Sales & pre-sales
Price and compare strategies with planning figures, then start the handover.
How Managed Margin works
One plan. A clear path through the work.
A quote-to-delivery workflow for project margin: price the work once, hand the agreed plan to delivery, and see the margin as the work runs.
The next step comes firstFour connected steps
How does Managed Margin work?
A project margin workflow in four steps: set up rates once, price each service order, hand the approved pricing baseline to delivery, then compare actual and forecast margin with it.
Step 1
1. Set up your rate card
Add planning roles and hourly rates by seniority, skill and location, or import a spreadsheet. Every estimate starts from them.
Project rate card
Step 2
2. Price and compare scenarios
Need a price? Estimate stage by stage and get the price for your target Managed Margin. Already quoted? Check the margin at that price. Then finalize one option as the approved pricing baseline.
Two ways to price
- Estimate: stages, role loading and costs give a fixed price and minimum T&M rates for your target margin.
- Quoted price: compare staffing options and their margin at the price you have.
Step 3
3. Hand over to delivery
When the client says yes, the finalized pricing becomes the approved baseline and delivery takes over the plan.
Handover checklist
- Record the client’s PO or signed agreement, or allow an approved exception.
- Name the project manager.
- Delivery accepts the handover and starts delivery.
- Assign people to the planned seats.
Step 4
4. Track the margin
Approved time, expenses and changes update actual and forecast margin against the baseline.
Project margin tracking software
Guided next steps
Every service order shows its next step.
Guidance follows five stages and puts the next step first, for the people who can act on it.
The five stages and their steps
- Pre-Sales: price, plan the team, lock the plan.
- Commercial: proposal submitted, then won, lost or on hold.
- Handover: PO or agreement, project manager.
- Delivery: staff the team, record time, act on margin.
- Closure: delivery ended, or lost or cancelled.
The right view for each role
Who sees what: role permissions.
Delivery
Staff the plan, record time and costs, and follow the next step.
Finance & HR
Own margin rules and project financials; HR keeps protected employee costs.
Workflow questions.
How the steps fit your team.
What is an approved pricing baseline?
The pricing strategy you finalized, kept as the agreed plan: price, roles, hours and expected margin. Delivery is measured against it. Project pricing to delivery handoff.
What happens at handover?
Handover needs a client PO, signed agreement or approved exception and a named project manager. Delivery then accepts it and fills the seats. Sales-to-delivery handoff checklist.
Does Managed Margin automatically sync timesheets?
No. The project manager records weekly time for the team, and it counts once approved. People and pay can sync from BambooHR. Choosing a review cadence.
Can the plan change after handover?
Yes, through approved change requests, which add value and seats without overwriting the baseline. Protecting fixed-pricing project margin.
Where can I see planned vs actual margin?
In project financials: baseline, actual to date and forecast at completion, side by side. Planned vs actual project margin.
Start with one project.
Add your planning roles, explore a price, and give delivery a plan it can follow.