How Projects & ERP Works
Projects, tasks, milestones, timesheets, budgets, and how ERP connects to billing, HCM, CRM, and contracts.
What ERP does
The ERP (Projects) module manages project-based work: scoping, task assignment, milestone tracking, timesheet logging, and budget tracking. It is for structured, deliverable-based work as opposed to reactive support (Service Desk) or scheduled field visits (Field Service).
When to use ERP vs Service Desk vs Field Service
| Module | Best for |
|---|---|
| Service Desk | Reactive support — issues, requests, questions |
| Field Service | Dispatched on-site visits — one-off or recurring |
| ERP Projects | Planned project work — phases, milestones, deliverables, budgets |
A large IT deployment project (new office network, cloud migration, hardware rollout) belongs in ERP. The day-to-day support for that client belongs in Service Desk.
Project structure
Project
├── Phases (optional groupings, e.g. Design, Build, Test, Go-live)
│ ├── Tasks (assigned to team members, with due dates)
│ │ └── Timesheets (hours logged against the task)
├── Milestones (key dates and deliverables)
├── Budget (planned vs actual spend)
├── Resources (which team members are allocated, at what capacity)
└── Contracts (linked contractual obligations)
Timesheets
Team members log time against project tasks. Each time entry records:
- The project and task
- The date and duration
- Whether the time is billable and at what rate
- Notes
Timesheets are reviewed by the project manager. Approved billable entries can be converted to invoice line items in Billing — so project billing always matches the actual work done.
Budget tracking
Set a budget at the project or phase level. As timesheets are approved and expenses are logged, actual costs are tracked against the budget in real time. A red indicator means the budget is at risk. Budget variance is visible in the ERP Analytics section and in Reports.
Resource allocation
The Resources view shows each team member's allocation across all active projects — useful for spotting overallocation (someone with 120% of their capacity booked) or underutilisation. Allocation data feeds into the Team Calendar so capacity is visible platform-wide.
Client onboarding (ERP)
ERP has its own onboarding module for project-based client onboarding — for example, when you win a new IT infrastructure contract and need to track the deployment project. This is distinct from Customer Success onboarding (which is for onboarding a client to managed services). Both can be active simultaneously for the same client.
How ERP connects to the rest of the platform
CRM: Projects belong to a CRM company. The company's timeline shows all active and past projects.
Billing: Approved billable timesheets convert to invoice line items. Project contracts link project deliverables to commercial terms.
HCM: Project time entries and employee time entries are related — HCM shows a unified view of where each employee's time is going.
Contracts: Project contracts (in ERP) represent the commercial agreement for the project scope, milestones, and payment terms.
Reports: The Profitability module uses ERP timesheet data to calculate project margin and cost per billable hour.
Calendar: Project milestones and phase end dates appear on the Team Calendar.
Where to go next
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