Dotted line Org Chart. How to show dotted line reporting

In this article, we explore how to set up and use a dotted line Org Chart and how to show dotted line reporting using Plumsail Org Chart. This type of reporting is used when an organization has a matrix reporting structure with indirect reporting relationships or dotted line managers.

We will start by explaining the basic concept of indirect reporting, learn how to set it up properly, and see a couple of examples.

In this article:

• What is dotted line reporting
  • Benefits of dotted line reporting
  • How to show a dotted line reporting in Org Chart
• How to create a dotted line Org Chart
• Dotted line Org Chart best practices
• Dotted line org chart examples
  • Show a single dotted line manager
  • Show multiple dotted line managers
• Get started with Plumsail Org Chart for SharePoint and Microsoft Teams

What is dotted line reporting

Dotted line reporting refers to an indirect reporting relationship in an organization. For example, if an employee has a solid line manager, they may also indirectly report to a secondary manager, or multiple secondary managers, depending on the projects and tasks they are working on. This is a less formal type of reporting relationship, and it is particularly useful in matrix organizations, cross-functional teams and project-based reporting.

Benefits of dotted line reporting

Dotted line reporting offers several advantages, including the following:

• Flexibility: Cross-functional teams can collaborate without altering the primary, or solid line, reporting structure.
• Adaptability: Organizations can quickly adapt to new business challenges by assigning secondary managers without changing the team structure.
• Project management: Allows to manage employees working on the same project but from different departments in project-based work.
• Enhanced organizational efficiency: Optimizes resources by utilizing employees with the necessary skills and capacity.

How to show a dotted line reporting in Org Chart

To be able to show dotted line reporting in organizational chart, it is necessary to use a tool which allows this kind of structure to be displayed. Plumsail Org Chart for SharePoint and Microsoft Teams allows you to setup one or more indirect managers per employee while using different data sources. You can also format boxes conditionally, print organizational structure, generate multi-page PDF reports and take advantage of many other features.

How to create a dotted line Org Chart

There are a few steps involved in creating a dotted line Org Chart:

1. Download Plumsail Org Chart for SharePoint and Microsoft Teams and follow installation instruction
2. Start configuration process and select your data source
3. Choose Dotted line Manager ID for your data source
4. Optional – select a specific design for the box using box type as a condition to be more recognizable
5. Publish Org Chart and share it with your employees as a web part in SharePoint and add it to Microsoft Teams as a tab

Dotted line Org Chart best practices

Once you implement dotted line reporting in your organization and assign dotted line managers to your employees, make sure to display it properly on your Org Chart. There are a few general rules to follow:

• Create custom fields. Add custom fields in your data source to be displayed in templates (boxes, tooltips and search results). This way, different projects an employee works on can be highlighted and made visible for everyone.

• Limit to 2 dotted line managers per employee. According to the American Psychological Association there is a hidden cost of task switching while multitasking. It is crucial to choose the right strategy if you want to implement this option and allow your employees to work on different projects at the same time.

• Update regularly. Keep the organization chart up to date as roles change and projects finish. It is important to accurately reflect the current structure.

Dotted line org chart examples

By default, you can display dotted line managers in Plumsail Org Chart in SharePoint and Microsoft Teams when you use following data sources:

• SharePoint List
• Entra ID (formerly Azure AD)
• SharePoint User Profiles
• Excel or CSV

It supports multiple dotted line managers for an employee. Below we can see examples of when an employee has one or more indirect reporting relationships.

Show a single dotted line manager

You can easily show a single dotted line manager in your organizational chart by adding the necessary ID in the field mapping for the dotted line manager ID during the configuration process. This field mapping ID will depend on the data source you use and the field name you have for dotted line manager in the selected data source. It is crucial to select the correct field mapping ID.

See an example how it looks like when implemented:

Show multiple dotted line managers

Setting up multiple dotted line managers depends on the data source you use for your employee database. But in general, it involves these steps:

1. Create and organize your database. Include the dotted line manager property and decide which ID you will use for it (work email, list ID, etc.)
2. Add Plumsail Organization Chart to your SharePoint and Microsoft Teams
3. Select appropriate data source in the configuration process when setting it up
4. Make sure you correctly enter managers’ ID into managers’ field in database for mapping purposes
5. Select correct filed mapping for dotted line manager ID. If you created a custom property in your data source, select that property name as ID.

See an example how it looks like when implemented:

Get started with Plumsail Org Chart for SharePoint and Microsoft Teams

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