Creating a new non-billable project

Creating a new non billable project

Setup a new non billable project when you want to define project targets for internal tasks, such as marketing campaigns, internal training programs, or infrastructure upgrades. Staff can then enter their timesheet against the non billable projects, so you can track the results.

Step 1: Add a new project

Create a new project to track internal tasks, or time spent on projects where there is no requirement to send out any invoices. Add a new non-billable project by:

1. Go to: Project.
2. Click the 'add' button in the top right corner.
3. Type the project name.
4. Uncheck the box 'is billable'. This makes the project a non-billable project.
5. Click the image above to view adding a non-billable project.
6. Add any of the following optional project details:
   • Project status  choose if the project is proposed work not yet approved by management to start, or approved work that will start now as in active project. Learn more about project status options.
   • Project type  choose the type of work that will be completed for this project. This is used as a reporting category. Learn more about project types.
   • Scope of works  type an overview of the goals for the project. This is shown to staff to explain the project on the project details and summary pages.
   • Project manager  which staff member internally is responsible for managing the project goals and tasks.
   • Primary contact  if there is a main external contact or third party that is sponsoring this project, then list that person as the primary contact. This can also be a staff member, and used to track the person who is sponsoring this project internally at your organization.
   • Site address  add your organization office address, or the location where the main project tasks will be completed.
   • Tags  add any extra data required for project reporting as tags. Type tag text and press enter or type a comma to complete the tag and add another.
7. Save.
8. A read only project summary page is shown. This project details page can be viewed by the project team as an overview of the scope of works for this project.

Click the image above to view the created non-billable project.

Tips:

• The non-billable project screen hides the fields for invoice contact, c/o invoice contact, and project fee.

• The project can later be converted to be a billable project if required, by checking the 'billable' box in the edit project page.

• Read more about the project details shown, and what each of the fields are used for in Synergy.

• Non billable projects do not have the status of 'pending invoice' All the other project status options are available for non billable projects.

Step 2: Add the project team - contacts and staff

Build a list of the people involved with the project tasks. This can be internal staff of your organization, or external contacts that will be involved with selected project tasks. Set the role against the staff and external contacts, so the project team know who to call about each type of project query.

Create the project team by:

1. Go to: Project > Contacts tab.
2. The project manager and primary contact are shown if selected when the project was created.
3. Add the internal staff to the project team by:
   • Click the add button in the top right corner and select 'staff'.
   • Type part of the staff name into the 'staff' field, and select the person from the list.
   • Select the role they will complete in the project team.
   • Save.
   • Repeat for each staff member that is part of the project team.
4. Click the image above to view staff being added to the project team.
   • Add any external contacts that will be helping or liaising with the team on project tasks. e.g. vendors, suppliers, consultants.
   • Click the add button in the top right corner and select 'contact'.
   • Select the company name of the contact by typing part of the company name , and selecting the company from the list.
   • Select the personnel name for the person at the company that you will be dealing with for these project tasks.
   • Choose the role they will complete for the project tasks.
   • Save.
   • Repeat for each other external contact required to be part of the project team.

Click the image above to view the project team with staff and contacts.

Tips:

• Internal staff and external contacts can be added as non billable project contacts.

• Non billable projects do not allow people to be invoice contacts or c/o invoice contacts, as invoicing is not a non-billable project feature.

• All the other project contacts features are available for non-billable projects.

Step 3: Plan the project tasks using the work breakdown structure

Setup the work breakdown structure to plan out what work is required for the internal or non billable project. Non billable projects are automatically setup to be 'no billing' for the project and any linked stages. There are two options for setting up the project plan with a simple or a full work breakdown structure.

Learn more about the simple work breakdown and the full work breakdown structure.

Option 1: Simple project

A simple project is a list of tasks that need to be completed for the project. The tasks can be assigned staff to complete the work, due dates, and the progress updated as the tasks are completed. The project is created as a simple project by default, unless a work breakdown template was selected during the initial project setup.

1. Go to: Project > work breakdown.
2. Add tasks to the work breakdown to plan out the items to be completed by staff for the project. The tasks will be shown to staff when they enter their timesheets for this project. Add tasks by:
   • In the 'new task name' field type that name of the new project task.
   • (Optional) Assign the task to the staff member who is responsible for that part of the project.
   • (Optional) Set a due date for when this work should be completed by.
   • Repeat for each project task required.
   • Save.

Click the image above to view a sample of a full work breakdown structure.

Option 2: Project with a full work breakdown structure

Plan out the work required to be completed for the project including phases stages and tasks. Learn more about what each of these items are in the full work breakdown topic. *Phases can only be added into a work breakdown structure in Synergy Business or Enterprise products.

Each stage can have multiple tasks added, to group together the work in the steps or sections which it needs to be completed within. The tasks can be assigned staff to complete the work, due dates, and the progress updated as the tasks are completed.

1. Go to: Project > work breakdown.
2. Click the 'add work breakdown' button in the top right corner.
3. The top row in the work breakdown editor is a stage. Add a new stage by:
   1. Add a new 'stage name' or update and existing row 'work' to describe the step or section of work to be completed.
   2. Assign the project manager who is responsible for this section of the work.
   3. Type a scope of works to describe what needs to be completed for this part of the project.
   4. Repeat for each required stage.
4. Add any tasks required for each stage by:
   • Type the name of the stage task.
   • Assign who will be completing the task.
   • Assign a due date for the task to be completed by.
   • Repeat for each required task.
5. Save.

Click the image above to view a sample of a full work breakdown structure.

Tips:

• Fees cannot be entered for the project in a simple project, or for stages in a project with a full work breakdown structure.

• All stages attached to a non billable project are setup with the fee type 'no billing' automatically.

• Phases can only be added to the work breakdown structure in Synergy Business and Enterprise products.

• Learn more about the simple work breakdown and the full work breakdown structure.

Step 4: Update the project status to active

The default status for a new non billable project, and any added stages is proposal. When the project has been confirmed to proceed, then you can update the status to active to reflect this by:

1. Open the project.
2. In the read only project details view click status change  button.
3. The change status window has two views: project only or project and stages. View the images of both status change type windows below.
4. Update the 'project only status' by:
   • The list of 'new status options' are shown.
   • Expand the 'active' grouping and the 'active option is selected by default.
   • Leave the option 'active' selected or choose another custom active status option.
   • Save and close.
5. Update the 'project and stages status options' by:
   • The project row is shown with a white background at the top of the list, with the stages shown with a gray color background.
   • Check the box for the project or stage rows that you want to update.
   • In the 'select the new status' column click the 'active' group to expand the options.
   • Leave the option 'active' selected or choose another custom active status option from the list.
   • Save and close.
6. The status(es) have been updated.

Click the image above to view a project status being updated.

Click the image above to view a project and stage level statuses being updated.

 

Tips:

• The status option 'pending invoice' is not available for non billable projects, as all invoicing related features are not available in non billing projects.

• Simple projects only have a project level status.

• Projects with a full work breakdown structure have both project and stage level status options that can be updated.

• Learn more about the project status options.

Step 5: Upload any project documents and images

• The same features are available in the document and images libraries for billable and non billable projects. Learn more about project documents, or learn more about project images.

Suggested actions for project documents and images are:

• Edit the project folder structure to match the required list of folders for your project.

• Upload any files or images to the project folders.

• Share and required files or images to the project portal so they can be seen by the project team.

Step 6: Setup project portal access for external contacts (optional)

Grant external parties access to the project portal, so that they can view any files shared with them and chat with the project team.

• Internal staff are automatically granted access to the project portal.

• External project contacts can be granted either full or restricted access to the portal.

• Restricted access to the portal means that the external contact can only see the staff at your organization in the portal.

• Full access to the portal means that the external contacts see / chat with each other or the staff at your organization in the portal.

Setup portal access for all the project contacts in one action by:

1. Go to: Project > project contacts.
2. Click the page actions  button and select 'change portal access'.
3. In the section 'current contacts in portal' a list of the project contacts are shown.
4. Update the 'portal access' column to reflect if the external contacts should have portal access of full, restricted, or none.
5. Save.
6. The project contacts tab is updated to show which external contacts have portal access enabled. A portal invitation for this project is sent by email to any of the selected external contacts, to prompt them to use the project portal.

Click the image above to see how to allow portal access for external contacts.

Tips:

• The project manager always has portal access enabled by default.

• Learn more about using the project contact tab to update the portal access options.

Step 7: Monitor the project

Staff enter their timesheets and expenses and assign the transactions to the project. These timesheet entries record the amount of time staff have spent on each task, or the dollar values spent on expenses. Reporting is available in the project tabs listed below, with a cut-down list of columns / views. Any details relating to fees, invoicing, or profitability are not shown for non billable projects.

Track the progress of the project and the time spent on each task using:

• Work breakdown tab - update the progress bar against each stage or task.

• Transactions tab - see the timesheets and expenses entered by staff against this project.

• Financials tab - view a summary by stage for the costs incurred for the project.

Tip: Non billable project reports do not display any invoicing values, or profitability values. The other details are available as per the billable project topics linked to above.