Job Status (Project Status)

Table of Contents

A Job Status in Abtrac is a user-defined label used to show the lifecycle stage or the progress of a project, regardless of whether it is billable or non-billable.

Job status does not affect billing or whether a project is archived; instead, it is primarily for reporting and workflow tracking.

You can update job statuses to reflect proposal stages, active work states, or completion. Certain statuses can be configured to prompt for marking a job as non-current, helping maintain accurate project lifecycles.

Keep it simple when using job status, 10 options or less is best. Rather than micro-managing the status, you can add more detail in the Tasks(Stages) screen if needed.

How is job status different from the billable and current job settings?

Job status: Used to indicate the current stage or progress of a project. Job statuses apply to both billable and non-billable projects and are primarily for reporting purposes. Changing a job’s status does not archive it or remove it from the system; it simply provides a high-level overview for tracking and reporting. Job status is not intended for managing database cleanup or project visibility.

Non-Billable Projects: These are typically internal tasks like administration or leave tracking. They are not intended for client billing.

Proposal Projects: Potential future billable projects. They can be entered as non-billable initially and marked as billable upon confirmation. You can use project status indicators to differentiate between your proposal stages and confirmed projects.

Non-Current Projects: Completed or inactive projects should be marked as non-current. This action removes them from active reports and prevents further cost entries.

Creating a Job Status list

Administrators can create a job status list from the Administration >> Maintenance >> Job Status screen.

You can use job statuses to track your proposal life cycle as well as your active job life cycle.

Statuses can also include a prompt so that once they are chosen, you will be asked if you want to make the job non-current.

This automatic prompt for making a job non-current is only triggered when you update a job within the Job Details Screen, and not within the Search Clients and Jobs screen.
If you are updating the Job status from the Search screen, we suggest you also use the Jobs to make Non-current Report to make jobs non-current.

Suggested Job statuses: Billable Projects

Proposal Accepted
Confirmed – Ready for scheduling
In progress
On hold
Completed

Suggested Job statuses: Proposals and Tender Jobs

Pre-tender review
Tender submitted/Proposal Sent
Proposal Accepted
Proposal Rejected

Viewing and Updating Job Status from the Job Details screen

Job status can be set and updated from the Job Details screen.

From Search Clients and Jobs > click on the Job Code to view the Job Details Menu.

Making a Job Non-current using Job Status

From the Job Details screen >> click on the dropdown for Job Status

Select a job status that has been preset with the option to make a job non-current via the Maintenance menu.

The ‘Make Job Non-current’ pop up box will appear.

Select the job completion date and click on the ‘Make Non-Current’ button to make the job non-current.

The other way to make a job non-current is from the Jobs to make Non-Current Screen.

Viewing and Updating Job Status from the Search Clients and Jobs screen

Job/Project Managers can review the status of their current jobs/projects from the Clients, Contacts & Jobs >> Search Clients and Jobs screen.

You can also manage/edit the status of your jobs quickly from this screen.

Click on the pencil edit button towards the left of the job status field and update the job status from the dropdown.

If you are updating the Job status from the Search Clients and Jobs screen, and you also need to make a job non-current, you either have to do it from the Job Details screen or use the Jobs to make Non-current Report.