Question 1

What is a person-month (PM)?

Accepted Answer

A person-month represents one person working full-time for one month. In AllocBoard, you can track partial allocations—for example, 0.5 PM means someone working half-time on a project for a month.

Question 2

How does overload detection work?

Accepted Answer

AllocBoard automatically sums up all allocations for each team member across all projects. When someone exceeds 100% allocation (1.0 PM) in any month, the system highlights this with visual warnings so you can rebalance before issues arise.

Question 3

What are AI credits?

Accepted Answer

AI credits power the AI-based analysis features in AllocBoard, such as risk assessments. Smart Allocation uses a separate deterministic algorithm and does not consume AI credits. Each plan includes a one-off credit allowance, and additional credits can be purchased separately.

Question 4

What does Smart Allocation do?

Accepted Answer

Smart Allocation uses a deterministic algorithm to automatically balance staff workloads across your projects. It looks at your budgets and staff availability, then suggests adjustments to maximise everyone's time while staying within budget. You can apply suggestions one by one or all at once.

Question 5

Is there a free trial?

Accepted Answer

We’re currently running a free 6-month pilot programme with full access to all features. No credit card required. Join the waitlist and we’ll be in touch when a spot opens up.

Question 6

What happens when the pilot ends?

Accepted Answer

When your 6-month pilot ends, you can purchase a paid plan to continue using AllocBoard. If you choose not to, your account will be paused but your data will be retained so you can pick up where you left off.

Question 7

How does payment work?

Accepted Answer

Paid plans are purchased for a minimum of 1 year at a time. You can pay by card or invoice. Payments are processed securely through Stripe. There are no monthly subscriptions—you pay upfront for the year.

Question 8

Can I cancel?

Accepted Answer

You can cancel at any time after your minimum 1-year period. Refunds are not provided for partial periods. Your access continues until the end of your paid period.

Question 9

Can I switch between research groups?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. If you manage multiple research groups, you can easily switch between them in AllocBoard. This is especially useful for PIs or admins with cross-group responsibilities.

Question 10

Where is my data stored?

Accepted Answer

All data is hosted in the UK (London, eu-west-2). We use Supabase PostgreSQL with row-level security ensuring complete tenant isolation.

Question 11

Is staff data shared with AI providers?

Accepted Answer

No personal data is sent to AI providers. All names and emails are replaced with pseudonyms before processing. AI outputs are generated from anonymised data only.

Question 12

Can other organisations access my data?

Accepted Answer

No. Each organisation gets its own encryption key, and row-level security policies enforce strict tenant isolation at the database level.

Question 13

What happens to data when we cancel?

Accepted Answer

Your data is retained for 30 days after account closure. Personal data is then permanently anonymised. Audit logs follow your plan's retention period (1–5 years) before being permanently deleted after a 90-day grace period.

Frequently asked questions