Setting Up Your First Project in CommandOS

Start by navigating to the Projects section and clicking "New Project."

Essential fields:

• Project name: Use a clear naming convention (Client - Engagement Name)
• Client: Select from your client list or create a new client inline
• Start and end dates: Set your planned engagement timeline
• Project type: Choose from Time & Materials, Fixed Price, or Retainer
• Budget: Set your total engagement budget (hours and/or dollars)

Pro tips:

• Use consistent naming conventions across all projects for easier reporting
• Set realistic end dates — you can always extend, but missing deadlines impacts client trust
• Include a 10–15% budget contingency for scope changes

Your billing setup determines how revenue flows from tracked time to invoices.

For Time & Materials projects:

• Set billable rates per team member or role
• Configure any cap or not-to-exceed amounts
• Enable automatic invoice generation from approved time entries

For Fixed Price projects:

• Define milestone-based billing schedules
• Set up deliverable-based payment triggers
• Track actual effort against estimated budget to monitor margins

For Retainer projects:

• Set monthly recurring amounts
• Configure hour banks (rollover or use-it-or-lose-it)
• Set up automatic monthly invoicing

CommandOS tracks actual vs. budgeted spend in real-time, giving you early warning when projects are trending over budget.

Break your project into manageable phases and deliverables.

Milestone best practices:

• Create 3–5 major milestones per engagement
• Tie milestones to client deliverables, not internal activities
• Set realistic target dates with buffer for review cycles

Task management:

• Break milestones into specific tasks (aim for 2–8 hour tasks)
• Assign tasks to specific team members
• Set priority levels to guide daily work
• Link tasks to time entries for accurate project costing

Example milestone structure for a strategy engagement:

1. Discovery & Stakeholder Interviews (Week 1–2)
2. Current State Assessment (Week 2–3)
3. Strategy Development (Week 3–5)
4. Recommendations & Roadmap (Week 5–6)
5. Final Presentation & Handoff (Week 6–7)

Staff your project with the right people in the right roles.

Team assignment process:

1. Check team availability in the Resource Planner
2. Match required skills to available consultants
3. Set allocation percentages (full-time vs. part-time assignment)
4. Configure individual billing rates if different from defaults
5. Notify team members of their assignments

Role-based permissions:

• Project Lead: Full access to budget, billing, and team management
• Team Member: Time entry, task management, and document access
• Reviewer: Read-only access with approval capabilities
• Client Contact: Limited view for status updates and approvals

CommandOS shows you real-time availability across your entire team, so you can make staffing decisions based on actual capacity — not guesswork.