There are two ways to create an invoice by task, or unit of work, in BigTime:
- Create a T&M (time and materials) invoice, or
- Create a fixed fee invoice.
This article will explain both options.
Note: Your firm may refer to these units of work as “budget items,” “phases,” “work items,” or “engagements.” It’s easy to update the lexicon settings in BigTime to accommodate your firm’s needs.
Invoice by Task: T&M
A T&M invoice bills hours (based on the billing rates you’ve set up) and expenses. Here's how to create a T&M invoice.
1. First, you need to create a new invoice, and select TIME & MATERIALS. Then, click NEXT, located near the bottom-right of your window.
2. Update the picklists located in the gray sidebar. BigTime will automatically update any changes you select or remove in this section. The sidebar is also where you can subtotal an invoice by task. Click on the white triangle under SUMMARY/SUBTOTAL SETTING, and select BY TASK from the picklist.
Note: Reference this article to learn about all the ways to filter and subtotal your invoices.
Then, your window will populate with the tasks associated with the project you selected during the invoice setup.
3. From here, we can decide which tasks we want to invoice. Uncheck the boxes next to any task that you do not want to invoice.
4. Remember to click FINALIZE to finalize your invoice.
Invoice by Task: Fixed-Fee Invoice
Another way to invoice by task is to create a fixed-fee invoice. This type of invoice is used to bill a client based on the tasks defined for a project. You have the option to bill 100% of a task, or a portion of it. We’ll explain both options next.
1. First, you need to create a new invoice, and select FIXED FEE.
2. Your tasks for the project you selected will appear on your window, and will look like this:
Check the boxes next to the tasks that you want to invoice. Now you'll have a few billing options. Click the red triangle in COMPLETED column, to the right of the ITEM and two options will populate: MILESTONE BILLING and % COMPLETE BILLING.
- % COMPLETE means you’re billing based on the portion of the task that’s complete. In the image below, “Design: Task 1” is 50% complete. The invoice amount populates in green, in the far-right column. This number is derived from the percent of the task that’s complete based on our budget.
- MILESTONE BILLING means that you specify a dollar amount of the total budget that you want to bill.
3. Remember to click FINALIZE to finalize your invoice.
TIP: What if I Don’t See Fixed Fee as an Invoice Option?
If you don’t see Fixed Fee, then you need to turn on the permission in BigTime.
1. Navigate to INVOICING...CONFIGURE, from your navigation bar.
2. Click on CALCULATORS, on the new window’s navigation bar.
3. Click the on the switch next to FIXED FEE.
4. Click SAVE to save your work.