How It All Fits Together

This page is the map of the whole Rochele system. It follows one job from start to finish and points you to the detailed page for each stage. Read it once and the rest of the guide will make a lot more sense.

The lifecycle at a glance

flowchart TD
    A[Website booking form or lead] --> B[Quote appointment booked<br/>Quote status: Pending]
    B --> C[Estimator visits and builds quote on iPad<br/>Quote status: Quoted]
    C --> D[Proposal emailed to customer<br/>Quote status: Quote Sent or Draft Sent]
    D -->|Customer declines| E[Quote status: Declined<br/>Win-back offer and callback]
    D -->|Customer accepts| F[Job created]
    F -->|Job over 3,300 dollars| G[Job status: Pending Deposit<br/>Deposit invoice suggested]
    F -->|Job 3,300 dollars or less| H[Job status: Accepted]
    G -->|Deposit marked paid| I[Deposit Paid, Ready to Schedule<br/>or Colour Consultancy Pending]
    H --> J[Planning board: schedule sub jobs<br/>and allocate tradespersons]
    I --> J
    J --> K[Tradesperson app: accept hazards and SWMS,<br/>clock in and out, materials, progress reports]
    K --> L[Project manager visits and reports<br/>Job status: In Progress]
    L --> M[Progress and final invoices<br/>Synced to MYOB]
    L --> N[Advances paid to tradespersons]
    M --> O[Job status: Completed, then Paid]
    N --> O
    O --> P[Customer feedback and public review]
    P --> Q[KPIs for estimators and project managers]

1. A lead or booking arrives

Most work starts on the public website, rochele.com.au. The Website Booking Form walks a customer through four steps: their details and customer type, the property address and service type, what they want quoted (with optional photos), and finally an estimator and appointment time.

Behind the form, the web app does the work:

• As soon as the customer fills in their contact details, a lead is created. If they abandon the form, the lead stays and an abandoned cart email follows up. Leads also arrive from the info pack, quick quote, price guide and budgeting tool pages, and staff can add outreach leads by hand.
• When the booking completes, the system creates (or matches) the customer, creates a quote in the Pending status and books the quote appointment with the chosen estimator.

Which estimators are offered depends on the address and the Estimator Zones set up in Settings. Each quote type has a set appointment length (30 or 60 minutes) and appointments run between 7:30 am and 4:30 pm.

Leads have their own statuses: New, In Progress, Contacted, Unable to Contact, Quoted, Converted, Lost and On hold. A lead moves to Quoted when a quote is created from it and to Converted when that quote is accepted. See Leads.

Staff can also create a quote directly from Create Quote or from the iPad, for example for a phone enquiry or a body corporate tender.

2. Quote types and sizes

Every quote has a quote type, which combines the property category and the scope:

Category	Interior	Exterior	Interior & Exterior
Residential	Yes	Yes	Yes
Body Corporate	Yes	Yes	Yes
Commercial	Yes	Yes	Yes
Real Estate	Yes	Yes	Yes
Multi-site	Yes	Yes	Yes
Health care	Yes	Yes	Yes

There is also a Rochele Business type used for internal bookings such as meetings, which are excluded from sales statistics. The quote type sets the appointment length, whether QBCC applies by default, and how long a proposal stays valid before it expires: 90 days for body corporate, 60 days for commercial and 30 days for everything else. Body corporate quotes also get their own set of reminder emails and rates.

The Quotes menu also has two follow-up lists for bigger quotes. They are decided in different ways:

List	What puts a quote on it
Medium Quotes	A fixed price band: the quote’s price (the accepted price, otherwise the latest version price) is between $20,000 and $49,999. The band is built into the system and is not a setting.
Large Quotes	The Large quote checkbox has been ticked on the quote, in the web app or on the iPad. It is a judgement call, not a price band.

Everything else is simply a quote on the main Quotes list; there is no separate small list. Separately, $50,000 is the point where automatic alerts start regardless of the checkbox: management get a Large Job Lead email when a version over $50,000 is first saved, and the estimator (or project manager) gets Large Quote Over 50k Opened the first time a customer unlocks such a proposal. Flagging a quote as large also changes rescheduling: when a large quote’s appointment is moved, the original slot is kept on the estimator’s calendar as a personal appointment noted “Large Quote Rescheduled”. The iPad app has matching My, All, Medium and Large quote lists.

Thresholds are not quote sizes

Settings > Entities > Thresholds has nothing to do with medium or large quotes. Those bands set how many progress invoices a job is split into when a quote is accepted. See Thresholds.

3. The estimator quotes on the iPad

The estimator visits the property and builds the quote in the iPad app: sections, scopes, line items, specifications, photos, safety hazards and colours, using the templates maintained under Settings > Entities. Each proposal is a numbered quote version (for example 25090123-V2); the estimator creates a new version to offer an alternative price or scope, so the history of what the customer was offered is kept. Nothing moves a quote to Quoted automatically; that status is only ever set by hand, and in practice most quotes go straight from Pending to Quote Sent.

Sending the proposal moves the quote to Quote Sent. A Draft Sent status is used when a draft proposal is sent for review before the final version. The customer receives an email with a link to their online proposal. Every proposal is protected by a one-time code sent by email or SMS, so only the customer and the contacts on the quote can open it. Opens of proposals worth $20,000 or more are recorded and reported to the estimator in the Daily Quote View Report.

The system chases quotes automatically: first, second and third reminder emails, an estimator reminder each Friday, an expiry warning and a monthly expiry run. See Quotes and Leads scheduled tasks.

Quote statuses

Status	What it means
Pending	Appointment booked, quote not yet built. Also the status of any freshly created or duplicated quote.
Quoted	Set by hand from the quote page when a proposal has been prepared but not sent. Nothing sets it automatically.
Quote Sent	The proposal has been emailed to the customer and is awaiting a decision.
Draft Sent	A draft proposal was sent for the customer to review; not yet a formal offer.
Pending Deposit	Customer accepted a proposal worth more than $3,300. A job exists and is waiting for the deposit.
Accepted	Customer accepted. Jobs of $3,300 or less land here immediately; larger jobs move here once the deposit is paid.
Declined	Customer declined the proposal. A decline reason is recorded (for example Too Expensive, Lacked detail, Changed my mind, Process took too long).
Cancelled	The appointment or quote was cancelled by the customer or by staff. Cancelling a job also returns its quote to Pending and marks the accepted version Cancelled.

4. The customer accepts (or declines)

On the proposal page the customer can accept, decline or ask for a hard copy, and can choose a repayment plan where one is offered. When they accept they also answer a few set-up questions that drive what happens next:

• Colours: match existing colours (done on site by the painter), the customer will choose colours, or the customer would like a colour consultant.
• Site access: meet the painter on site, provide keys, or the site can be accessed without meeting anyone.
• Property status: vacant or occupied.
• A preferred start date and whether earlier availability suits.

If the customer declines, they pick a reason. The system can offer a discount and a callback to try to win the quote back, and reports on declined and won-back quotes appear on the dashboard.

5. A job is created

Acceptance creates the job, copying the address, scope, specifications, site risks and inaccessible areas from the quote version. The job keeps the same reference number as the quote. A sub job is created for each profession needed (Painter, Plasterer, Sander, Renderer, Colour Consultant and so on), and each sub job is later allocated to one tradesperson.

Invoicing is set up at the same time:

• Jobs of $3,300 or less go straight to the Accepted status with a single hidden invoice for the full amount, released when the work is done. Jobs of $3,000 or less are also completed and invoiced automatically two weeks after they start if nobody has reported them finished.
• Jobs over $3,300 go to Pending Deposit. A deposit invoice (10% of the job, or 5% for jobs over $20,000) is created as a Suggested invoice, followed by a run of hidden progress invoices whose number is set by the Thresholds table for that job value, and a final practical completion invoice.
• Repayment plan and maintenance plan jobs get their own schedule of repayment invoices.

The customer is also created in MYOB if they do not already exist. See Invoices and MYOB Settings.

Job statuses

Status	What it means
Accepted	Accepted with no deposit required ($3,300 or less) and not yet scheduled. Also used for sub jobs whose start date is in the future.
Pending Deposit	Accepted, waiting for the deposit invoice to be paid. Customers get a weekly reminder while a job sits here.
Deposit Paid	Deposit received, no start date set yet.
Ready to Schedule	Deposit received and the job has a start date, so it is ready for the planning board. Sub jobs without a start date also sit here.
Colour Consultancy Pending	Deposit paid and the job includes a colour consultant sub job; the colour consultant work order is sent automatically and the job waits for colours.
Waiting Service Agreement	Waiting on the customer or tradesperson service agreement. Set by hand. This status was originally named Colour Consultancy Agreed.
Waiting on Trades	Booked but waiting on tradespersons before it can start. Set by hand, usually from the Ring and Book list on the Planning Board.
In Progress	Work is under way. Set automatically as soon as every sub job on the job has a start date.
On Hold	Paused by the office or by a project manager’s report. Jobs on hold are excluded from most reminders.
Completed	The project manager has reported the job at 100%.
Paid	Everything is finished and paid: every invoice paid, every advance paid, every sub job at 100%. Set by the daily Mark finished jobs as Paid task; this is when earnings are calculated.
Cancelled	The job was cancelled. Cancelled jobs are excluded from invoices, advances, KPIs and the daily map.

The full detail of each status is on Jobs.

Marking the deposit invoice as paid moves the job on automatically: to Colour Consultancy Pending if there is a colour consultant sub job, to Ready to Schedule if a start date is already set, otherwise to Deposit Paid. Sub jobs are updated at the same time based on their dates. If the customer asked for a colour consultant, the colour consultation email goes out about an hour later.

6. Scheduling and allocation

The Planning Board is where operations schedule sub jobs, pick start dates, and allocate a tradesperson to each one. Cards show suggested tradespersons, flexible-start and tentative flags, and any notes flagged Show on planning board. Accepted Jobs lists what is waiting to be booked and the Jobs Board shows the week ahead by tradesperson.

Every job is assigned a project manager. Assignment follows the PM Zones for the job’s postcode, and a user with the change project manager permission can override it. Most project manager visits are created automatically: a first day visit when a sub job is confirmed, a final inspection the day before a sub job’s expected finish, and in-progress visits booked from each site report. Pre-start inspections are booked by the project manager. Visit types include Scheduled, Ad Hoc, Improvement Request, Follow Up, Customer Request, Final Inspection, Pre-start Site Inspection, Sample Pot Inspection and Warranty Claim. See Project Manager Visits.

When a sub job is allocated, the tradesperson receives a job card email and the job appears in their Tradesperson App. Tradespersons must have current mandatory Capabilities (licences, insurances and so on) and signed Agreements to be allocated.

7. On site: the tradesperson app

The tradesperson opens the job in the app and must first Accept Hazards for the listed safety hazards and sign the Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) before the job can begin. No advances are processed until this is done. From there they:

• Clock in and clock out of the job each day (with breaks), which builds their timesheet and the job’s hours. Team members clock in too.
• See the materials the office has recorded against the job. Tradespersons cannot add materials themselves; suppliers and office staff record them and they are deducted from advances.
• Submit progress reports with photos. These photos are shown to the customer on their job timeline, so only progress photos should be uploaded.
• Report an incident using the workplace health and safety form.
• Request an advance when a milestone is reached.
• Download RCTIs and upload their own invoices under Advances.
• Update their next available date so the planning board knows when they are free.

The office sees clock-ins on the Job Progress page, photos in the Report Gallery, and can chat with tradespersons in the Message Centre.

8. Project manager visits and reports

Project managers run their visits from the iPad app. At each visit they write a report with photos, record the percentage complete for each sub job, rate the tradesperson’s workmanship and safety, and raise improvement requests where needed. Improvement requests are tracked under Improvement Requests and feed the safety and workmanship graphs on the dashboard.

The percentage complete recorded in reports is what drives the next two stages: it releases progress invoices to the customer and suggests advances to the tradesperson. When a sub job reaches 100% it is marked completed. When the project manager’s report puts the whole job at 100% the job becomes Completed, and once every invoice and advance has been paid the daily Mark finished jobs as Paid task moves it to Paid.

9. Invoices and MYOB

Customer invoices move through five statuses: Suggested (the system proposes it), Pending (approved by accounts), Sent (emailed to the customer and pushed to MYOB), Paid and Hidden (created in advance but not yet released). The Suggested Invoices, Pending Invoices and Scheduled Invoices pages are the daily work queue for accounts. Progress invoices are released as the job milestones are met; the final invoice goes with the final sign-off.

MYOB is kept in step automatically: approved invoices are sent to MYOB each morning, invoices marked paid in MYOB are picked up hourly, and the MYOB connection token refreshes itself. Part-paid jobs are listed under Part Paid and Part Paid / Advanced. See Invoices, Advances and MYOB scheduled tasks.

10. Advances to tradespersons

Tradespersons are paid by advances against their sub job price. Advance statuses are Suggested (proposed from the percentage complete), Pending (approved by accounts and waiting for the tradesperson to upload their invoice), Approved (invoice uploaded and the payment recorded in MYOB), plus two legacy statuses, Invoice Returned and Paid, that the system no longer sets itself. Materials recorded on the job reduce what is paid out, and QBCC amounts are tracked separately under QBCC Payments.

Approved advances are pushed to MYOB each morning once the tradesperson’s invoice is in, and small jobs ($3,000 or less) are completed and advanced automatically two weeks after they start. Tradespersons see and action their advances in the app; the office works from Suggested Advances, Pending Advances and Advances Sent.

11. Feedback, reviews and KPIs

When a job completes, the customer gets a feedback request (with a reminder if they do not respond) asking them to rate price, communication, the project manager, safety and the work, and inviting a public Google review. A half-way feedback email goes out when the job’s progress first passes 50%. Painters receive their own feedback email when their sub job reaches 50% and 100%.

Reviews, accepted quotes, variations, visits and leads all roll up into KPI: quote and variation acceptance for estimators, visit counts for project managers, and public review bonuses by job value band. KPIs are recalculated daily and finalised each quarter using the rules in KPI Settings.

Where each part lives

Stage	Web app page	Other apps involved
Enquiry and booking	Leads, Appointments, Customers	Website booking form
Quoting	Quotes, Create Quote	iPad app, customer proposal page
Job set-up	Jobs, Accepted Jobs	Customer acceptance page
Scheduling	Planning Board, Jobs Board	Tradesperson app job card
Site work	Job Progress, Report Gallery, Project Manager Visits	Tradesperson app, iPad app
Money in	Invoices, MYOB Settings	MYOB
Money out	Advances, Materials	Tradesperson app
Quality and performance	Improvement Requests, KPI, Dashboard	Customer feedback page

Customers never log in

Customers do not have accounts. Everything they see (proposal, timeline, variations, visit confirmations, feedback form) is reached through emailed links, some protected by a one-time email code. This is why keeping customer email addresses accurate matters so much.