Projects and time

Layers

Layers build on each other and each one works on its own: turn on the next layer when you want it, turn it off when you don't. Turning off deletes no data.

1. Base

   “Let me keep my list in order.”

   Projects and tasks, budgets

   • 3 billing types (hourly, fixed fee, non-billable) and a budget/rate matrix trackable at the project, task, or person level
   • A rate card by role: a customer's own rate comes before the general one, rates are dated, and saved hours keep their rate
   • Offer a task to a consultant by link: on acceptance they join the team with the hours as budget; without an answer day the link stays open 14 days
   • A suggested hourly price next to each team member's cost: cost ÷ (1 − target margin), 30% by default

2. Tracking

   “Let me not miss what happens when.”

   Time entry, weekly submission and approval

   • Real timer-based time tracking; hours that pass draft, submitted and approved go onto the invoice
   • A user can only have one active timer running at a time — enforced at the database level, not just the interface
   • Customer approval by link: approved billable hours are frozen into a report the customer approves with a PO number, sends back or rejects
   • A report left unanswered for 3 working days by default counts as accepted; the customer is reminded the working day before
   • Connect each person's calendar by its secret iCal address: the day's events beside the timesheet, one click to an entry marked "from calendar"
   • Capacity report comparing your team's weekly availability against actual hours worked, flagging anyone over 100%

3. Process

   “Let the work follow a rule.”

   Deliverables and acceptance

   • Deliverables with their requirements and acceptance criteria, each criterion mandatory or optional, with a threshold and how it is checked
   • Acceptance is recorded per criterion as accepted, partial, conditional or rejected, with who assessed it and the evidence

4. Control

   “Let me manage it and account for it.”

   Project profitability, revenue recognition

   • Project profitability uses each person's cost rate at the time, so a later raise doesn't skew past projects
   • Revenue recognition for fixed-fee projects by cost, hours, stated percent or on completion, with work in progress and deferred revenue