Approve the extra on site, before the tools come back out

Most disputes about extras start the same way: a tech finds something mid-job, mentions it verbally, does the work, then adds it to the invoice weeks later. By then the customer has forgotten the conversation and the margin turns into an argument. This automation closes that gap on site. When the tech finds extra scope, they add it as a line item on their phone, attach a photo, and hand the device to the customer to e-sign. The signed variation is stamped with a time and stored against the job, then auto-merges onto the final invoice as its own clearly-labelled line. Nobody has to remember the conversation, because the customer agreed and signed before the work was done. The example here is a switchboard upgrade in Cessnock where the tech finds a corroded sub-main: $640 added, photo attached, signature captured, and it lands on the $3,120 final invoice as a tracked variation. The dollar figures shown are one illustrative job, not a benchmark.

1. 1

   Trigger

   The tech finds extra scope mid-job and opens the variation on their phone rather than making a mental note for later.

2. 2

   Action 1

   They add the extra as a line item with a price and snap a photo of the issue as evidence (the corroded sub-main here).

3. 3

   Action 2

   The customer reviews the line item and photo on the device and e-signs to approve it on the spot.

4. 4

   Action 3

   A time-stamped copy of the signed variation is emailed to both parties and stored against the job record.

5. 5

   Outcome

   The approved extra auto-merges onto the final invoice as its own labelled line, so the customer has already agreed before they ever see the total.