Start with a handover check while the accepted quote is still fresh

This guide suits the owner, project manager, estimator handing work to operations, office admin, or supervisor who needs to run the first active job cleanly. Open the new project as soon as the accepted quote has been converted and use that first review as the operational handover.

Check the details that will affect every later step:

• The project name, customer contact details, site address and suburb are correct.
• The linked quote reflects the accepted scope and contract value you intend to build.
• The current project status matches reality, which will usually be In Progress for a new job.
• The material type and site conditions are clear enough for installers, purchasing and safety preparation.
• The client and office both understand whether there is already a deposit paid, a pending bank transfer, or a first claim still to issue.

Fencify keeps the quote, project and client-facing portal connected, so this early review stops small setup errors from flowing into procurement, invoicing or site delivery.

Set the install window and let milestones tell the delivery story

Once the core details look right, set the install start and end dates on the project overview. These dates matter beyond the overview tab. They feed scheduling context, guide supplier ETA decisions and give the crew a clear install window on the public installer view.

Fencify also seeds a practical default milestone sequence when a project has none yet:

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

Use these milestones as the shared language between office and field. In the office project screen they can be updated directly. In the installer job sheet they are completed in order, which helps keep progress updates believable and easy to follow. Once every milestone is complete, the project moves into handover readiness.

Build the site record before crews arrive

The strongest first-project habit is preparing the project file before the install date arrives. Use the project tabs to collect the records your team will keep returning to during the job.

• Files & Photos: upload drawings, site photos, shared PDFs and any client-facing project records you want visible through the client portal.
• BYDA: request managed BYDA where used in your workflow, or upload the returned PDF plan to the project so the team can review it later.
• SWMS: generate the project SWMS from the available hazard list and review the document before relying on it for site work.
• Visual plan: if the quote has a linked visual plan, use it as the quick reference for fence runs, gates and site layout.

The installer job sheet surfaces much of this preparation, including the install window, milestone progress, runs, material summary, BYDA readiness and SWMS availability. That makes it worth doing the document setup before the first day on site.

Review safety and service-location records against your business process, project requirements and local obligations before sending them out or relying on them on site.

Use the operations tools to keep field work and office work aligned

Fencify gives you two practical project outputs for site delivery. The first is the PDF job sheet, which suits printed packs or emailed work orders. The second is the public installer view, which suits subcontractors or site crews opening the job from a phone.

As the project progresses, the installer view helps the field team contribute to the same project record by:

• checking the install dates and current project status
• reviewing milestone progress and updating stages in sequence
• opening BYDA and SWMS documents when they are available
• uploading proof photos and proof files directly against the project
• adding short progress notes that explain what happened on site

Those updates keep the office working from the project record instead of scattered messages. Proof uploads, milestone changes and contractor activity stay attached to the job where the whole team can follow them.

Control changes, ordering and receiving from the same project

Once work starts, project scope and material timing are the two areas that most often drift. Fencify handles both inside the project.

Use Variations whenever the client agrees to a change. Pending variations can be reviewed and signed in the client-facing flow, while approved variations increase the project contract value and stay visible with their payment status. That helps you separate original scope from later extras without losing the audit trail.

Use Purchase Orders when you are ready to commit supplier materials. Fencify groups quoted material items by supplier, creates a draft PO, assigns a PO number, and tracks supplier status through practical stages such as Draft, Issued, Acknowledged, Part Received and Received.

The project screen compares supplier ETA dates against the install start date and highlights whether materials look on track, missing ETA confirmation, or at risk of arriving late. When stock is delivered, record goods receiving carefully. Fencify updates the received quantities, rolls the PO status forward, stores a receipt record and adds the material cost into project costing.

Keep claims, invoices and payments moving in order

Even on a first project, finance discipline matters early. Fencify prepares a payment schedule from the project contract value so deposit, progress and final stages stay visible.

Use the schedule to understand what happens next:

Due

The next claim stage is ready to issue.

Issued

An invoice exists for that stage and is waiting for payment.

Paid

The stage has been reconciled and the paid amount has been applied.

Pending

A later stage is waiting behind an earlier unpaid one.

Issue claims from the project when the work or contract stage justifies it. Record payments against the correct invoice so the payment record, invoice status and project paid amount stay aligned. Clients using the public project portal can also see current payment requests, available invoices, documents, site photos, listed variations and final handover actions.

If your team uses delegated access, remember that financial controls may be limited to staff with the right finance visibility. Supervisors and installers may still work in the operational parts of the project without seeing the full finance detail.

Finish with a deliberate handover and formal completion

As the build nears completion, return to the overview and operations checks before you ask the client to sign off. Review the milestone list, confirm site clean-up, check the latest photos and documents, and make sure any last variation or payment follow-up is understood by the office.

When every milestone is complete, Fencify marks the project as ready for handover. From there you can send the handover request to the client and let them complete final acceptance through the public project portal. The client signs with their name and digital signature, Fencify stores the sign-off record, updates the project status to Completed, and makes the handover certificate available for download.

How to keep the first project audit trail clean

The best habit to take from your first project is consistency. Use the project record as the source of truth instead of handling progress through separate notes, inboxes or verbal updates.

• Update install dates when the schedule changes.
• Use milestones to reflect real progress.
• Upload files and proof photos against the project as they happen.
• Record variations as soon as scope changes are agreed.
• Issue claims from the payment schedule in order.
• Receive materials against the PO that actually supplied them.
• Use the client and installer portals for the audience they are meant to support.
• Complete handover only after the project record tells the same story as the site.

After you are comfortable with this flow, the next guide to read is Start Here: Understand invoices, progress claims, payments and accounting sync. If you need narrower help on the way, look for the quick guides on Project overview, Project milestones, Project files and photos, Project variations, Purchase orders, Goods receiving, Project payment schedule, Project SWMS, Public installer job sheet, Generate job sheet and Generate handover certificate.