CRM User Manual: Billing & Financials, Lesson 2: Progress Billing

CRM User Manual: Billing & Financials, Lesson 2: Progress Billing

Progress Billing with the Schedule of Values (SoV)

The Schedule of Values module is designed to support a specific and highly standardized process: progress billing.
In the construction industry, the standard for this process is governed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
MeasureSquare CRM’s SoV module is built with these same standards in mind, providing an accurate, compliant, and flexible workflow.

Users generally leverage the SoV module in one of two ways:

  1. Manual Creation

  2. Automated Creation (Import-Driven)

Both methods allow teams to dramatically reduce time spent on progress billing compared to traditional spreadsheets.


1. Manual SoV Creation

Some organizations prefer the familiar approach of building Schedule of Values line items by hand, similar to their existing Excel workflow.

Why Choose Manual Entry?

If your goal is simply to replace spreadsheets with something:

  • More organized

  • Centralized

  • Less prone to errors

  • Easier to update month-to-month

…then manual entry is often the most straightforward option.

Creating an SoV manually takes the same effort whether you do it in Excel or inside the CRM—but the CRM provides massive downstream advantages.


Benefits of Using the CRM for Manual SoVs

Even when taking a manual approach, switching from Excel to MeasureSquare CRM provides immediate time savings:

✔ Centralization

Your SoV lives inside the project, alongside all your Bids, POs, WOs, Change Orders, and files.

✔ Automated Payment Application Calculations

Each month, previously billed amounts automatically move from Current to Previously Billed.
This saves several minutes — sometimes tens of minutes — per payment application.

✔ One-Click Invoice Creation

Once a payment application is completed, you can generate an invoice instantly with a single click.

✔ Consistency Across Projects

All SoVs, Payment Applications, and documentation follow a standardized structure across the company.

Manual creation still benefits immensely from CRM automation, even without imports or linked documents.


2. Automated SoV Creation

The automated SoV workflow is powerful but requires discipline and accurate documentation across your project.

What Automation Requires

To fully leverage SoV automation, your team must ensure:

  • Bids/Quotes are accurate

  • Purchase Orders are correct

  • Work Orders reflect real labor

  • Change Orders are current and approved

When these conditions are met, your team can reach a level of automation the industry has aimed for over 15–20 years.


Automated SoV Creation Workflow

Step 1: Import Your Bid or Quote

Use the Import menu (top-right of the SoV screen) to import a Bid or Quote.

This import will:

  • Build your Schedule of Values structure

  • Establish the Scheduled Value for each line

  • Ensure the total equals your contract amount

After importing, you may rearrange line items as needed to match your client’s preferred format.

This produces a clean, AIA-aligned SoV ready to be included with your contract.


Step 2: Create Your First Payment Application

When billing begins:

  1. Click Create Next

  2. Open the Edit screen

  3. Enter your billing for the current month

The CRM will automatically manage the roll-forward of billed amounts.


Step 3: Import Additional Documentation

As your project progresses, continue to import:

  • Purchase Orders

  • Work Orders

  • Change Orders

These documents will automatically fill in billing amounts in the SoV based on:

  • Material deliveries

  • Labor progress

  • Approved changes

This creates a dynamic, self-updating SoV tied directly to real project activity.


Change Orders in the SoV Module

When you import a Change Order:

  • A new Group (line item) is added to your Schedule of Values

  • You can bill against that Group the same way you bill against any other part of the contract

This ensures complete financial alignment between your change management process and your progress billing workflow.


Summary

Whether you choose a manual or automated approach, MeasureSquare CRM’s Schedule of Values module significantly enhances:

  • Billing accuracy

  • Workflow efficiency

  • Documentation consistency

  • Integration with procurement, labor, and change management

The module was built to modernize progress billing while staying true to long-established AIA standards.


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