What's the difference between a project and a job in Zigaflow?

A job in Zigaflow represents a specific order or work assignment - it's what you create when a quote is accepted and you need to fulfil the work. A project is a higher-level grouping that can contain multiple jobs, quotes, invoices, and other documents. Think of it this way: you might have a project called "Office Refurbishment for ABC Ltd" that contains multiple quotes (for different phases or options), several jobs (when work is broken into stages), multiple purchase orders (for materials), and several invoices (for milestone payments). The project groups everything together and tracks the overall financial picture, while individual jobs track specific work assignments. Many businesses use projects for large, complex work that spans weeks or months, while smaller, simpler work might just be handled as standalone jobs without a parent project.

When should I create a project versus just using jobs?

Create a project when you need to track multiple related activities together or when work spans an extended period with various components. Good candidates for projects include large client engagements with multiple phases, construction projects with separate quotes for different trades, ongoing retainer arrangements, or any situation where you need to track cumulative costs and income across multiple transactions. If you're doing a straightforward, single-phase job that will be quoted once, worked on, and invoiced once, you probably don't need a project - just use a regular job. However, if you find yourself mentally grouping related jobs together ("these three jobs are all part of that big warehouse project"), that's a sign you should create a project. Projects are also valuable when you need to report on total project profitability, track against overall project budgets, or provide clients with consolidated project summaries rather than individual job details.

Can I link existing quotes and jobs to a project after they're created?

Yes, you can link existing documents to projects at any time. When editing a quote, job, purchase order, or invoice, simply select the project from the dropdown field. This is particularly useful when you create a quote before realizing it's part of a larger project, or when a small job unexpectedly grows into a bigger engagement. Once linked, all historical financial data from that document flows into the project's summary. You can also unlink documents if needed, though this is less common. The flexibility to link documents at any stage means you don't have to plan perfectly from the start - you can organize your work as projects evolve and become clearer. Keep in mind that when you convert a quote to a job, the new job inherits the project link from the original quote automatically, maintaining the connection throughout your workflow.

How does Zigaflow calculate project costs and profitability?

Zigaflow automatically aggregates all costs associated with a project by totalling purchase orders, expenses, and labour costs linked to project jobs. The system knows your quoted value (from linked quotes), your actual costs (from linked purchase orders and expenses), and your invoiced amounts (from linked invoices). Profitability is calculated as invoiced amount minus costs, and you can see both actual profitability (based on what's been invoiced and paid) and projected profitability (based on the full quoted value). The project dashboard shows these figures in real-time, updating whenever new costs are added or invoices are generated. You can also see margin as a percentage, helping you spot projects where costs are eating into your expected profit. For labour-intensive businesses, you can track time against projects and see labour costs based on your team members' hourly rates. This comprehensive financial tracking means you always know where each project stands financially, not just at the end but throughout its entire lifecycle.

Can I create multiple invoices for a single project?

Absolutely. Project tracking is designed to handle milestone billing, progress payments, and any invoicing structure where multiple invoices are generated over time. Each invoice you create can be linked to the parent project, and Zigaflow tracks the cumulative invoiced amount automatically. The project's financial summary shows total project value, how much you've invoiced to date, what's been paid, and what remains to be invoiced. This is essential for long-running projects where you bill monthly, bill per milestone, or require deposits and progress payments. You can generate invoices from different jobs within the project, or create invoices directly at the project level for retainer arrangements or service contracts. The system prevents you from accidentally over-invoicing by showing clearly what's been billed already. Clients see professional invoices that reference the overall project but bill for specific completed phases, making it clear what they're paying for while maintaining visibility of the project as a whole.

What reports can I generate for projects?

Zigaflow provides comprehensive project reporting including financial summaries (costs, income, profitability), timeline reports (start date, completion date, duration), document lists (all linked quotes, jobs, invoices), and custom reports based on your specific needs. You can export project data to PDF or Excel for client presentations, stakeholder meetings, or your own analysis. Financial reports break down costs by category (materials, labour, expenses), show margin percentage, and compare actual performance against original estimates. For businesses managing multiple projects, you can generate portfolio reports showing all active projects, their status, financial health, and resource allocation. Project reports are invaluable for post-project reviews where you analyze what went well, what went over budget, and how to improve estimates for similar future work. You can also schedule automatic project status reports to be sent to stakeholders at regular intervals, keeping everyone informed without manual effort.

Can I control which team members see specific projects?

Yes, Zigaflow's permission system allows you to control project visibility at the user level. You can restrict access so only relevant team members see projects they're working on, protecting sensitive client information and preventing accidental interference with projects they're not involved in. This is particularly valuable for businesses with separate departments or teams working on different types of projects - your construction team doesn't need to see office furniture projects and vice versa. You can also set permissions so some users can view projects but not edit them, useful for junior staff or external contractors who need visibility without full control. Project managers typically get full access to their assigned projects, while finance teams might see all projects but only for reporting purposes. The permission system is flexible enough to match your organizational structure while ensuring everyone has access to exactly what they need - nothing more, nothing less. This security and organization becomes increasingly important as your business grows and projects multiply.

Operations

Master Your Projects with Precision and Ease

Group quotes, jobs, and invoices by project. Track costs, monitor profitability, and deliver on time - every time. Complete visibility from first quote to final invoice.

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ProjectsView all →

Office Fitout - PyrmontPR-002168%● In Progress

TSI - Manchester Fit-outPR-0020100%● Complete

AV Direct - Leeds InstallPR-001942%● Overdue

Brandwise - Event StandPR-001815%● In Progress

Construct - Phase 3 PlanPR-00170%● Draft

40%

Average reduction in project administration time, freeing your team to focus on delivery instead of paperwork

£12,500

Average increase in annual project profitability through better cost tracking and margin protection

95%

Of projects delivered on time when using centralised tracking to monitor deadlines and milestones

What is it?

What is Project Tracking in Zigaflow?

Project tracking in Zigaflow is a comprehensive system that groups all related business activities - quotes, jobs, purchase orders, invoices, and expenses - under a single project umbrella. Instead of scattered documents and disconnected workflows, everything connected to a project lives in one place, giving you complete visibility from initial quote to final payment.

Traditional businesses struggle with fragmented project information. A quote sits in one folder, job details are in another system, purchase orders are tracked separately, and invoices exist somewhere else entirely. When a client asks about project status or costs, you're hunting through multiple systems trying to piece together the full picture. This wastes time, creates confusion, and makes accurate financial tracking nearly impossible.

Zigaflow's project tracking solves this by automatically linking every document and transaction to the parent project. When you convert a quote to a job, it's linked to the project. When you create a purchase order for materials, it's linked to the project. When you generate an invoice, it's linked to the project. Every related document automatically updates the project's financial summary, giving you real-time visibility into costs, income, and profitability.

This isn't just about organisation - it's about control. You can see exactly how much you've spent on labour and materials, how much you've invoiced, what's outstanding, and whether you're on track to hit your target margin. For multi-phase projects spanning weeks or months, this visibility is essential for making informed decisions, preventing cost overruns, and ensuring profitability. Your team can use mentions to collaborate on project items, and all communication stays attached to the project for future reference.

What you can do

✓

Track milestones, tasks, and deadlines in one place

✓

Assign tasks to team members with due dates

✓

See full project status at a glance

✓

Link projects to jobs, quotes, and invoices

✓

Overdue tasks flagged automatically

✓

Custom project stages built around your workflow

✓

The problem

Clients want to know project status but asking them to wait while you compile information from various sources makes you look disorganised. Telling clients "I'll get back to you" when they ask simple questions about their project status, costs, or timeline damages confidence and creates unnecessary stress. Poor communication leads to client dissatisfaction even when the actual work is excellent.

How Zigaflow fixes it

With Zigaflow's project tracking, every client question is answered instantly. Pull up their project and immediately see status, timeline, completed milestones, outstanding items, financial summary, and next steps. Share professional project updates that show exactly where things stand. Create eForms for clients to approve changes or sign off on deliverables with everything linked to the project. Client sees you're organised, in control, and transparent about their project - building trust and confidence that leads to repeat business and referrals.

How it works

From setup to results in minutes

Create Your Project

Start by creating a new project in Zigaflow. Give it a clear name, assign it to a client, set the project value, and add any relevant details like deadlines or special requirements. You can create a project before generating your first quote, or convert an accepted quote into a project automatically. The project becomes the central hub where all related documents and transactions will connect.

Link Documents to the Project

As you work on the project, link every related document to it. When creating quotes, jobs, purchase orders, or invoices, simply select the parent project from a dropdown. Zigaflow automatically connects these documents to the project and updates the project's financial tracking. All documents remain independently accessible but are now permanently associated with the project for complete visibility.

Monitor Costs in Real-Time

Every purchase order, expense, and cost associated with the project is automatically tracked and totalled. Open the project's financial summary to see your current cost breakdown - materials, labour, additional expenses, and overall spend. Compare actual costs against your original estimate to spot variances early. The system updates constantly as new costs are added, giving you real-time visibility into project spending.

Create Project Invoices

When it's time to bill the client, create invoices directly from the project. The system knows what's been quoted, what work has been completed, and what's already been invoiced. Generate accurate invoices that reference the project, track payment status, and automatically update the project's financial summary when payments are received. See outstanding balance, paid amounts, and expected cash flow at a glance.

Analyse Project Performance

Once the project is complete - or at any point during its lifecycle - review comprehensive project reports. See total value, all costs, profit margin, time taken, resources used, and compare performance against your estimate. Use these insights to improve future project estimates, identify areas where costs consistently exceed expectations, and refine your project management approach. Export detailed reports for clients, stakeholders, or your own records.

Common questions