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Production Phase

The Production phase manages active construction, scheduling, and project progress tracking.

Overview

The Production tab provides:

  • Production stage tracking
  • Construction schedule and timeline
  • Daily log access
  • Punch list management
  • Progress metrics

Production Stage Tracking

Projects move through production stages defined by your administrator. Common stages include:

  • Pre-Construction
  • Demolition
  • Rough-In
  • Finish Work
  • Punch List
  • Complete

Advancing Production Stages

  1. Click the current production stage
  2. Select the new stage
  3. Update percent complete if applicable
  4. Add any milestone notes

Production Dates

Production uses several date fields to track commitments, predictions, and actual progress. Understanding how these dates work together helps with accurate project planning and on-time delivery tracking.

Contract Dates

Contract dates represent commitments made to the customer:

DateDescription
Contract Start DateThe promised date when production will begin
Contract Finish DateThe promised completion date for the project

These dates are typically set when the contract is signed and are used to measure on-time delivery performance.

Updating Dates from Contracts

When a project proposal contract is fully signed, the system automatically calculates and sets production dates based on contract terms.

Contract Fields Used:

Contract FieldDescription
Starts WithinNumber of days or weeks until production begins
Project DurationLength of production in days or weeks

Production Fields Updated:

Production FieldCalculation
Contract Start DateToday + Starts Within
Contract Finish DateStart Date + Project Duration
Predicted Start DateSame as Contract Start Date
Predicted Finish DateSame as Contract Finish Date
Duration (weeks)Calculated from Project Duration

Example:

If a contract is signed today (January 15) with:

  • Starts Within: 2 weeks
  • Project Duration: 8 weeks

The system sets:

  • Contract Start Date: January 29
  • Contract Finish Date: March 26
Business Days and Holidays

Date calculations use business days - weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and company holidays are automatically excluded.

  • 1 week = 5 business days
  • If a holiday falls within the calculation period, the date extends accordingly

Example: If "Starts Within" is set to 2 weeks and there's a company holiday during that period, the start date will be pushed out by one additional day to maintain 10 business days.

Configure your company holidays in Settings → Company Holidays to ensure accurate date calculations.

note

Production dates are only calculated when the contract is fully signed by all parties. Draft or partially signed contracts do not affect production dates.

Predicted Dates and Duration

Predicted dates are internal planning estimates that help schedule resources and track progress:

FieldDescription
Predicted Start DateWhen production is expected to start
Predicted Finish DateWhen production is expected to finish (auto-calculated)
DurationLength of production in weeks

How Duration Calculation Works

The Predicted Start Date, Predicted Finish Date, and Duration fields work together with bidirectional synchronization. When you change one field, the others automatically update:

Calculation Rules:

  1. Set Duration → Predicted Finish Date auto-calculates from Predicted Start Date + Duration
  2. Set Predicted Finish Date → Duration auto-calculates based on business days between start and finish
  3. Change Predicted Start Date → Predicted Finish Date recalculates (Duration stays the same)

Business Days:

  • Duration is measured in business days, not calendar days
  • 1 week = 5 business days
  • Weekends (Saturday and Sunday) are automatically skipped
  • Company holidays are automatically excluded from the calculation

Example:

ScenarioPredicted StartDurationPredicted Finish
Set duration to 2 weeksJan 6 (Mon)2 weeksJan 17 (Fri)
Change finish to Jan 24Jan 6 (Mon)3 weeks (auto)Jan 24 (Fri)
Holiday on Jan 20Jan 6 (Mon)3 weeksJan 27 (Mon)*

*When a holiday falls within the duration, the finish date extends to maintain the same number of business days.

tip

Only set two of the three fields - the system calculates the third automatically. Most users set the Predicted Start Date and Duration, letting the system calculate the finish date.

Actual Dates

Actual dates record when work really happened:

DateDescription
Actual Start DateWhen production work actually began
Actual Finish DateWhen all production work was completed
Substantial Completion DateWhen the project became usable by the owner

Substantial Completion

Substantial Completion marks when a construction project is deemed sufficiently completed to the point where the owner can use it for its intended purpose. This is a key milestone for tracking project performance and triggering contractual obligations.

What is Substantial Completion?

Substantial Completion is the point at which:

  • The main construction work is finished
  • The project is ready for final walkthrough
  • Only minor punch list items may remain
  • The project can be occupied or used for its intended purpose
Substantial Completion vs. Actual Finish

The Substantial Completion Date and Actual Finish Date are separate fields. Substantial Completion tracks when the project became usable by the owner, while Actual Finish Date tracks when all production work was completed. In many cases these dates are the same, but they can differ when minor work continues after the owner takes occupancy.

How It's Set

The Substantial Completion Date is automatically set when you move a project to the Complete production stage (if not already set). You can also manually set or adjust this date in the project details.

On-Time Delivery

A project is considered on time if the Substantial Completion Date is on or before the Contract Finish Date:

  • On Time: Substantial Completion ≤ Contract Finish Date
  • Late: Substantial Completion > Contract Finish Date

This metric is tracked in production dashboard KPIs and on-time delivery reports.

Date Summary

Date TypeFieldPurposeHow It's Set
ContractContract Start DateCustomer commitmentManual entry
ContractContract Finish DateCustomer commitmentManual entry
PredictedPredicted Start DatePlanning estimateManual entry
PredictedPredicted Finish DatePlanning estimateAuto-calculated or manual
PredictedDurationProduction lengthAuto-calculated or manual
ActualActual Start DateReal startManual or stage change
ActualActual Finish DateAll work completedAuto on "Complete" stage
ActualSubstantial Completion DateOwner can use projectAuto on "Complete" stage (if not set)

Construction Schedule

View and manage the project schedule:

  • Gantt Chart - Visual timeline of tasks
  • Task List - All scheduled activities
  • Milestones - Key project dates

Managing the Schedule

  1. Add tasks with start and end dates
  2. Assign to team members or subcontractors
  3. Set dependencies between tasks
  4. Track actual vs. planned progress

Daily Logs

Record daily construction activity:

  • Weather conditions
  • Crew members on site
  • Work performed
  • Photos and notes

See Daily Logs for detailed information.

Percent Complete

Track overall project progress:

  • Update percent complete manually or
  • Let the system calculate from completed tasks
  • View progress in the production widget

Punch List

Manage pre-completion items:

  • Add punch list items
  • Assign responsibility
  • Track completion
  • Include photos

Production Metrics

Key metrics include:

  • Days in production (Actual Start to Actual Finish)
  • On-time delivery rate (Substantial Completion vs. Contract Finish)
  • Predicted vs. actual timeline variance
  • Percent complete
  • Days to predicted completion

Production Team

Assign production team members:

  • Project Manager - Overall production oversight
  • Lead Remodeler - On-site supervision
  • Subcontractors - Trade-specific work