How to create a project for a new job
OVERVIEW
Every contract is contained within a Project. This article covers how create and manage projects in PayLab.
Want to read ahead? click on the links below to skip to that section:
GETTING READY
In order to successfully complete creating a new project you will need several key details:
Minimum Information:- A unique Project Name
- A Project Address
- Admin Permissions
While it's not key for setting up a project initially, you will need the following which can be added at a later time:
- Images - Background and Logo
- Team member emails
- A Payee Reference (Your internal reference code or number)
- A PO Number/Contract Reference
- A Contact Name and Email address for the project or contract along with their company details and ideally their NZ Business Number
- Information on when Pay Claims, Pay Certification and Payments are due each month
- The Retention schedule
- GST Rate (In New Zealand, the standard Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate is 15%)
CREATE A NEW PROJECT
From your Dashboard or your Projects page, on the top right, select the Create New Project button.
ENTER PROJECT DETAILS
Fill in each of the fields as appropriate. A new Project must have a Project Name and Project Address however it's best practice to complete all fields as you go.
At the top you can click on the pencil icons to add a project background and project logo. These images will appear when you look for the project in the Projects page or when you are viewing the project itself. For the Project Address, we recommend using the "search for an address" function as it will automatically fill out the rest of the address details. Alternatively you can still manually input the project address details if needed.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS (OPTIONAL)
- Project Description
- Project Number
- GST Rate
- Vault Asset URL
When you are happy with the details filled in, hit "Create New Project" at the bottom and now you will be able to find it in Projects and view your newly created Project.
PROJECT SETTINGS
If you ever need to edit your project details, click on the "Gear" icon to enter Project Settings. Within Project Settings your are able to edit:
When you create a Main Contract or Sub Contract, these settings are automatically carried over to. It is recommend to set these up to save you time especially if you will be setting up multiple contracts.
Though these settings are carried over to new Contracts, you can still customize them for each Contract when they are created.
PROJECT DETAILS
In this view you are able to go back and to add or edit your Project Details.
PROJECT MEMBERS
You define member roles in this Project (e.g. Account Owner, Account Admin) .This is where you enter your details, or the main point of contact within your organisation for that particular project.
DATE SCHEDULE
These are the default reoccurring dates that activities are due for each contract. This information is likely to be on the contract you have received from your Client. Choose the appropriate number of days for each field. The settings you choose here will be automatically applied to any contracts under this Project.
Working days exclude Saturday and Sunday (despite the fact we know you probably work at least one of those days anyway).
Pay Claim Due At PayLab, we recommend you setting the Pay Claim Due day to be the 25th day of the claim month at the latest. This will enable you enough time to investigate the project claim and submit it to your Client in time for month-end.
Pay Cert Due This will change depending on the terms you have agreed with the Payer. The default provisions in the Construction Contracts Act 2002 in New Zealand say this must be no later than the 20th day of the following month after submitting your Payment Claim.
Payment Due Again this could change according to your agreed terms, however the default provisions in the applicable act say this must be no later than the 20th day of the following month after submitting your Payment Claim.
CLAIM WORKFLOW
If your Claims or Certificates require multiple internal approvals, use these workflows to ensure everyone required signs off on them each month. For further detail on how to set these up, go to our Approval Workflows article.
TIME ZONE
Time Zones are automatically populated based on project address and affect how times are displayed for Claim and Certificate dates.
RETENTIONS
Retentions is always a complicated beastie, this is where PayLab makes it simple for you!
If you don't have Retentions on this project, you can just leave it as is and move on to the next section, otherwise, you will be able to set up a Retention Schedule based on:
- Percentage of Contract Value
- Percentage of Fixed Amount
- Scaled Percentages
Retentions often vary according to the percentages of the job completed.
File Attachments in Claims/Certificates
This sets the preferred way to include files claim/certificate emails whether it be a download link or file attachment and can be changed during the claim/certify process.
Now your Project is fully setup and ready to go!
In our Setup & Go Live series, go to the next article - Setting Up Main Contract