Raising a variation when the job changes
Halfway through a job the client asks for two more power points, or you pull up the floor and find the joists are rotten. That's a variation: a change to work you've already been hired for. In Sammy you raise it from the job, send it to the client like a quote, and when they accept, Sammy adds it to the job and you invoice it on its own.
Why put a variation in writing#
A variation the client has agreed to in writing, before you do the work, protects you both. It says what's changing, why, what it costs and how much longer the job will take, and the client's acceptance is on record. Building contracts usually expect changes to be agreed in writing, and a "yeah, go ahead" on site is hard to rely on if there's a disagreement later about the bill or the finish date.
Raise a variation#
- Open the job: go to Projects, choose Jobs, and tap the job.
- In the Variations section, tap Add a variation.
- The original quote sits beside the form (above it on your phone) so you can check what was already included. Under Reason, pick Client asked, Site condition, Design change or Other, and add a short line, like "Two extra power points on the deck". Your client will see this. You need to pick a reason before you can go on.
- If the change pushes out the finish date, tick Delays completion date? and type how many working days it adds. If it doesn't, leave it unticked.
- Then choose how to write it up:
- Let Sammy write it. Describe the change the way you would for a new quote, then tap Create with Sammy.
- Write it yourself. Tap Write it myself. The variation opens with one empty section called Variation and the line editor already open, so you can type "Additional fan supply and install", put in the price and you're done. Good for a change that's one line and a price.
Either way the variation uses the same markups as the original quote and starts with the job's site address, and if the original quote was GST exempt, the variation is too. If you wrote it yourself, Sammy is still there in the chat if you want him to add to it or check it against the original quote.
Sammy knows it's a variation, not a new job. He reads the original quote, prices only the change, and leaves out things the original already covers, like the site set-up, testing and clean-up. The variation gets a name that says what changed, and its lines sit in one or two sections named for the change. If you chat with Sammy on the variation and say a line is already in the original quote, he checks the original before he agrees.
The variation gets its number from the job. The first one on JN-0001 is JN-0001-V01, the next is JN-0001-V02, and so on.
You can change it like any estimate. It shows a VARIATION tag and a line linking back to the job and the original quote.
Send it#
Tap Actions (on a computer it's in the bottom-right corner), then Send variation. It's the same send screen you use for quotes, with the wording changed to suit a variation. Your saved messages are still in the list if you'd rather use one of those. If you turn on follow-ups, they call it a variation too.
What your client sees#
Your client gets an email saying their variation is ready, with a link to view it online. The variation is headed VARIATION with its number, and at the top it shows:
- which job it changes, and the original quote number
- the reason
- the time impact, like "adds 3 working days"
- what it does to the job's total, like "Accepted works $17,189.13 + this variation $1,540.00 = $18,729.13 inc GST"
They can tap Accept variation, Decline variation or Request Changes. When they accept, they confirm "I accept this variation and agree to the terms and conditions included in it."
When the client accepts#
You get a notification saying the variation was accepted, with the job number and the amount it adds. On the job:
- The variation shows as Accepted in the Variations section.
- The contract sum at the top of the job goes up, and the line under it shows how it adds up, like "Accepted $12,680.00 + 1 variation $1,077.72, inc GST".
- If you track costs on the job, the variation's costs are added to the budget. Its sections start with the variation number, like V01. See Tracking what a job actually costs.
The job's payment schedule doesn't change. A variation is billed on its own.
Invoice the variation#
- On the job, find the accepted variation in the Variations section.
- Tap Claim variation.
- Sammy opens the invoice screen with the variation already picked and all its line items included. Check it, then tap Convert to Invoice.
The invoice is separate from your payment schedule claims. The job's Left to invoice figure includes the variation until it's invoiced.
If the client declines, or you need to take it back#
- Declined: the variation shows as Declined on the job. Nothing else on the job changes.
- Taking it back: until the client accepts, you can recall a variation the same way you recall a quote.
- Changes requested: you'll be notified, the same as for a quote. Update the variation and send it again.
What you can and can't delete#
You can delete a variation that hasn't been accepted, like any estimate.
Once the client accepts a variation, it's part of the job, so Sammy won't let you delete it while the job exists. You'll see "This variation is part of a job". If the work isn't going ahead, cancel the job instead.
Where variations show up#
Variations appear with your estimates in Projects, in the client's activity and when you pick an estimate to invoice. Each one has a small V tag and "to JN-0001" so you can tell it apart from a quote.
The buttons that send an estimate to Simpro, ServiceM8 or Ascora are hidden on a variation. Each of those would create a new job or quote in that system, when a variation is a change to a job that's already there.