The system on a page
End-to-end flow
How a job moves through the practice, from first enquiry to paid invoice. The middle is Graham's decision point: nothing reaches delivery until it's been allocated. Click any stage to open its screen.
Before allocation · front of house
The allocation gate
After allocation · delivery
Underlying platformVPS hosting · Microsoft 365 + Graph API · Xero API · MySQL
What we'd configure for youHosting & Microsoft 365. We'd provision and secure the VPS this runs on, then licence, install and configure Microsoft 365 Business across every computer in the studio — email, calendars and Office apps — and keep it all maintained.
What we'd configure for youHosting & Microsoft 365. We'd provision and secure the VPS this runs on, then licence, install and configure Microsoft 365 Business across every computer in the studio — email, calendars and Office apps — and keep it all maintained.
Stage 1 · before allocation
Lead capture & qualification
Capture every enquiry, then decide which are worth the practice's time before anyone is committed.
Web form feeds leads straight in; phone & referrals added in seconds.
Qualify on fit, area, budget & readiness — a quick green/amber check.
Auto-acknowledgement + ageing flags so no enquiry goes cold.
Records the source — so you can see where work really comes from.
Sarah & Tom Whitfield
Two-storey side extension · enquiry #2041
Qualifying Website
New›
Contacted›
● Qualifying›
Meeting booked›Quoted
Enquiry details
Project typeSide extension + loft
SiteBroadstone, BH18
Budget indication£120k – £150k
TimescaleStart spring 2026
Conservation areaNo
Heard viaGoogle search
Attachments 3 photos · sketch
Qualification
Project-type fit●
Within working area●
Budget realistic●
Ready to proceed●
Good fit — recommend meeting
Stage 2 · before allocation
Book meeting
Turn a qualified lead into a diarised meeting without leaving the system or double-keying into Outlook.
What we'd configure for youMicrosoft 365. We'd licence, install and configure Microsoft 365 Business across every staff computer, then connect your Outlook calendars to Studio Manager via the Microsoft Graph API — so meetings book and sync both ways with no double entry. Books directly into the right Outlook calendar via Microsoft 365.
Shows the team's free/busy so you only offer real slots.
Sends the invite and a reminder automatically.
Lead moves on to "Meeting booked" with no re-typing.
Meeting
ClientSarah & Tom Whitfield
TypeInitial consultation
WithGraham Parkes
Where Site — Broadstone
Available — Thu 19 Jun
09:0010:3013:00
14:3016:00
Calendar — Microsoft 365
GrahamSynced
HollySynced
Studio roomFree 13:00
Free/busy and the invite are read and written through the Microsoft Graph API — the same Office 365 we'd set up across the studio.
Stage 3 · before allocation
Consult, quote & approval
Build a fee proposal the way architects bill — by RIBA stage — and capture the client's approval.
Staged fees by RIBA work stage (or fixed, % or hourly).
Generates a branded PDF proposal in a click.
Records who approved and when — the quote then locks.
Approval seeds the project and the Xero invoice schedule.
Fee proposal Q-2041
Whitfield · side extension + loft
| RIBA stage | Basis | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 2 · Concept design | Staged | £3,400 |
| 3 · Spatial coordination | Staged | £3,900 |
| 4 · Technical design | Staged | £4,600 |
| Planning application | Fixed | £1,200 |
Subtotal
VAT (20%)
Total
VAT (20%)
Total
£13,100
£2,620
£15,720
£2,620
£15,720
★ The allocation gate
Allocate to the team
Graham's control point. Won projects wait here until they're matched to the right people with the right skills and the capacity to take them on. This is the break in the middle of the flow.
See every won project awaiting assignment.
Match required skills against each person's strengths.
See current workload before piling more on.
A project goes live only once it's allocated.
Project to allocate
ProjectWhitfield extension
Value£15,720
StartSpring 2026
Skills needed
Residential extensionsPlanning applicationsVisualisation
Team — skills & capacity
Holly — extensions, planning62%
Daniel — technical, BC88%
Priya — visualisation45%
Stage 4 · after allocation
Project, site & RIBA tracking
One record per job, with the RIBA Plan of Work stages as the status spine everyone reads from.
What we'd configure for youData migration. We'd bring your existing client, project and contact records across from the current Excel and Word files, and organise what's worth keeping from Dropbox — so you start in Studio Manager with your live jobs already in place, not a blank system. Client, site and project details in one place.
RIBA stages 0–7 show exactly where the job is.
Assigned team and external consultants attached.
Tasks and notes live against the project, not in inboxes.
Whitfield extension
Project P-0312 · lead: Holly
RIBA plan of work
0Strategic
1Brief
2Concept
3Spatial
4Technical
5Construct
6Handover
7Use
Site details
Address14 Dunyeats Rd, Broadstone
PostcodeBH18 8AE
TenureFreehold
ConstraintsNone noted
ConservationNo
Team & consultants
HollyLead architect
PriyaVisualisation
Marsh & CoStructural eng.
BCP CouncilBuilding control
Stage 5 · after allocation
Planning & building control
Two separate regulatory tracks, each with its own references, dates and status — tracked independently, as the practice actually experiences them.
Planning and building control kept as distinct tracks.
References, submission & decision dates, conditions.
Documents filed against each, surfaced on the project.
Key dates flow up to the dashboard.
Planning application
AuthorityBCP Council
ReferenceP/2026/0418
Submitted2 Jun 2026
Target decision28 Jul 2026
StatusUnder consideration
Building control
RouteLocal authority
ReferenceBC/26/1190
TypeFull plans
StatusNot yet submitted
Documents
| Document | Track | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Existing & proposed plans | Planning | Submitted |
| Design & access statement | Planning | Submitted |
| Construction details | Building control | Draft |
Stage 6 · after allocation
Time logging & documents
Log time against the project and stage, manage drawing revisions, and see whether a job is making money.
Log time to project, stage & task — quick on a phone on site.
Drawing register with revisions and issue status.
Time-vs-fee shows which jobs are profitable.
One filing system, not scattered across Dropbox folders.
This week — Holly
| Day | Project · stage | Hrs |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Whitfield · St.3 | 6.5 |
| Tue | Whitfield · St.3 | 7.0 |
| Wed | Marsh barn · St.4 | 5.5 |
| Thu | Whitfield · planning | 4.0 |
Week total23.0 h
Whitfield St.3 — time vs fee
Logged £2,950Quoted £3,900
Drawing register
| No. | Title | Rev | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| P-100 | Site plan | C | Issued |
| P-201 | Proposed plans | B | Issued |
| P-301 | Elevations | A | Draft |
Issued PDFs and visualisations appear in the client portal automatically.
Stage 7 · after allocation
Quoting → Xero invoices
Approved fees become invoices as each stage completes, pushed to Xero through the API Cirrus has already built.
What we'd configure for youXero. We'd connect your Xero account to Studio Manager using our pre-built API integration and map your fee structure to the right accounts — so approved stages post as Xero invoices automatically and payment status flows back without re-keying. Invoice per RIBA stage as it's signed off.
Pushed to Xero — no re-keying invoices.
Payment status pulled back from Xero automatically.
Clear view of what's invoiced, paid and outstanding.
Quoted total
£15,720
Invoiced
£8,760
Paid
£4,080
Outstanding
£4,680
Invoice schedule
| Stage | Amount | Xero | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 · Concept design | £4,080 | Synced | Paid |
| Planning application | £1,440 | Synced | Paid |
| 3 · Spatial coordination | £4,680 | Synced | Due 30 Jun |
| 4 · Technical design | £5,520 | Scheduled | On stage start |
Across the practice · client-facing
Client portal
What Jolp's clients see when they log in — the same project data, presented for them. Fewer "any update?" emails and calls.
Project status in plain English, not RIBA jargon.
Download the latest issued drawings.
See visualisation progress and quotes & invoices.
Clients only ever see their own project.
Latest drawings
Proposed plans (Rev B)
Site plan (Rev C)
Visualisations
3D views of the extensionIn progress · due 24 Jun
Quotes & invoices
Fee proposalApproved
Invoice · conceptPaid
Invoice · spatialDue 30 Jun
Update from Holly
Planning application submitted — we'll let you know as soon as we hear back.
Planning application submitted — we'll let you know as soon as we hear back.
Across the practice · management view
Practice dashboard
Graham's at-a-glance view: the pipeline, where every project sits, who's busy, and what's owed.
Pipeline value and live project count.
Projects grouped by RIBA stage.
Team workload at a glance.
Outstanding invoices straight from Xero.
Pipeline (quoting)
£62k
Live projects
11
Logged this week
148 h
Outstanding
£18.4k
Projects by stage
Brief & concept (1–2)3
Design (3–4)5
On site (5)2
Handover (6–7)1
Awaiting allocation
Team workload
Holly62%
Daniel88%
Priya45%
Graham70%