Questions customers ask before putting VariationDesk on a live job.

VariationDesk is built for subcontractors and specialist contractors that need a controlled way to handle additional work across field, commercial and finance teams. It is most useful where site instructions, evidence and approvals currently live across messages, paper, spreadsheets and shared folders.

No. VariationDesk focuses on variation work: capture, evidence, pricing, quotation, sign-off, review, reporting and export. It is designed to sit alongside the systems you already use for the wider project.

No. Your business remains responsible for the notices, timescales and authority required by the contract. VariationDesk helps keep the operational and commercial record together, but it does not decide what the contract requires.

Field users work from assigned projects and a focused mobile flow. They can capture the instruction, evidence, quantities and approval route without needing access to internal cost, margin, workspace billing or advanced commercial settings.

Yes. The mobile workflow can hold queued records on the device and sync them when connectivity returns. External actions such as remote-link delivery still need a connection, and users should confirm that pending records have synced before signing out or clearing the app.

Yes. A field user can send the scope, evidence and resource estimate to the office. The office prepares and issues the quotation, records the decision and, once approved, continues the same variation into work and completion.

No. An authorised reviewer can receive a secure review link and respond without being added as an internal workspace user or paid seat. The link gives access to the relevant review page, not the rest of your workspace.

Yes. Workspace owners and commercial users can import the full approved rate card with item codes, descriptions, units and rates. VariationDesk does not apply a plan-based cap to individual rate-card items. Field users search/select approved items and enter quantities, while the office keeps control of commercial review and customer/project-specific pricing.

The office sees the variation, supporting evidence, item lines, customer response, status history and review actions together. It can then generate an evidence PDF, approve or reject the record, and prepare checked information for export.

Xero has a direct connection. QuickBooks Online, Sage Accounting and FreeAgent are available through the connector and guided-setup routes shown for the workspace. PDF and data exports can still be used when an accounting connection is not ready.

The Reports area expands progressively. Smaller plans keep to essential and monthly reporting, while higher plans add deeper project, client, value, ageing, closure, SLA and bottleneck controls. Locked features are gated rather than placed on the Overview page.

You apply without a payment card, complete a short setup call and use VariationDesk on selected live work for 30 days. Before the pilot ends, usage and fit are reviewed before any move to a paid plan.