Treat the new project as the handover point from sales to operations

This workflow usually sits with the owner, estimator, operations manager, office admin, or project coordinator who takes over after the customer says yes. The project record becomes the working home for delivery, so the first review should happen while the accepted scope is still fresh in the team's mind.

Before you start, make sure you already have:

• the converted project record created from the accepted quote
• the agreed contract value and scope ready for checking
• the customer contact details and site address confirmed
• enough site information to decide the install window, materials and document needs
• a clear internal owner for delivery, even if several staff members will touch the job later

At this stage, the project does not need every later detail filled in. It does need one reliable starting point. If the project is set up cleanly here, the calendar, payment schedule, procurement, installer job sheet, client portal and handover record all stay connected to the same job.

Open the project and confirm the commercial baseline first

Start from the project list and open the new job. The list helps the office search by project name, address or suburb and quickly spot the current project status. On a newly won job, the important question is simple: does this record still match what the customer accepted?

Review the top-level details before the delivery team starts making operational decisions:

• project name, site address, suburb and contact details
• current project status, which should reflect live work rather than quoting activity
• contract value carried into the project
• the linked quote and any linked visual plan that explains fence runs, gates and layout
• the current paid amount, outstanding amount and invoice history if your role can view financial details

This is also the moment to check what the public project record will represent later. The customer-facing portal and installer-facing job sheet both rely on the same project. Small setup errors here can spread into payment claims, proof files, site instructions or final handover.

Set the install window and make Calendar your live scheduling check

Once the baseline looks right, set the project install start and end dates. These dates are more than placeholders. They drive how the job appears in Calendar, tell the field team the expected delivery window, and give purchasing a real target when supplier ETAs start coming back.

Use the install dates with intent:

1. Set the earliest realistic install start date based on access, approvals, material lead times and crew availability.
2. Set the install end date to reflect the expected build window, not just the preferred finish date.
3. Open Calendar and confirm the project now appears as an install event in the right time slot.
4. If the schedule changes later, update the project dates or move the event in Calendar so both planning views stay aligned.

Calendar combines site visits and project installations in the same operational view. That matters when a busy week has quoting appointments, active installs and delivery handovers all competing for attention. The install dates on the project give the office, supervisors and estimator one shared reference for where the job sits in the schedule.

Use milestones to shape the delivery sequence before site work begins

Fencify supports a practical milestone flow on the project, and new jobs can start with a default sequence that follows common fencing work:

1. Site Prep / Holes Dug
2. Posts Set & Levelled
3. Fencing Installed
4. Site Cleaned / Final Inspection

Review these milestones early and treat them as the delivery sequence the whole team will speak from. The office can update them from the project record. Installers can move them forward through the public job sheet in order. When they stay current, milestone progress becomes a reliable shorthand for what has happened on site without chasing text messages or phone calls.

Before the first install day, make sure the project also contains the practical site pack the crew will need:

• uploaded files and photos that explain the site
• the linked visual plan if the quote was built visually
• the fence run information and material context needed for installation
• any progress notes that explain access, sequencing or customer expectations

The installer-facing job sheet pulls much of this together. It shows the install window, current status, milestone progress, document readiness, material checklist and site proof area. That makes early project setup part of field preparation, not just office tidy-up.

Prepare BYDA, SWMS and shared site records before releasing the crew

Delivery setup is strongest when the site documents are organised before the install date is close. Use the project record to gather the documents and files that the office, crew and customer may need through the job.

Three checks matter here.

BYDA and underground service information

The project can carry a managed BYDA request or an uploaded plan file. Review the current state well before digging starts so the crew is not waiting for paperwork at the gate. If a plan has already been received, keep it attached to the project so the latest copy stays with the job.

SWMS and safety documents

Generate the SWMS from the project where it suits your process, then review the final document before relying on it on site. Fencify helps store and prepare the record, while your team still needs to review it against the work method, project requirements and local obligations.

Files and photos for the right audience

Use project files and photos to keep the site history attached to the job. This can include drawings, before photos, PDF records, updated site instructions and other supporting material. Shared project files can also flow into the public project view where appropriate, which helps the customer see the same job story the office is working from.

Check the payment schedule before work turns into invoicing pressure

A newly won project should not reach site with uncertain payment stages. Fencify can create and maintain a project payment schedule so deposit, progress and final claims stay visible against the contract value.

Review the schedule items and understand what each status means for operations and the office:

Pending

The stage exists but is waiting behind an earlier commercial step.

Due

The stage is the next one ready to be issued when the project reaches that point.

Issued

The claim has been turned into an invoice and is now waiting for payment.

Paid

The invoice and payment records have been reconciled into the project totals.

Cancelled

The stage has been removed from active collection and should be reviewed for context.

Before delivery begins, check that the schedule still suits the accepted deal. If a deposit should already be collected, make sure the record reflects that. If a first progress claim depends on a milestone or install start, keep the team clear on the trigger. Fencify links schedule items, invoices, payment events and project paid totals, so an early review helps the office avoid claiming from the wrong stage later.

The public project portal can also show invoices, payment requests and variations to the customer, which makes it worth checking the commercial story before that visibility becomes part of the live job.

Prepare supplier ordering and cost control while the scope is still stable

Once install dates and core scope are confirmed, move into procurement and cost readiness. Fencify groups quoted material items by supplier on the project so the office can see which orders still need to be created and which suppliers already have active purchase orders.

A strong delivery setup uses this order:

1. Review the supplier groupings and confirm the material quantities still suit the accepted scope.
2. Create draft purchase orders from the project where materials are ready to commit.
3. Issue the purchase orders to suppliers once the quantities, delivery location and timing are ready.
4. Record supplier acknowledgement and ETA dates so the office can compare them with the install window.
5. Receive delivered items against the correct order so the project keeps a clean receipt trail.

Fencify tracks practical purchase order stages such as Draft, Issued, Accepted, Part Received, Received and Cancelled. It also highlights whether a supplier ETA looks on track, still needed, or at risk against the planned install date. That gives operations a real early warning before materials become a site delay.

Cost control also starts here. The project can hold a cost baseline, variance thresholds and actual job cost entries. When materials are received through the project, those records help build the actual material cost trail. Labour, materials and other cost entries can then be compared against the baseline as the job moves through delivery.

Release the project to site with one final operational review

Before the supervisor or installer relies on the job sheet, do one complete readiness pass through the project. This is where a newly won project becomes a site-ready project.

For example, imagine a 42 metre boundary replacement with one pedestrian gate, tight side access and a split install over two days. The accepted quote has been converted, the contract value is correct, the install window is set for Thursday to Friday, the customer deposit is already recorded, one supplier has acknowledged the aluminium order with an ETA that matches the install start, the BYDA plan is attached, the SWMS has been generated, and the before photos are already on the project. In that case, the office can confidently release the installer job sheet because the crew will open a project that already reflects the real job.

Use this final review checklist before work starts:

• project details and contract value match the accepted scope
• install start and end dates are realistic and visible in Calendar
• milestones are ready to reflect site progress in order
• BYDA, SWMS, files and photos are attached where needed
• payment stages reflect the agreed commercial plan
• purchase orders and supplier ETAs support the scheduled install
• cost baseline and alert settings are set if your team tracks job margins closely
• the client and installer public views will show the right information when they are used

After this setup is complete, the next work inside Fencify is active delivery: recording milestone progress, managing proof uploads, issuing claims at the right stage, receiving materials, handling variations, and moving the project cleanly toward final handover.