How it works
A job in ScopeLock, from first quote to final invoice
Each stage below shows what you do in the app, what your customer sees, what goes on record, and roughly how long it takes compared with doing it by phone, text and notebook. Time figures are our estimates, not measured results.
Stage 1
Set up once
Add your business details the first time you open the app, then choose your plan.
Time (estimate)
- Usual way
- Not per job
- With ScopeLock
- One-off
Done once, when you first open the app.
You do
- Enter your business name, logo and contact details
- Choose monthly or annual and start your subscription
Your customer sees
- Nothing yet. Your name and logo will lead every page they open later
On record
- Your business details, used on every link and report
Stage 2
Create the job
Write down exactly what the job is, and what it is not, before you start.
Time (estimate)
- Usual way
- 30 min
- With ScopeLock
- 10 min
A template and checklists instead of a document from scratch.
You do
- Add the customer and the job address
- Start from a template for your trade
- List what is included and what is excluded
- Set the price, VAT, start and finish dates, deposit and payment terms
Your customer sees
- Nothing until you send it, so you can take your time
On record
- A draft agreement, which you can edit until it is approved
Stage 3
Send and lock the agreement
Review exactly what your customer will see, then send it as a link.
Time (estimate)
- Usual way
- Calls and texts
- With ScopeLock
- A few taps
Chasing an answer is counted under stage 6.
You do
- Preview the customer page
- Send the link by text, email, WhatsApp or any messaging app
Your customer sees
- A page with your branding, the included and excluded lists, the price and the terms
- A box to type their name and a tick to approve, or a way to ask for changes
- No app and no account, on any phone
On record
- Agreement v1 approved, with the typed name, date and time, IP address and device
- The agreement is locked from this point
Stage 4
Record evidence as you work
Photos and notes go straight onto the job timeline, even with no signal.
Time (estimate)
- Usual way
- Camera roll
- With ScopeLock
- On the job
No time figure claimed: the gain is finding it later.
You do
- Take photos of what you find, such as a rotten joist or hidden pipework
- Add a short note
Your customer sees
- Photos you attach to a change appear on that change's page
On record
- Timestamped photos and notes, saved on the phone and uploaded when back in signal
Stage 5
Price a change before you do it
When the customer asks for more, or you find a problem, record it and send it for approval.
Time (estimate)
- Usual way
- 15 min each
- With ScopeLock
- 3 min each
Instead of a call, a text and a note in the van.
You do
- Pick the reason: customer asked, found on site, or your suggestion
- Describe it and add the extra cost and any extra days
- Attach photos if they help
- Choose whether to hold the work until it is approved
Your customer sees
- The change in plain words, the extra cost, the new finish date and the new job total
- Approve with their typed name, or reject with a reason
On record
- The change, numbered and dated when sent
- Shown as awaiting approval in the job's money summary
Stage 6
The customer decides
You find out straight away, and the job total updates itself.
Time (estimate)
- Usual way
- 10 min each
- With ScopeLock
- 2 min each
Chasing an answer by phone or text, versus a reminder.
You do
- Get a push notification when they approve or reject
- See whether the link has been opened, and send a reminder if not
- If they agreed in person, log a verbal approval and who agreed
- If rejected, read the reason and send a revised change in one tap
Your customer sees
- A confirmation that their decision has been recorded
On record
- Approved or rejected, with name, date and time
- Verbal approvals marked as weaker evidence
- Running totals: original price, approved changes, awaiting approval, total agreed
Stage 7
Finish and invoice
Mark the job complete and get a dated record to invoice from.
Time (estimate)
- Usual way
- 45 min
- With ScopeLock
- 5 min
Going back through texts and notes, versus a generated report.
You do
- Record payments received
- Mark the job complete
- Share the PDF job report and export to CSV for your accounts
Your customer sees
- A clear report: original price, each approved extra, payments and the balance due
On record
- A dated PDF job report and a CSV export of the figures
Example job
A kitchen refit, start to finish
An illustration with made-up names and figures, showing how one job builds up its timeline.
| When | What happened | Status | Amount | Job total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct 09:14 | Original agreement v1 approved by Sarah Patel via link | Approved | £8,400.00 | £8,400.00 |
| 17 Oct 19:30 | Change #1: extra double socket, customer asked | Approved | +£320.00 | £8,720.00 |
| 20 Oct 11:12 | 4 photos added: rotten joist under sink area | Evidence | £8,720.00 | |
| 21 Oct 08:47 | Change #2: quartz worktop upgrade | Approved | +£830.00 | £9,550.00 |
| 24 Oct 16:05 | Change #3: move sink to window, finish moves from 14 to 18 Nov. Link opened | Awaiting | +£420.00 | £9,550.00 |
| On completion | Job report: original price, approved extras, payments and balance due | Report | Final total |
Without the record, the £1,150 of extras agreed on site would depend on everyone remembering the same conversations. With it, the final report shows each one, who approved it and when.
Time saved on this job
About 2 hours of paperwork saved
Adding up the stage estimates for a job with 3 changes: about 2 h 30 min the usual way, about 30 min with ScopeLock. Someone doing 4 jobs like this a month would save about 8 hours a month.
These are estimates from assumed task times. Try your own numbers in the time-saved calculator.
| Task (3 changes) | Usual | ScopeLock |
|---|---|---|
| Write up the job agreement | 30 min | 10 min |
| Get each extra agreed in writing | 45 min | 9 min |
| Chase each answer | 30 min | 6 min |
| Work out the final bill | 45 min | 5 min |
| Total | 2 h 30 min | 30 min |
What if…
- …the customer rejects a change?
- They have to give a reason. You get a notification with it, the job total stays as it was, and you can send a revised change in one tap.
- …they don't open the link?
- You can see it hasn't been opened and send a reminder. If you chose to hold the work, the change waits until they decide.
- …they say yes on the doorstep?
- Log it as a verbal approval with who agreed. It's recorded, but marked as weaker evidence than a written approval.
- …I need to change the original agreement?
- Once approved it's locked. Changes go through a change request, so the approved version is never overwritten.
- …I'm somewhere with no signal?
- Photos and notes save on your phone with the time taken, and upload when you're back in signal.
- …an invoice is disputed later?
- The job report shows the original agreement and every approved change, with the name, date and time of each approval.