Variations¶

What this is¶

A variation is a change to the contracted works: an addition, omission, substitution, or other instructed change, tracked from instruction through to agreed value.

Who can use it¶

Super Admin and Admin create and progress variations. Client users can view them.

Where to find it¶

Project → Variations, or the Variations tab within Commercial.

Before you begin¶

Have ready: which contract the variation relates to, a description of the change, and, if known, an initial quoted amount and any programme impact.

How to create a variation¶

Select Create Variation.
Choose the Contract.
Enter a Title and Description.
Choose a Type (for example addition, omission, substitution, provisional sum, daywork).
Enter the Variation Date.
Enter the Instruction Method and, if known, a Quoted Amount.
Choose a Valuation Method.
Enter any Programme Impact (days).
Save.

Status lifecycle¶

flowchart LR
    Draft --> Submitted --> Instructed --> Quoted --> Assessed
    Assessed --> Approved
    Assessed --> Rejected
    Rejected --> Submitted

Status	Meaning	Set by
Draft	Being prepared.	Created this way
Submitted	Formally raised.	Submit
Instructed	Instructed to proceed.	Instruct
Quoted	A price has been submitted.	Quote (requires a Quoted Amount)
Assessed	The quote has been reviewed.	Assess
Approved	Agreed — final.	Approve
Rejected	Not agreed.	Reject (requires a rejection reason)

A rejected variation can be resubmitted, returning it to Submitted so the process can run again.

Editing after approval¶

Once approved, a variation's agreed amount cannot be changed through a normal edit — a formal revision process for approved variations is not currently available. If a genuine change is needed after approval, discuss with your Admin how your organisation wants to handle it (for example, raising a further variation).

What happens after each step¶

Submit / Instruct / Quote / Assess / Approve / Reject / Resubmit each send a notification to relevant users, and are recorded in the project's activity feed.
An approved variation's agreed amount can be included in a payment application's valuation and in the Final Account.

Common mistakes to avoid¶

Approving a variation before its quoted amount has actually been agreed — once approved, the amount is treated as final for that variation.
Leaving a rejected variation sitting without resubmitting or replacing it if the underlying change is still needed.

What to do next¶

Generate the Variation Order PDF from the variation once instructed or approved, and check it is included where relevant in a payment application or the Final Account.