available Metrics
Utilization Rate
Actual hours / Available hours. Target: 60-80%
Billable Percentage
Billable hours / Total hours. Compare to target
Project Distribution
How work is spread across projects and accounts
Task Completion
Tasks completed vs created, average cycle time
Time Allocation
Where department hours are going (by account/project)
Trend Analysis
Week-over-week and month-over-month changes
Report Types
Weekly Capacity Report
Sent every Monday. Shows previous week utilization, upcoming capacity, and alerts for over/under utilization.
Monthly Performance Report
End of month summary. Includes billable hours, project health, and comparison to targets.
Resource Forecast
Projects capacity needs based on scheduled work. Identifies potential bottlenecks 2-4 weeks out.
Cross-Department Collaboration
Not all roles fit neatly into one department. MovaLab supports cross-functional teams and shared resources.
Cross-Departmental Roles
Some roles (like Project Manager) work across departments. These roles are created without a department scope.
Department-Scoped Role:
{
"name": "Designer",
"department_id": "design-dept-uuid",
// Only sees Design department resources
}
Cross-Departmental Role:
{
"name": "Project Manager",
"department_id": null,
// Sees resources based on project/account assignments
}Handling Shared Resources
Matrix Teams
Users can be assigned to projects outside their department while remaining in their home department for capacity.
Borrowed Capacity
Track when resources are 'borrowed' from another department for specific projects.
Shared Services
Create a shared services department for roles that support multiple teams (IT, HR, etc.).
Project-Based Allocation
Allocate percentages of capacity to specific projects regardless of department.
Capacity Tracking Tip
For users who split time between departments, their capacity is tracked at the user level. Department totals will show their proportional contribution based on time logged.
Best Practices
Match your org structure
Create departments that reflect how your organization actually works. Don't over-engineer with too many sub-departments.
Assign department heads
Every department should have a designated head for accountability and approvals. This person oversees capacity and performance.
Set realistic capacity defaults
40 hours isn't always accurate. Account for meetings, admin work, and realistic productive time.
Review capacity weekly
Check department utilization every week. Catch over-utilization before burnout and under-utilization before it impacts revenue.
Use colors consistently
Pick distinct colors for each department. These appear in charts, calendars, and capacity views.
Document department purpose
Use descriptions to clarify what each department handles. Helps with onboarding and reduces confusion.
Plan for growth
Design department structure that can scale. Avoid creating departments for single people.
Example: Agency Structure
Here's a typical department structure for a digital agency:
Agency Departments:
├── Creative
│ ├── Design Lead (Head)
│ ├── Senior Designer
│ ├── Designer
│ └── Junior Designer
│
├── Development
│ ├── Engineering Lead (Head)
│ ├── Senior Developer
│ ├── Developer
│ └── QA Engineer
│
├── Strategy
│ ├── Strategy Director (Head)
│ ├── Strategist
│ └── Analyst
│
├── Project Management (Cross-functional)
│ ├── PM Director (Head)
│ ├── Senior PM
│ └── Project Manager
│
└── Operations
├── Operations Manager (Head)
├── Finance
└── HR
Notes:
- Project Management is cross-functional (no dept scope)
- Each dept has a designated Head
- Roles inherit department from assignmentRelated Documentation
Continue learning about MovaLab's organizational features.