Departments
Departments represent the organizational divisions within your company — each with its own workers, projects, and cost tracking. For ICI trade contractors, departments typically align with trade specialties or operational functions, allowing you to run multiple trade divisions under a single Appello instance.
Navigation
Sidebar → Workforce → Departments (or Settings → Departments)
Overview
The Departments view lists all configured departments with their member counts. Departments serve as the primary organizational unit for filtering, scheduling, reporting, and cost allocation.
Typical Department Structure
An insulation contractor's department structure mirrors their trade and operational divisions:
Trade Departments
| Department | Purpose | Typical Size |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Insulation | Pipe and equipment insulation — the core trade | 15–40 workers |
| Sheet Metal / Cladding | Metal jacketing and architectural cladding | 8–20 workers |
| Fireproofing & Firestopping | Passive fire protection applications | 5–15 workers |
| Scaffolding | Scaffold erection and dismantling support | 3–10 workers |
| Removable Covers | Fabrication and installation of removable insulation | 3–8 workers |
Operational Departments
| Department | Purpose | Typical Size |
|---|---|---|
| Project Management | PMs, estimators, coordinators | 3–8 staff |
| Shop / Fabrication | In-house metal and insulation fabrication | 3–6 workers |
| Office / Administration | Accounting, HR, reception, IT | 3–8 staff |
| Safety | Safety coordinators, trainers | 1–3 staff |
Creating a Department
- Navigate to the Departments management area.
- Click Add Department.
- Enter the department details:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Department name (e.g., "Mechanical Insulation") |
| Description | Brief description of the department's function |
Assigning Workers to Departments
Each worker belongs to one primary department. Set this in the worker's user profile:
- Open the user's profile from Workforce → Users.
- Set the Department field to the appropriate department.
- Save the profile.
Department + Trade Level + Agreement
A worker's department, trade level, and employment agreement work together:
Worker: Dave Mitchell
├── Department: Mechanical Insulation
├── Trade Level: Journeyman Mechanic
├── Employment Agreement: Local 95 CBA
├── Union Hall: Local 95 — Hamilton
└── Burdened Rate: $64.20/hr
How Departments Connect to Other Features
| Feature | How Departments Are Used |
|---|---|
| Scheduling | Filter schedule by department — see only your insulation crews or only sheet metal |
| Timesheets | Filter timesheet matrix by department for approval workflows |
| Projects | Associate projects with a lead department for cost tracking |
| Reports | Generate department-level labour utilization and cost reports |
| Permissions | Scope user visibility by department — supervisors see only their department's data |
| Dashboard | Department-level metrics in the Company Metrics view |
| Cost Codes | Track departmental cost allocation across projects |
Department-Level Permissions
Departments integrate with Appello's permission system to control data visibility:
- Department Supervisors — See only workers in their department
- Department Schedulers — Schedule only within their department's crews
- Cross-Department Managers — See all departments (typically PMs and operations managers)
Department-based permission scoping ensures that a sheet metal foreman only sees sheet metal workers in the scheduling view, while the operations manager sees everyone. This is configured through Roles & Permissions in Settings.
Related Pages
- Trade Classifications — Worker skill levels within each department
- Union Hall Management — Geographic dispatch locations
- Roles & Permissions — Configure department-scoped access