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Keep stage work and the fee position together
From the fee proposal to the stage bill, an architecture project runs one stage at a time. DAY ONE keeps the fee, the tasks and the time on one system of record, so the practice sees the stage, its budget used and what remains.
From new client to stage bill
One project record carries the work from the first brief to each stage bill, so principals, project architects and finance work from the same facts.
Win the client
An enquiry or a referral becomes a client and an opportunity, with the project and the services you propose to deliver, from concept design through to construction administration.
How it worksAgree the fee by stage
The fee proposal sets a fee for each stage you will deliver, such as concept, schematic design, design development, documentation, tender and construction. Each stage is a milestone with its own scope, fee and hours by role. Once the client signs, the agreement is locked, and a change to the brief is a new contract in the same engagement.
Scoping and QuotingPlan the stage and set the tasks
Each stage is broken into tasks with an owner, a due date and a priority, such as coordinating with consultants or the drawing issue for the stage. The drawings themselves stay in your design tools.
Delivery and TimePlace the team and record time
People are placed at the roles on the engagement, each role with its own rate. The team logs time from the task it belongs to. A manager approves time and expenses where required, and anything not yet approved stays visible in work in progress.
ResourcingComplete the stage and bill it
When a stage is finished, its completion is approved. Finance reviews work in progress against the stage fee, and the stage bill carries the stage fee, any time billed at rates and approved expenses. Each invoice is approved before it goes out.
Invoicing and WIPSend the bill and hand over to accounting
The approved invoice goes to the client and across to your accounting system, which keeps the ledger. CSV export is available as a fallback.
Integrations
Pick up the work and see what is stuck
Every task on a stage has an owner, a due date and a priority. The team picks up the next task and logs time from its menu, and work waiting on the client or the engineer stays visible as blocked.
To do 4 tasks
- Issue the design development set to consultants
- Coordinate the services layout with the mechanical consultant
- Prepare the materials and finishes board for client review
- Principal review of the design development set before issue
In progress 1 task
- Develop the facade and external wall details
Blocked 2 tasks
- Confirm the structural grid with the engineer
- Obtain the client's sign-off on the interior brief
How each kind of work is billed
The basis is set when the fee is agreed, so the bill for a stage knows how to treat each piece of work.
Stage fees
A stage is a milestone with its own fee. Once its completion is approved, the stage can be billed.
Time at rates
Work billed for time is priced from your price list and the rate set for each role on the engagement. Approved hours are billed.
Expenses
Expenses on a project are approved, then billed on the same invoice run as the stage fee and time.
Changes to the brief
An agreed change is a new contract in the existing engagement, signed again, with its own fee.
Give each stage its own fee
On the same example project, each stage is a milestone with its own fee. Budget, consumed and remaining sit beside it, with assigned and consumed hours.
Schematic design
- Status
- Completed
- Budget
- $147,000.00
- Consumed Revenue
- $139,160.00
- Remaining
- $7,840.00
- Assigned Hours
- 600.00
- Consumed Hours
- 568.00
Design development
- Status
- In progress
- Budget
- $210,700.00
- Consumed Revenue
- $126,850.00
- Remaining
- $83,850.00
- Assigned Hours
- 980.00
- Consumed Hours
- 590.00
Pick a situation from your own work
The client has .
What it means for each role in a practice
Finance leaders: see the fee position before the stage bill
Which stage was agreed, how much of its budget is consumed and what remains, and when the stage is approved for billing.
Operations and delivery: run each stage from its agreement
When the client changes the brief, the agreed change is a new contract in the existing engagement, not a thread of emails.
Owners and CEOs: keep control of fees as you add projects
Stage agreements and budgets stay visible as you add projects and disciplines. Test it with Quickstart on a few live projects, not a large programme.
Salesforce leaders: a commercial record, not a design tool
DAY ONE covers the commercial and delivery record around your projects, not drawing or modelling software. Your existing tools stay in place.
Questions from architecture practices
Can't see your question? Ask us directly.
Can we work stage by stage?
Yes. Each stage can be set up as a milestone, and milestone completion is approved before it is billed. Bring a project with two stages and we will walk through how the current product records them.
What if the brief changes during a stage?
A signed contract is not edited in place. An agreed change is a new contract in the existing engagement, signed again. Ask us to walk through it on one of your projects.
Does DAY ONE replace our design tools?
No. DAY ONE is the commercial and delivery record around the work, not drawing or modelling software.
Do we need Salesforce already?
On Salesforce; works with your Salesforce org, or available as a bundled edition if you don't use Salesforce.
Do we have to replace our accounting system?
No. You keep your accounting system.
Can architects, engineers and consultants work on one engagement at different rates?
Yes. An engagement holds roles, each with its own rate, and people are placed at those roles. Several disciplines can work on one engagement at different rates. No automatic variation billing is claimed.
Can we see budget against fee by stage?
Yes, budget, consumed revenue and remaining budget show at contract, milestone and deliverable level. Margin fields exist but no margin result is promised.
What does onboarding look like for a practice with live projects mid-stage?
Quickstart brings in the live engagements the first scope needs. You set a migration budget and the month invoicing starts from DAY ONE. Large historical migration is scoped separately. Quickstart.
Walk through one of your projects
Bring a stage or a billing question and we will talk it through.