Deliverable Lifecycle
Every deliverable (line item) in Cherp moves through a defined lifecycle of statuses. These statuses track the deliverable from initial creation through to final payment.
The 9 Statuses
Not Started → Ready to Quote → Quoted → Contracted → In Progress → Complete → Billed → Paid → Closed| Status | What It Means | Who Typically Sets It |
|---|---|---|
| Not Started | The deliverable exists but work hasn’t begun. This is the default for new deliverables. | Automatic on creation |
| Ready to Quote | The scope is defined enough to price. Ready for a proposal or estimate. | PM |
| Quoted | A price has been sent to the client (via proposal or QBO estimate). Waiting for approval. | PM |
| Contracted | The client has agreed to this deliverable. It’s part of the signed scope. | PM |
| In Progress | Active work is happening. Team members are logging time against this deliverable’s tasks. | PM or automatic |
| Complete | All work is finished. Ready for invoicing. | PM |
| Billed | An invoice has been sent to the client for this deliverable. | PM or automatic via QBO |
| Paid | Payment has been received. | PM or automatic via QBO |
| Closed | Fully done — work complete, invoiced, paid, and archived. | PM |
How Statuses Flow in Practice
Not every deliverable goes through all 9 statuses. In practice, many deliverables follow a shorter path:
Typical flow for a new project:
- PM creates deliverables as Not Started
- Moves them to Contracted once the client signs
- Sets to In Progress when work begins
- Marks Complete when the work is done
- The rest (Billed, Paid, Closed) often happen via QuickBooks sync
For retainer work items:
- Work items on retainer projects often go straight from Not Started to In Progress to Complete
For proposals that don’t convert:
- Deliverables may stay at Quoted or Ready to Quote indefinitely
Status Colors
Statuses are color-coded throughout Cherp:
| Status | Color |
|---|---|
| Not Started | Gray |
| Ready to Quote | Yellow |
| Quoted | Blue |
| Contracted | Purple |
| In Progress | Orange |
| Complete | Green |
| Billed | Teal |
| Paid | Emerald |
| Closed | Gray |
Project Status vs. Deliverable Status
Projects and deliverables have separate statuses:
- Project status is simple: Proposal, Active, Complete, or Closed
- Deliverable status uses the full 9-status lifecycle above
A project can be Active while its deliverables are at various stages — some In Progress, some Complete, some not yet started. The project status reflects the overall engagement state, while deliverable statuses track individual pieces of work.
The General Deliverable
Every project has a General deliverable for unallocated time — things like meetings, admin, and coordination that don’t belong to a specific deliverable. The General deliverable:
- Has a $0 budget
- Follows the project’s status (active when the project is active)
- Is where catch-all time entries go