A multi-trade project needs a delivery plan that is more useful than one long description. In Plan@Job, the operator can organise a job into internal stages, each representing a defined part of the work. The client-facing agreement remains the overall scope and price agreed with the operator.
This distinction is important: internal planning helps the business organise delivery, while the client needs a clear agreement and the relevant progress and evidence.
Start with the agreed outcome
Before splitting the work, establish what the client is asking for and what remains uncertain. A vague brief does not become clear merely because it has more stages. Record the available photos and access details and resolve the questions that affect pricing or delivery.
Sophie, the AI Enquiries Coordinator, can support clarification on eligible existing jobs. The operator still decides the scope and commercial offer.
Create stages around useful work packages
In Project plan, use stages for parts of the job that need their own scope, planned dates or delivery coordination. For a fictional bathroom refurbishment, a plan might separate preparation, plumbing, electrical work, tiling and completion checks.
Those stage names are illustrative. A real plan should reflect the scope, the trades involved and how the operator intends to deliver the work. Some stages may be handled in-house; others may be subcontracted.
Put the right scope in front of each trade
A subcontractor pricing a stage needs the relevant work package and the information shared for it. The operator can compare appropriate prices and make the award decision. Internal costs help the operator understand the delivery plan and prepare its client-facing commercial offer.
Do not treat an automatically generated title as a signed scope or assume a whole-job follow-up creates a complete trade package. The person responsible for the project should check the actual information being shared.
Use dates and status together
Planned dates make the intended sequence visible. Status shows where the stage currently stands. Neither replaces the operator's judgement about dependencies, access or commitments.
Plan@Job's stage workflow is not a promise of automatic critical-path scheduling. The operator coordinates the sequence and confirms arrangements through the appropriate booking and approval steps.
Keep the client agreement clear
The client sees the operator's overall agreed scope and price, along with the information and evidence shared through the client workflow. Internal stage costs and subcontractor pricing remain on the delivery side.
If the client-facing scope changes, use the relevant approval process. Splitting an internal plan does not automatically authorise separate phase invoices or a different agreement with the client.
Review the work as it progresses
Check stage progress, outstanding decisions and completion evidence. AI colleagues can support selected administrative follow-ups, while the operator owns the delivery plan and commercial decisions. A proposed date, accepted subcontractor price and completed work report each mean something different.
Common questions
Can a stage use my own team?
The internal planning workflow supports in-house work as well as subcontracting.
Does the property manager see our subcontractor costs?
The client-facing agreement uses the overall scope and price. Internal stage and subcontractor costs are managed by the operator.
Where can I see an example?
Explore the project-management walkthrough. It uses a labelled fictional project to explain the operator and client views.