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For: Account managers, firm admins8 min read

SOWs and estimates

A SOW starts from an approved template. Its estimate is milestone hours by role, and the SOW total is their sum. Every version keeps where its numbers came from.

Create a SOW

  1. In SOWs & Estimates, choose New SOW and pick an approved template.
  2. Choose the account, the type (Fixed bid or T&M), scope, dates and rates.
  3. The SOW opens in Draft with estimate version v1.

Build the estimate

  1. Add a line for each milestone and role with the hours.
  2. Fill in Basis for each line: the template, a similar past project, a formula such as 14 objects × 22h + 12h, or your judgement. Add assumptions and exclusions.
  3. People with financial access see the planned margin: hours × (SOW role bill rate − rate card cost rate).

Each edit is part of a version. Compare any two versions to see what changed, who changed it and why.

Review and approve

Draft→In review→Approved→Sent to client→Signed
  • If your firm requires review, send the version to a reviewer first. Editing a version in review returns it to Draft.
  • The account manager for the account approves. If your firm turned on Separate approver, the only author of a version cannot approve it.
  • Approval stores a fingerprint of the exact content. Approved, sent and signed versions are read-only. To change an approved version, withdraw the approval first; it returns to Draft and the withdrawal is logged.
T&M SOWsT&M SOWs follow the same approval and send flow. Their estimate is a forecast, and overruns are reported as forecast change rather than margin loss.

Next: send the approved SOW to your client.