Work packages

A work package is the unit of scoped delivery beneath a project. It has a subject, manager, owning organization, planned start and end dates, contract value and budget hours. Punch items, tasks, labor entries and job expenses point back to it. The Project Manager can therefore read site progress and financial exposure in the same package context.

A proposed package should have a clear scope before it becomes Active. The work package delivery desk brings contract value, delivered work, invoiced share, projected margin and over-budget signals together. It leads back to the package record when the manager needs to inspect the underlying work.

• One scope owner. A named manager controls package dates, budget and the trade handoff.
• Delivery evidence. Punch items, labor and expenses connect to the same package so totals can be reviewed together.
• Closeout position. Tasks and invoiced punch amounts help the project team distinguish work delivered from work billed.

Agree whether a package represents one trade, one floor, or another bounded scope. Choose a numbering convention that people can recognize on site. The manager should confirm contract value and budget hours before the first punch item is submitted. Choose the delivery type that matches the agreement: Fixed Price, Time & Materials, Retainer or Milestone. Set realistic dates so a manager can spot work that is continuing beyond the expected end.

For a lobby fit-out, the package might cover finish carpentry. A foreman records a damaged panel as a punch item and logs labor against the package. The manager can then compare delivered amount and cost with the contract value. If an additional closeout task is needed, it stays attached to that package rather than being buried in a general project task list.

Take one active package with a known contract value. Open its punch items, labor entries and job expenses, and verify they all belong to the intended project and organization. The package manager should recognize the people and the dates. Compare delivered amount, delivered cost, invoiced punch amount and remaining amount to invoice. If the figures are surprising, inspect the source records before changing a budget.

Then take a completed package. The closeout owner should be able to explain why it is Completed, which tasks are still awaiting payment and whether any approved punch value remains uninvoiced. Completion of the package is a scope decision; it should not be confused with receiving every related payment.

• Active Work Packages — Live scopes with manager, contract value and current status.
• Proposed Work Packages — Packages whose dates, manager and value need agreement before activation.
• Completed Work Packages — Delivered scopes ready for a final billing and collection check.

Use package delivery to rehearse the handoff, then closeout billing for the invoicing step.