Onboarding & handoffs / GUIDE + WORKSHEET
A finished job still needs a clean office handoff
Move completed field work toward invoicing with an acceptance checklist, missing-information queue, and clear correction ownership.
THE STARTING POINT
Define which completion information the office needs before it can prepare an invoice. Validate that information, route exceptions to a named owner, and distinguish operational completion from billing readiness. Automate preparation where appropriate while preserving the review required by your business.
Define what billing-ready means
List the identifiers, approved scope, work details, and evidence the office uses to prepare an invoice. A technician marking a visit complete may only mean the field work is done. Decide how partial work, return visits, extra materials, and approved changes affect the handoff. Use a stable job ID across the field and office records.
Route missing information precisely
When a completion record lacks an item, create a specific request tied to the job and the person who can resolve it. Do not send the whole record back without explanation. Track the age and owner of the exception so finished work does not disappear into a generic inbox. Keep the customer informed if the gap affects their next step.
Verify before issuing the final record
An integration can prepare a draft and attach source references. Decide who verifies quantities, approved changes, and client details before issuance under your own process. Record corrections and avoid creating a second invoice when a completion event is retried. Monitor completed jobs awaiting review separately from invoices already issued.
WORKED EXAMPLE / ILLUSTRATIVE
A fictional maintenance job
The field visit is complete, but an extra part lacks the reference needed by the office. The record enters an owned exception queue. Once resolved, the office reviews a draft instead of manually rebuilding the whole visit.
| State | Condition | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Field complete | Visit submitted | Technician |
| Needs clarification | Part reference missing | Technician responds to office |
| Ready for draft | Required evidence accepted | Office coordinator |
| Reviewed | Draft checked under business process | Billing owner |
MAKE IT USEFUL
Completion-to-invoice handoff
Map the states between field completion and your billing process.
Your notes stay in this page and are not sent to Smithers. Download or copy them before leaving; refreshing clears them.
Before you put it to work
- Separate complete from billing-ready.
- Assign missing items individually.
- Preserve links to source work.
- Test repeated completion events.
Invoice content and accounting treatment follow your business and jurisdiction requirements. This guide covers the operational handoff, not those requirements.
IF THIS LOOKS FAMILIAR
Your tools. Your particular mess.
The worksheet is yours to use. If the difficult part is making it work with the systems you already have, that's the kind of thing we help with.
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