Finance
Client Contract & Budget Approvals
To meet audit and credit insurance requirements, we must follow strict protocol for client contracts and budget approvals. Without clear, documented approval of scope and budget, the business is commercially exposed. If a client retracts or disputes work later and we do not have formal written approval, we carry the financial risk.
This is not optional. It is a compliance requirement.
🔒 Work Must Not Commence Without
A client-approved contract and/or e-Signed Deal/Proposal via Productive
Contract template folder ↗Clear written confirmation of the Scope of Work and the dollar value being approved
Submit the New Client / Budget Updates form to kick off project setup
Deal/Contracts Signed process ↗📌 Approval Requirements
Written Approval Required
Approval must clearly state the SOW and the dollar value being approved.
Verbal approvals or "approved on a call" are not acceptable and must be formally confirmed in writing before any work commences.
Correct Contracting Entity
All contracts and deals must show the correct contracting entity and subsidiary. Where a group has multiple entities, all relevant entities and ABNs must be noted within the contract.
The contract submitted must be signed.
PO Requirements
If a PO is required on invoice, it must be provided at the time of budget approval.
PO details must be completed in the finance forms at the point of submission - do not submit without it.
Email Approvals
Approval via Productive Proposal e-Signature is always preferred.
If approval is obtained via email, your request must clearly state the SOW and dollar value - for example: "Please find attached SOW/Quote for $XXX. Please reply confirming approval of this budget."
The client's reply must explicitly confirm the stated amount.
Full Audit Trail Required
Preferred
Use the Productive Deal/Proposal e-Signature function and share the Signed Proposal PDF with Audit Trail - this provides the cleanest audit trail.
Also Accepted
DocuSign or HelloSign signed documents are acceptable alternatives.
Email Chains
The full email thread must be saved as a PDF. Screenshots or partial extracts are not acceptable.
New Budget Form Submission & Supporting Documentation Required
For a full walkthrough of what happens after the contract is signed, see Deal/Contracts Signed.
Once your approval documentation is in order, submit the New Client / Budget Updates form. The form covers supporting documents, contract value, PO number, services, and triggers Finance to complete project setup. If you are unsure whether an approval is sufficient, check with Finance before submitting.
Watch-outs
- Do not submit the form until the document is signed - the upload field is mandatory and Finance will check the document matches the approved scope and value
- If the proposal has not been e-signed in Productive yet, wait until it is - do not upload a draft
- The form auto-saves as a draft - your progress will be there if you close and return, but it is not submitted to Finance until you hit Submit
- Job numbers are auto-generated at submission - do not create one manually in Productive beforehand. For scope changes on an existing job, enter the current job number in the form so it links correctly. If a new project needs to retain a previous job number, replace the auto-generated number with it after submission.
Changes to Booked Budgets
Once a client budget is booked, any changes - new clients, budget increases or decreases, or terminations - must go through the New Budget Form. This applies regardless of where the change is discussed, including meetings with finance. Changes must not be made manually in the Revenue Tracker or Productive.
The form ensures both systems stay aligned and maintains a clear, auditable history of all budget changes. See Revenue Recognition + Invoicing for full detail on how the Revenue Tracker and Productive work together.
Approval Examples
🚫 Not Acceptable
- ✗ Approval provided verbally on a client call
- ✗ Emails that say "approved" but do not reference a dollar value
- ✗ Approvals excluding parts of scope (e.g. "excluding B2") without clarity
- ✗ SOW/Quotes referenced but not attached or accessible, with no dollar value mentioned
- ✗ Screenshots without the full email thread
✅ Acceptable
- ✓ Clear written approval referencing both scope and dollar value
- ✓ Signed quote via Productive with full audit trail
- ✓ Email confirming approval of a specific SOW and budget amount