{"id":6794,"date":"2025-02-18T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-18T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/?p=6794"},"modified":"2025-02-18T13:36:33","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T12:36:33","slug":"project-totals-fields-tracking-profitability-in-planfix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/tips\/project-totals-fields-tracking-profitability-in-planfix\/","title":{"rendered":"Project Totals Fields: Tracking Profitability in Planfix"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"breadcrumbs \" typeof=\"BreadcrumbList\" vocab=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/\"><span property=\"itemListElement\" typeof=\"ListItem\"><a property=\"item\" typeof=\"WebPage\" title=\"Go to Planfix.\" href=\"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/\" class=\"home\" aria-current=\"page\"><span property=\"name\">Planfix<\/span><\/a><meta property=\"position\" content=\"1\"><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/breek\/assets\/images\/transparent.gif\" data-lazy=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/s.pfx.so\/pf\/M0\/RPcx7D.png\" alt=\"Calculating Project Profitability\" title=\"How to Calculate Profitability of the Project | Planfix\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Alright, today we\u2019re going to talk about something we all care about: profitability. After all, every business owner, manager, and worker wants to ensure their hard work pays off, right? That\u2019s where Planfix, the Swiss army knife of business tools, can be a huge help. Planfix has it all, from CRM features to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/planfix.com\/project-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">project management<\/a>\u00a0and beyond. But what\u2019s really cool is that Planfix doesn\u2019t just let you track your project\u2019s status \u2013 it helps you analyze how much money you\u2019re making (or losing). In this article, we\u2019ll take a closer look at how you can use Planfix to keep your finances under control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Maximize Your Insights: Tracking and Data Tags in Planfix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Planfix isn&#8217;t just about keeping track of tasks &#8211; it\u2019s a data geek&#8217;s dream. For instance, the system offers serious&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/planfix.com\/features\/data-tags\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">data tags<\/a>&nbsp;that let you track almost anything. These insights are like a crystal ball for your business, because they let you see what\u2019s working, what\u2019s not, and how you can change it. Now, let\u2019s break down some key metrics you can monitor with Planfix:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Project Management &#8211;<\/strong>&nbsp;With time tracking, you can see how much work your employees put into tasks while also getting a clear overview of project progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>HR Management<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Track your team&#8217;s working hours, overtime, and KPIs to determine who is performing best (and who needs a little push).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Business Management &#8211;<\/strong>&nbsp;Analyze your office expenses and other costs so you can optimize resource allocation like a pro, visualize data comprehensible in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/planfix.com\/features\/charts-and-graphs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">charts and graphs<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sales and Finance &#8211;<\/strong>&nbsp;Keep an eye on your profit margins, return on sales (ROS), and customer lifetime value (LTV). Think of it like a yearly health checkup for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Marketing &#8211;<\/strong>&nbsp;Measure the ROI of your advertising campaigns to optimize your marketing efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Management &#8211;<\/strong>&nbsp;Get a complete overview of your employees and your finances so you can make well-informed management decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All of this is great, right? However, today, we\u2019re want to devote ourselves to a topic that is very close to our hearts: project profitability. After all, what good is a project if it&#8217;s not profitable?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Efficient Ways to Calculate Profitability in Planfix<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve been using Planfix for a while, you probably know that calculating profitability used to be a bit of a headache. This is because there were two main options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use a &#8220;Numeric field&#8221; in the project.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use the &#8220;Subtask total&#8221; feature within the tasks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>But let\u2019s face it \u2014 these methods were cumbersome and time-consuming. That\u2019s why the Planfix team heroically swooped in to introduce the \u201dTotals Field.\u201d What it can do, you ask? Well for starters\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It lets you calculate totals from specific fields in project tasks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It can count the number of tasks within a project based on certain conditions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at the old method of&nbsp;how to calculate profitability&nbsp;and compare it to this much more efficient new feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Simple Resource Tracking with a Numeric Field<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you wanted to calculate profit margins in the past, you had to create a report that looked something like this: <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/breek\/assets\/images\/transparent.gif\" data-lazy=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/s.pfx.so\/pf\/oe\/tKkkGS.png\" alt=\"Numeric Field for Margin Calculation\" title=\"Example of Numeric Field for Margin Calculation | Planfix\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Here, the \u201cBudget\u201d is just a simple number-type field. So, to calculate labor costs, you need to manually set an hourly rate for each employee and then add data tags to track working hours. It worked, but it wasn\u2019t particularly intuitive. This left us with the following pros and cons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Works well for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/planfix.com\/features\/projects\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">projects<\/a>&nbsp;with a predetermined budget,&nbsp;provides&nbsp;cost and profit analysis.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you\u2019re new to Planfix, you might scratch your head when setting it up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Calculating Profitability with Subtasks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Another way to do figure out profitability was to use the &#8220;Subtask total&#8221; feature within a given task: <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/breek\/assets\/images\/transparent.gif\" data-lazy=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/s.pfx.so\/pf\/U5\/ADBNNv.png\" alt=\"Sum of Subtasks to Calculate Profit\" title=\"Example of Sum of Subtasks to Calculate Profit | Planfix\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>However, the problem is that this method is not ideal for larger projects. In fact, it\u2019s a bit like trying to organize a birthday party for 100 kids using only sticky notes. The \u201dProject Totals Field\u201c remedies this by simplifying everything and making project management in Planfix much more structured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Smart Tracking: How the Project Totals Field Works<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The &#8220;Totals&#8221; field is like the more efficient cousin of &#8220;Total Subtask.&#8221; More importantly, it works on a much larger scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can easily add it by going to Account Management &gt; Custom fields &gt; Project fields. Once there, simply click on \u201cNew field\u201d and select the type:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/breek\/assets\/images\/transparent.gif\" data-lazy=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/s.pfx.so\/pf\/6f\/JQL1XH.png\" alt=\"How to Use the Summary Project Field in Planfix\" title=\"Summary Project Field View | Planfix\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>You can use this field to calculate totals or counts based on a specific task field of a project. Trust me, once you&#8217;ve used it, you\u2019ll wonder how you ever lived without it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s look at a few different ways you can use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sum Calculation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember the old project margin report?<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/breek\/assets\/images\/transparent.gif\" data-lazy=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/s.pfx.so\/pf\/oe\/tKkkGS.png\" alt=\"Example of Calculation by Amount for Profit Reporting\" title=\"Counting by Amount for Profit Reporting | Planfix\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>With the new field, you can set it up as follows. As you can see, \u201cProject Profit\u201d becomes a totals field that pulls data from every task in the project:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/breek\/assets\/images\/transparent.gif\" data-lazy=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/s.pfx.so\/pf\/cf\/SFPJDL.png\" alt=\"Setting the Summary Field \" title=\"\t Setting the Summary Field for Profit Calculation | Planfix\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>This report is a game-changer! Not only is it flexible and accurate, but it gives you real-time, up-to-date information on your project\u2019s profit and labor costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Count Calculation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The totals field isn\u2019t just for sums. You can also use it to count tasks within a project based on specific conditions. Want to know how many tasks are overdue? Easy. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/breek\/assets\/images\/transparent.gif\" data-lazy=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/s.pfx.so\/pf\/z2\/zNHGrH.png\" alt=\"\u0421ounting Overdue Tasks in the Summary Field\" title=\"Counting the Number of Overdue Tasks in the Summary Field | Planfix\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Or maybe you want to track how many active deals are in the pipeline? Done.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/breek\/assets\/images\/transparent.gif\" data-lazy=\"true\" data-src=\"https:\/\/s.pfx.so\/pf\/bh\/QmEjko.png\" alt=\"\u0421ounting Active Tasks in the Summary Field\" title=\"Counting the Number of Active Tasks in the Summary Field | Planfix\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Revolutionize Resource Tracking with the Totals<\/strong> <strong>Field<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The totals field in Planfix is like a magic wand for project management. As you can see, it opens all sorts of possibilities for making your life easier (and your team\u2019s work smoother). Here\u2019s why you\u2019ll love it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Flexibility &#8211;<\/strong>&nbsp;The totals field can be customized to fit your unique needs, whether you&#8217;re tracking profit or counting tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Automation<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Once set up, the field will automatically update as tasks change. This can save a lot of time, especially on large projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Better reporting<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; The totals field makes your&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/planfix.com\/features\/reports\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reports<\/a>&nbsp;more detailed and descriptive, helping you to get a clear picture of the status of your project at all times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These benefits make the totals field a powerful tool for project management. It not only improves tracking,&nbsp;cost and profit analysis,&nbsp;but increases the productivity of your entire team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The project totals field is your go-to tool for automatically calculating and displaying critical values from your project tasks. It&#8217;s available in both the \u201dBusiness\u201c and \u201dCorporation\u201d packages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And guess what? There\u2019s still more. Because we\u2019re currently working on rolling out a Burndown chart to show how much work remains in a project over time. When finished, this will help you predict whether your team can finish things by the deadline in seconds. Cool, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alright, today we\u2019re going to talk about something we all care about: profitability. After all, every business owner, manager, and worker wants to ensure their&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[304,58,16,254,310],"class_list":["post-6794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tips","tag-automation","tag-data-tags","tag-project-management","tag-reports-in-planfix","tag-tracking"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6794"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7050,"href":"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6794\/revisions\/7050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planfix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}