What are project phases?
Project phases are named stages within a project — like Design, Implementation, and Launch — that let you organize the team and time by stage without affecting budgets or rates.
Written By Lauri Eurén
Last updated 1 day ago
Project phases are named stages within a single Project — like Design, Implementation, and Launch — that let you organize the team and the time for each stage. Each phase has its own name and dates; you assign Positions to a phase so it's clear who works when, and any time logged on those Positions rolls up to that phase. Phases are an organizing layer, not a financial one: they don't carry budgets or rates.
How phases organize a project
A phase has a name, its own (optional) target start dates, and a color for the timeline.
You assign Positions — and the People in them — to a phase, so responsibilities are clear per stage.
Positions that span the whole project sit in No Phase — useful for roles like a strategist or analyst that aren't tied to one stage.
On the timeline, phases appear as blocks you can collapse for a high-level overview or expand to see the Positions inside.
How time attaches to a phase
Time follows the Position, not the time entry on its own. Any hours logged on a Position that's assigned to a phase count toward that phase automatically; a Position in No Phase produces time entries with no phase. That's what lets you compare the time spent across Design versus Implementation versus Launch.
What phases are not
A phase is not a budget. Budgets belong to the Project, and rates come from the Rate card — neither is set per phase. Use phases to plan and read a project by stage; the money side lives with the Project's budget and revenue recognition.