Managing Retainer Periods

In a retainer project, periods refer to specific time frames, or billing frequencies, within which the services are provided and the retainer fee is applied. These periods help define the duration of the agreement and set expectations for both you (the service provider) and your client.

This article covers:

Managing Periods
Locking Periods
Rolling Over, Subtracting or Splitting Periods
Unlocking Periods
Creating Period Invoices
Changing Period Targets
Handling Conflicts
Downloading Time Reported
Exporting Period Data
Related articles

Managing Periods

Each period contains an actions menu allowing you to manage each period, as needed. These actions include locking and unlocking periods, handing rollover, changing period targets, invoicing periods and exporting period data.

To learn more on working with periods, check out Creating a Retainer Project and Understanding Retainer Tracking.

Locking Periods

Once a period has reached its end date or its target has been met, the period may be locked.

To lock a period

Click Projects in the top bar.
Select All Projects from the dropdown.
Open the retainer project.
Select Retainer Tracking in the left side panel.
Identify the period to lock.
At the far right of the period, click the three dots to open the period's actions menu.
Select Lock Period.
Toggle the option that best fits the desired action that will happen when locking the period.
- For details on the options available when locking periods see the Rolling Over, Subtracting or Splitting Periods section of this article.
Click Confirm.

Rolling Over, Subtracting or Splitting Periods

Locking a period that has not met each target or has gone over its target leads to a surplus or deficit of that period's hours/price. Retainer tracking accounts for that surplus or deficit allowing you to roll over to a future period, subtract from a future period, or split rollover/subtraction across all future periods.

Roll Over

If your team has not utilized the entire target set for the period, the surplus (price or hours) can be rolled over to the next unlocked period or split across all future unlocked periods. The option to Ignore the surplus is also available.
If you select to roll over any unused value to the next period, the current period target will be reduced by the amount of the rollover and the next period's target will increase to reflect the roll over value.

Subtract

If your team has exceeded the target value set on a period, it is possible to subtract the overage from the next unlocked period or split the overage and subtract across all future unlocked periods. You may also choose to Ignore the overage, if desired.

If you select to subtract any unused value from the next period, the current period target will increase by the amount of the subtracted value while the next period's target will decrease based on the subtracted value.

Split

When rolling over or subtracting hours/price on a period, you may also opt to split the surplus/deficit across all future unlocked periods. Depending on how the period performed, either over or under target, one of the Split options will appear when locking the period.

Unlocking Periods

If a period has been locked, it is possible to unlock it and revert any previously rolled over or subtracted values. The rolled over or subtracted values revert back to the original period/s from which the surplus/deficit came from.

To unlock a period

Click Projects in the top bar.
Select All Projects from the dropdown.
Open the retainer project.
In Retainer tracking, locate the locked period to unlock.
On the far right of the period, use the three dots to open the period's actions menu.
Select Unlock period.
Revert previously rolled over/subtracted values window will open displaying the total of the previously rolled over or subtracted value and each period in which the value was rolled over into or subtracted from.
Select Revert Amounts or Don't Revert Amounts.
- Revert Amounts will revert the rollover to the original period it was rolled over from.
- Don't revert amounts will not revert the originally rolled over value. The rollover will remain in the period it was rolled over into.
Confirm the selection.

Creating Period Invoices

Users can create invoices directly from Retainer Tracking.

Learn how to create a period invoice, or how to invoice multiple periods in advance in Invoicing Retainer Periods.

Changing Period Targets

It is possible to change an individual period's target if the need arises. A period must be unlocked in order to change it's target value.

To change a period's target

Click Projects in the top bar.
Select All Projects from the dropdown.
Open the retainer project.
In Retainer tracking, locate the period whose target value needs to be changed.
If the period is locked, unlock it by selecting Unlock period from the three dots at the far right of the period.
Once the period is unlocked, select Change Period Target.
In the Change Period Target window, enter the new target price or target hours value.
Click Update.

Handling Conflicts

Conflicted Time occurs in retainer periods when time entries are recorded for dates that fall within the period after it has been locked.

For example, the end date of period has passed and the period is locked. A team member registers time on a task within the project against a date that falls within the locked period. Because the period is locked, it cannot be changed and therefore, the time entry creates a conflict.

If a period contains conflicted time, a warning is displayed at the top of Retainer tracking, on the period itself, and within Retainer totals. Clicking any of the warnings allows the Project Manager to review the conflicting time entries and determine how best to resolve the conflict.

To view conflicted time

Click Projects in the top bar.
Select All Projects from the dropdown.
Open the retainer project.
In Retainer tracking, click Warning at the top of the page.
Handle Conflicted Time dialogue opens.
Alternatively, click the Warning icon on the left side of the period or expand the period and click FIX.
Review the time entries in conflict within Handle Conflicted Time. Conflicted time registrations also appear outlined in red when expanding See Time Registrations on the period.
Choose how to handle the conflict.
How rollover/subtracted values were handled when the period was locked determine the options for handling the conflicted time.
Click OK, Handle Conflicts.
Once the conflicts are handled, the period will update and the conflicted time warning will no longer appear.

Note: It is not recommended to close a project with unresolved time entries, although conflicted time does not prevent a project from being marked as Done. Unresolved conflicts can impact project accuracy by failing to reflect all work completed, particularly in the project's financials, including time entries, actual revenue, and actual costs.

Downloading Time Reported

Each period contains a list of all time registrations made on tasks falling within the period. It is possible to export a CSV of the time registrations for review outside of the retainer project.

To download time reported

In Retainer tracking, locate the period to download time from.
On the far right of the period, use the three dots to select Download Time reported.
Locate the file in the browser's downloads folder.
Open the file and review/manage as needed.

Exporting Period Data

It is possible to extract a retainer projects periods tab as a CSV so that it can be shared outside of Forecast.

To export a retainer project's period data

Click Projects in the top bar.
Select All Projects from the dropdown.
Open the project you wish to extract period date from.
In the left side panel, click Retainer Tracking.
Click on the download button that can be found at the top of the page next to Retainer tracking.
A CSV file will appear in your browser's Downloads folder.
Review and share the file as needed.

What can we help you with?