Plexii glossary
Utilisation rate
Billable time divided by available working time, usually expressed as a percentage for a person or team.
What it means
Definition for consultancies and agencies: billable hours divided by available hours, with a worked example using clearly fictional numbers; which hours count as available (leave, admin, training) and why a team does not aim for 100%. British ‘utilisation’ and US ‘utilization’ explained. PlexiDesk does not calculate utilisation; say so plainly, and add only that a Table of time entries with a Chart can show it if you keep the entries (widget table, widget chart). Related: scope-creep, statement-of-work, planning-fallacy.
The term is most useful as a shared description. It does not remove the need to look at the actual task, evidence or constraint in front of you.
A practical example
A fictional consultant records 24 billable hours from 32 available hours: 24 ÷ 32 = 75% utilisation.
Put it into practice
- Name the concrete situation before applying the label. Utilisation rate is useful only when it changes a choice, boundary or next action.
- Make the state visible: write the owner, time, source or stopping condition down instead of relying on memory.
- Review what happened. Keep the part that reduced ambiguity and change the part that added ceremony without helping the work.
How it relates to Plexii
Plexii keeps the files, notes, tasks and timers for one piece of work together on its desk. That can make the state of the work visible without claiming that software solves the underlying human problem.