Work becomes income in a fixed order, and people in every seat sit somewhere on that chain. Know the order and your part in it.
PMO is the project management office.
The chain
Five steps, and who owns each
Three words to keep apart in this table. Accepted is the client's yes to the work. Reported is PMO confirming that the stage is ready to invoice. Approved, in this table, is the yes of the Head of OS to the invoicing. When a client approves a piece of work, that is step two, Accepted.
An invoice is never issued before step four, and nothing can be reported before the client has accepted the work.
Why the order protects the client too
A client is only ever invoiced for work they have seen and accepted. That is fair to them, and it is why we take acceptance so seriously.
A stage was delivered last week. The client has not confirmed it yet, and someone wants it invoiced this month. Can it be reported as ready to invoice?
Accepted comes before reported, every time.
A client is only ever invoiced for work they have seen and accepted.
Where the chain breaks
The chain usually breaks between steps one and two. The work is delivered and the client says nothing. Days pass. The team moves on to other tasks and nobody asks. You can be the one who notices.
What you do
When you deliver something, tell your Team Lead it has gone to the client.
If the client approves it to you directly, tell your Team Lead the same day, and ask the client to confirm by email.
If the client is silent, tell your Team Lead, so they can ask the client by email the same day. Do not wait for the weekly meeting.
A piece of work waiting for a client's answer is more than a project detail. It is income ORIGIN has earned and cannot invoice. We do not take that lightly.
You sent a deliverable six days ago and heard nothing. What do you do?
They ask by email, the same day.
Delivered, accepted, reported, approved, invoiced. Silence breaks the chain.
Before you move on
Three questions before you move on. Type your answer, send it, then check it.
Your answers stay on this device.1Name the five steps from delivered work to an invoice, in order.
The answerDelivered, accepted, reported, approved, invoiced.
2Where does the chain usually break?
The answerBetween steps one and two: the work is delivered and the client says nothing.
3A client approves your work to you directly. What do you do?
The answerTell your Team Lead the same day, and ask the client to confirm by email.
Every seat on the chain. One team.
Next: collection, and three words for money.