Manage job variations

Screen reference

What you will see

What this controls

Once a quote is accepted, the job scope is locked; the job Overview labels it Quoted scope locked · use Variations. The Approved variation register on the Financials tab is where every change to that scope is recorded as its own numbered record with typed lines and a lifecycle: Draft, Submitted, then Approved, Rejected or Cancelled.

Only an Approved variation adds its ex-tax subtotal to Job value, and it does so exactly once. Draft and Submitted rows remain outside job value. The approved amount then appears as Approved variation scope remaining when you build an invoice, separate from quoted lines and invoice-only items.

Before you start

• You need job write access to create and submit a variation, and the approval decision should be made by whoever your business authorises to change the commercial baseline.
• The job must have a transaction currency. If it does not, the register shows Save the job transaction currency before creating a variation and New variation is disabled.
• Have the customer's request, email or purchase order to hand so the Description records the evidence.

Walkthrough

1. Open the register

Open the job at /jobs/:id and select the Financials tab. Beneath the KPI strip sits the Approved variation register. A new job shows No variations recorded with the prompt Create a typed Draft, then submit it for an explicit approval decision.

2. Start a Draft

Select New variation. The Create variation Draft dialog opens and confirms the job currency and that the Draft does not affect approved job value until a separate approval decision.

3. Describe the change

Enter the Variation number (up to 80 characters, for example V-001), a Title such as Additional site works, and a Description of why the scope changed and what the client receives. Variation number and Title are required.

4. Add typed lines

Under Variation lines each line has a Type of Labour, Material, Subcontract, Freight or Other, a Description, a Quantity greater than zero, a Unit price labelled with the job currency and a Tax rate (%) that defaults from the job. Select Add line for more lines and Remove line to drop one; at least one line must remain. Each line shows its Ex tax, Tax and Total beneath its fields. The variation must have a value greater than zero.

5. Save the Draft

Select Save Draft. If a line is incomplete the dialog reports the problem, for example Line 1 description is required or Variation value must be greater than zero. On success the toast Variation Draft saved appears and the register lists the variation with its number, a Draft badge, Revision 1, the title, description, Ex tax, Tax and Total, and a table of its lines. Expand Approval and lifecycle evidence to see the Revision, Submitted, Approved and Closed stamps and the event timeline.

6. Edit and submit

While the row is Draft you can select Edit saved Draft to reopen the dialog and Save Draft changes, or Cancel variation to close it with a reason. When the Draft is ready select Submit for approval. The dialog explains that this writes a new immutable lifecycle event and pre-fills the Submission note with Submitted for approval. The status changes to Submitted and the toast Variation submitted recorded confirms it.

7. Record the decision

A Submitted variation offers Approve scope, Reject and Cancel variation. Each opens a dialog that requires a Decision reason; Approve scope also states the ex-tax amount it will add to approved job scope exactly once. On approval the toast Variation approved recorded appears, the badge reads Approved, the Approved stamp records who approved it and when, the Job value KPI detail becomes Quote value plus the variation total, and Projected margin shows the variation total in its detail line.

8. Bill the approved scope

Create or open the job's draft invoice. In Edit invoice draft the lines are grouped as Invoice-only items, Approved variation scope remaining, Quoted line items, Costs and Labour / tasks. Each variation row shows Approved, Issued and Remaining amounts. Tick Include on the variation line, keep its value within the remaining approved amount, then select Save draft or Save and approve. A Variation / Extra Works invoice cannot be approved until at least one remaining approved variation line is selected.

What changes elsewhere

• The Job value KPI on /jobs/:id/financials shows the detail Quote plus the variation total once a variation is approved.
• The draft invoice at /invoices/:id offers the approved amount under Approved variation scope remaining and tracks Issued and Remaining as invoices are approved.
• The job Overview at /jobs/:id keeps the original quoted scope locked; the variation is visible in the Financials register rather than as an edited line.
• The Projected margin KPI on /jobs/:id/financials shows the approved variation total in its detail line.

Common problems

Check your work

1. The variation shows an Approved badge and the Approved stamp names the approver and time.
2. The Job value KPI detail reads Quote plus the variation amount.
3. Approval and lifecycle evidence shows the Submitted and Approved stamps and the status changes in order.
4. The draft invoice lists the variation under Approved variation scope remaining with the full approved amount remaining.

Next: create and issue an invoice

Explore invoicing and financials in SignBas3