1. Purpose and Value

• Assess organizational impact of change-related activities.

• Identify change saturation levels across business units.

• Take corrective action (e.g., rescheduling, backfilling, or workload balancing) to maintain operational stability.

2. Report Overview

2.1. Location in Change Plan

Reports → Activity Burden → All Initiatives View

2.2. Report Layout

• Rows: Organizational units (hierarchically structured).

• Columns: Time periods (monthly or weekly).

• Cells: Average hours per person spent on change-related activities.

• Hover or click: To view underlying activities and detailed information.

3. Data Foundation

1. Initiatives — The change programs being implemented.

2. Audiences — Stakeholders affected by those initiatives.

3. Activities — Specific engagements or tasks directed at those audiences.

4. Building the Data (Step-by-Step)

4.1. Create an Initiative

1. Click Add Initiative.

2. Enter a name and Go Live Date (e.g., one year out).

3. Save the initiative and return to the Dashboard.

4.2. Define the Audience

1. Go to the Audience page.

2. Choose stakeholders from one of three sources:
• Org Chart: Select departments or units (automatically includes child groups).
• Individuals Tab: Add named users directly.
• Custom Groups: Target pre-defined sets of users.

3. Click Add to associate the selected people with the initiative.

Example: Select Corporate Finance to automatically include all its sub-groups and individuals.

4.3. Add Change Activities

1. In the initiative dashboard, go to Activities → Add Activity.

2. Choose an activity type (e.g., Executive Presentation).

3. (Optional) Add a title, description, or link to a supporting document (e.g., SharePoint).

4. (Optional) Assign a Change Phase (to align with your stakeholder journey).

4.4. Specify Time Impact

1. In the activity form, locate the Audience Time Away from Normal Work field.

2. Choose from preset minute options or select Other and enter a custom duration (e.g., 120 minutes).

3. Define which audience subset the activity targets (not all affected groups are always included).

4. Save the activity.
• This creates a clear data link between initiative, activity, and audience.

5. Viewing Activity Burden Data

5.1. Within a Single Initiative

1. Open the initiative.

2. Select Reports → Activity Burden Heat Map.

3. Choose:
• Org Level: e.g., Level 2 for mid-level visibility.
• Time View: Monthly or Weekly.

4. Click Generate Report to display:
• Average hours per person.
• Impacted organizational areas.
• Color-coded burden levels.

5.2. Across All Initiatives

1. Click the Change Plan logo to return to the home view.

2. Go to Reports → Activity Burden.

3. Configure the report:
• Org Level: Select Level 2 for meaningful granularity.
• View: Weekly or Monthly.
• Metric Display: Average per person (in hours).
• Filter: Only show groups with activity data.

4. Click Generate Report to see aggregated data across all initiatives.

6. Interpreting the Heat Map

6.1. Color Legend (Weekly View)

Tip: The monthly view compacts the visualization, while the weekly view offers higher accuracy for time-based reporting.

6.2. Navigation and Drill-Down

• Hover to preview activity summaries.

• Click a cell to open detailed activity lists contributing to that time load.

• Cross-check with initiative types (e.g., Training, Comms, Executive Presentations) to understand workload sources.

7. Exporting and Sharing

• Click Export to download the heat map as an image file.

• Use exports in presentations or executive briefings to illustrate:
• Change impact distribution.
• Groups experiencing operational pressure.
• Areas requiring backfill or timeline adjustments.

8. Analytical Insights and Best Practices

8.1. For Analysts and Change Leads

• Monitor Org Level 2 first for accurate distribution before rolling up.

• Review reports monthly to identify patterns of overburdened teams.

• Adjust initiative timing to balance cumulative activity loads.

8.2. For Executives and Sponsors

• Use simplified heat map views (hide cell numbers) to focus on visual trends.

• Validate whether time away aligns with organizational priorities.

• Encourage pacing of initiatives to reduce operational fatigue.

8.3. For Portfolio Management

• Compare cumulative burden across initiatives.

• Detect hotspots where overlapping activities drive excessive demand.

• Integrate findings into scheduling and resource allocation decisions.

9. Troubleshooting and Tips

10. Support and Feedback