Create the contractor project
Set up the connected project and decide which internal contractor users should be able to see or manage it.
For main contractors
Give your supply chain one controlled route for variations.
VariationDesk connects main contractors with subcontractors around the variation record: suppliers submit through a focused project-linked workflow, while Contractor Hub keeps submitted revisions, evidence, review and decisions in one controlled history.
Submitted revisions onlyProject-scoped contractor accessNo full supplier subscription required
Contractor network
One submission route. Clear boundaries.
1
Main contractor project
Create the connected project and scope your team.
2
Connected Supplier
Invite suppliers into narrow project-linked access.
3
Submitted revision
Receive the supplier's explicit immutable submission.
4
Contractor decision
Accept quickly or review individual lines when needed.
The commercial problem
Stop rebuilding the variation position from inboxes and attachments.
The aim is not to make subcontractors complete more administration. It is to give the contractor a consistent submission route and preserve the commercial record once it arrives.
Variation submissions arrive through different emails, PDFs, spreadsheets and message threads.
Commercial teams spend time working out which submission or revision is current.
A revised document can make it difficult to preserve exactly what was previously submitted and reviewed.
Internal reviewers need the right project visibility without giving every user broad commercial authority.
Connected contractor workflow
Simple for the supply chain. Controlled for the contractor.
Suppliers get only the access they need for the connected project. The contractor gets a consistent submitted record without taking over the supplier's wider workspace.
Invite the supply chain
Bring subcontractors or suppliers into limited Connected Supplier access for the projects they are linked to.
Receive submitted revisions
Contractor Hub receives explicit submitted variation revisions rather than opening the supplier's private workspace or drafts.
Review and decide
Keep the whole-variation decision as the fast path, with line-level assessment available when a submission needs more detailed review.
Commercial governance
Preserve what was submitted and keep authority clear.
Submitted records, not private drafts
A connected supplier decides when a variation is submitted into the contractor workflow. Unsubmitted supplier records are not automatically exposed.
Immutable revision history
Each submitted revision keeps its own snapshot. A withdrawal and resubmission creates the next revision instead of silently rewriting the earlier record.
Project-scoped contractor access
Contractor users can be limited to assigned projects, while view access and commercial decision authority remain separate permissions.
Commercial facts stay explicit
An unknown price can remain pending rather than becoming £0, and evidence acknowledgement stays separate from monetary commercial approval.
Contractor Hub receives
The connected commercial submission.
Explicitly submitted variation revisions for connected projects
The submitted scope, evidence and commercial snapshot
Revision and withdrawal history
Contractor decisions and detailed line assessment where needed
The supplier relationship and project connection needed for the workflow
Supplier keeps private
The rest of its workspace.
Private or unsubmitted variation drafts
Unrelated supplier projects and customers
The supplier's wider full-workspace records
Supplier workspace billing and subscription administration
Anything outside the connected contractor relationship unless separately shared
Built-in distribution loop
A supplier can grow beyond the sponsored project without breaking the connection.
Connected Supplier access is deliberately narrow. If a supplier later decides to buy full VariationDesk for its own wider projects and customers, the existing company identity and active contractor relationship can remain in place instead of creating a duplicate organisation or restarting the contractor connection.
See how the supplier side worksBuyer questions
What contractor teams usually need to know.
These answers describe the current connected contractor workflow rather than a future roadmap.
What is VariationDesk for main contractors?
VariationDesk gives a main contractor a focused Contractor Hub for receiving and reviewing variation submissions from connected subcontractors or suppliers. It is designed around variation control rather than replacing the contractor's wider project-management, ERP or procurement systems.
Do subcontractors need to buy VariationDesk before they can submit to us?
No. A main contractor can sponsor limited, project-linked Connected Supplier access for the contractor relationship. That access is enough for the connected variation workflow without giving the supplier a full free VariationDesk subscription.
Can we see every draft a subcontractor is working on?
No. Contractor Hub receives explicit submitted revisions. Private or non-submitted supplier records are not automatically exposed to the main contractor.
What happens when a subcontractor revises a submitted variation?
The earlier submitted revision remains in the history as its own immutable snapshot. If the supplier withdraws and resubmits, the new submission becomes the next revision rather than rewriting the previous one.
Can our internal users be restricted to specific projects?
Yes. Contractor users can be scoped to assigned projects. Being able to view an assigned project does not automatically give that user commercial decision authority.
Do we have to review every line individually?
No. Whole-variation acceptance remains the fast path. Line-level assessment is available when a submission needs an adjusted line, more information or a more detailed commercial review.
Does a site signature automatically mean the price is approved?
No. VariationDesk separates evidence acknowledgement from monetary commercial approval. Where commercial approval is required, it relates to the relevant amount, scope and revision rather than treating a site signature as hidden financial authority.
What happens if a Connected Supplier later becomes a full VariationDesk customer?
The same company identity and active contractor relationship can be retained. The supplier can then use its full VariationDesk workspace across its other projects and customers while continuing the connected Contractor Hub relationship where it remains active.
Is VariationDesk a full subcontractor-management or procurement platform?
No. VariationDesk deliberately focuses on the variation and additional-work workflow. It is designed to sit alongside the contractor's existing procurement, ERP, scheduling and wider project-management systems.
Start with a controlled rollout
Test the contractor workflow on a live project.
A sensible first rollout is one live project, a defined contractor review team and a small group of connected suppliers. That gives both sides a real workflow to evaluate before a wider deployment.