The daily problems this covers
Service firms often learn too late that a project lost money. Hours sit in spreadsheets. Milestones get finished but not invoiced. Staff expenses arrive after the client has paid. Navigate collects these on the project, in the order the work happens.
1. Setting up
The Professional services starter pack adds Project manager and Consultant roles, categories such as consulting, training, support and licences, and day as a unit. Its go-live step asks you to create your first project. It relies on Projects, Sales, Customers, CRM, Expenses, People and Payroll, so check that your package includes the ones you need.
2. Winning the work
CRM holds leads and opportunities in a pipeline. You can quote a lead before it is a customer, then convert it to a customer when the work goes ahead. For example, a consultancy might quote a training programme, win it and open a project for it.
3. Planning the project
- A project has a customer, manager, budget, phases, tasks and milestones.
- The team list holds each person's cost rate on that project, and whether their time is billable.
- Budgets are set by cost category, and costs already committed can be compared to them.
4. Recording time and costs
Team members log hours in My timesheets, and the manager approves them. Labour cost is hours times the cost rate. That labour is a management cost shown on the project, and it is not posted to the ledger. Payroll stays the ledger record of what staff are paid.
- Purchases, expenses and journals can be tagged with the project.
- Staff can claim expenses or request advances through Staff requests, with receipts and approvals.
- Purchase and expense costs reach the project through the ledger.
5. Billing the client
When a milestone is complete, Navigate creates a draft invoice for its amount, linked to the project and phase. You check the draft and issue it. A milestone can be set as a percentage of the contract or as an amount. Down payments can be taken as deposits. Other invoices can be tagged to the project by hand.
- Customer statements and receivables ageing follow what is unpaid.
- In Kenya, issued invoices can be signed through KRA eTIMS if you have connected it.
6. Knowing what made money
Project reports show status, completion and lateness. Profitability can be viewed by project, customer, manager or type, and revenue against cost by month. Timesheet analysis shows hours and billable hours by employee, project, phase or task. Personnel utilisation shows billable hours as a share of all hours.
Firms that may need more
Construction and contracting firms can use the Construction contracts module, which adds bills of quantities and progress certificates with retention. Firms with staff in several countries should read the country pages first, because statutory payroll rates are set up for Kenya only.
Where Navigate may not fit
- There is no automatic invoice from billable hours. Automatic drafts come from completed milestones.
- There is no automatic expense recharge step.
- There is no retainer billing feature and no client portal for projects.
- Timesheet labour is a management figure and is not posted to the ledger.
- Statutory payroll is set up for Kenya. Other countries must add their own rates first.
Frequently asked questions
Does Navigate have timesheets?
Yes. Team members log hours against a project, and the manager approves or rejects them. Reports show billable hours and utilisation.
Can it invoice a client from billable hours?
Not automatically. Time can be marked billable and reported, but automatic project invoices come from completed milestones. Hourly billing would need an invoice you prepare yourself.
Can it recharge expenses to a client?
You can tag expenses to a project and add them to an invoice by hand. There is no automatic step that turns an expense into an invoice line.
Is staff time included in the accounts?
No. Timesheet labour is a management cost on the project. Salaries reach the ledger through payroll or your own journals.