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Project Lifecycle

In this tutorial, you will learn how to manage a complete project lifecycle in Kezi ERP—from creation and time tracking to budget monitoring and final invoicing. We will follow a real-life scenario of a design agency project.

Scenario: You are a project manager at a design agency. You need to create a "Brand Identity Package" project for a client, track hours, and bill them.

Step 1: Create the Project

First, let's set up the project container.

  1. Navigate to Project Management > Projects.
  2. Click Create.
  3. Fill in the details:
    • Project Name: Brand Identity Package
    • Customer: XYZ Corp
    • Billing Type: Time & Materials (We will bill based on hours worked)
    • Budget: $8,000
    • Start Date: Today's date
  4. Click Create.

The project is now in Draft status. This means you can plan it out before work begins.

Step 2: Define Tasks

Break down the work into manageable pieces.

  1. Open your new project.
  2. Go to the Tasks tab.
  3. Click Create to add tasks:
    • Task 1: Logo Design (Estimated: 20 hours) - Assigned to Sarah
    • Task 2: Brand Guidelines (Estimated: 10 hours) - Assigned to Ahmed
    • Task 3: Color Palette Research (Estimated: 5 hours) - Assigned to Layla
  4. Once planning is done, click Activate on the main project page. The status changes to In Progress.

Step 3: Log Time (The Employee View)

Now your team begins work. They will log their hours.

  1. Go to Project Management > Timesheets.
  2. Click Create.
  3. Select the Employee (e.g., Sarah).
  4. Add a line:
    • Project: Brand Identity Package
    • Task: Logo Design
    • Hours: 8
    • Billable: Checked
  5. Click Submit.

Repeat this process for other tasks/employees as needed for the scenario.

Step 4: Monitor the Budget

A week has passed. Let's see if we are on track.

  1. Go to Project Management > Projects and select your project.
  2. Look at the Budget tab or dashboard widget.
  3. You will see:
    • Budgeted: $8,000
    • Actual Cost: Calculated from the approved timesheets (e.g., 35 hours x Hourly Rate).
    • Remaining: The difference.

If you are under budget, the status indicator will be green.

Step 5: Invoice the Client

The project is complete. It's time to get paid.

  1. Go to Project Management > Invoicing.
  2. Click Create.
  3. Select Project: Brand Identity Package.
  4. The system will automatically pull all approved, billable timesheet lines.
  5. Review the line items (Total hours: 50, Rate: $150/hr).
  6. Click Create Invoice.

Step 6: Close the Project

To prevent further time logging on this finished job:

  1. Return to the project page.
  2. Change the status to Completed.

Congratulations! You have successfully managed a project from start to finish.