Special Projects Module

Special Projects Module

Special Projects manages complex, one-off logistics projects that span multiple modes (air, sea, transport, warehousing, customs) and require scoping, resource planning, equipment, and milestone-based billing. It integrates with ERPNext Project for task management and links logistics jobs across the platform to a single project.

To access the Special Projects workspace, go to:

Home > Special Projects

1. Prerequisites

Before using Special Projects, set up the following:

• Special Project Settings – Default Project Type for ERPNext integration
• Special Handling Type – Handling types for products (e.g. DG, temperature-controlled)
• Special Handling Equipment Type – Equipment types for project equipment
• ERPNext Project Type – At least one Project Type (e.g. External) for auto-created projects
• Customer, Item, and User masters in ERPNext

2. Key Concepts

2.1 Special Project

A Special Project is the main document. On save, an ERPNext Project is auto-created (or you can link an existing one). The Special Project ID uses the ERPNext Project ID (e.g. PROJ-0001) when auto-created, or the fallback series SP-.#####.

2.2 Integration with Logistics Doctypes

Logistics documents (Air Shipment, Sea Shipment, Transport Job, Warehouse Job, Declaration, etc.) have a Project field. Link them to the Special Project’s ERPNext Project so all jobs appear under one project for billing and reporting.

3. Typical Workflow

3.1 Create and Scope a Project

1. Go to Special Projects > Project > New
2. Enter Project Name, Customer, Sales Quote (optional)
3. Set Status (Draft → Scoping → Booked → Planning → Approved → In Progress → Completed)
4. Add Scoping Activities (Ocular Inspection, Road Inspection, Technical Consultation) with dates, costs, and status
5. Save – an ERPNext Project is auto-created and linked

3.2 Plan Activities and Resources

1. Activities tab – Define activities (Transport, Warehousing, Air Freight, Sea Freight, Customs, Special Handling, Documentation) with planned/actual dates and link to jobs
2. Resources tab – Add personnel, equipment, third-party resources with planned hours and costs
3. Products tab – Add items with quantities, special handling, temperature, hazmat
4. Equipment tab – Add equipment types with planned/actual usage windows and costs

3.3 Link Logistics Jobs

1. In Jobs tab – Add Transport Job, Warehouse Job, Air Shipment, Sea Shipment, or Declaration with planned/actual cost and revenue
2. Or set the Project field on the job document directly – jobs with the same project appear under the Special Project

3.4 Track Deliveries and Billing

1. Deliveries tab – Track Full, Partial, Milestone, or Proof of Delivery with status (Pending, Scheduled, Completed, Delayed)
2. Billings tab – Define Milestone, Interim, Final, or Ad-hoc billings; link Sales Invoice when invoiced

4. Features

4.1 Dashboard Tab

The Dashboard tab provides a compact overview of project status, resources, jobs, billings, and costs:

• Status – Current status (Draft, Scoping, Booked, Planning, Approved, In Progress, On Hold, Completed, Cancelled) with color-coded badge
• Resources – Count, planned vs actual hours
• Jobs – Count, planned/actual cost and revenue
• Billings – Items count, planned amount, pending vs invoiced/paid
• Deliveries – Total, pending, completed
• Summary – Budget (cost), actual cost, budget (revenue), actual revenue

Use the Dashboard to monitor project health, resource utilization, and cost vs budget at a glance.

4.2 Milestones Tab

The Milestones tab shows aggregated milestones from all linked jobs (Transport Job, Air Shipment, Sea Shipment, Declaration, etc.). Milestones are displayed in a visual timeline with status, planned/actual dates, and actions to capture actual start/end. The Dashboard and Milestones tabs are separate; do not combine them.

4.3 ERPNext Project Integration

• Auto-creation – ERPNext Project is created on first save of Special Project
• Project Type – Set in Special Project Settings
• Status sync – Special Project status maps to ERPNext Project (Draft/Scoping/Booked/etc. → Open; Completed → Completed; Cancelled → Cancelled)
• Task management – Use ERPNext Project for tasks, timesheets, and project billing

4.4 Scoping Activities

• Types – Ocular Inspection, Road Inspection, Technical Consultation
• Cost tracking – Record cost per activity; mark Charged to Project when booked
• Auto-charge – When status changes to Booked/Approved/Planning/In Progress, completed scoping activities are auto-marked as charged

4.5 Activity Planning

• Activity types – Transport, Warehousing, Air Freight, Sea Freight, Customs, Special Handling, Documentation, Other
• Job linking – Link activities to Transport Job, Warehouse Job, Air Shipment, Sea Shipment, or Declaration
• Planned vs actual – Track planned and actual start/end dates per activity

4.6 Resource Management

• Resource types – Personnel, Equipment, Third Party, Other
• In-house vs supplier – Mark in-house or link Supplier
• Planned/actual hours – Track hours and cost per unit

4.7 Product and Equipment

• Products – Item, quantity, UOM, weight, volume, special handling, temperature range, hazmat class
• Equipment – Link to Special Handling Equipment Type; track planned/actual usage and cost

4.8 Jobs Tab

• Link Transport Job, Warehouse Job, Air Shipment, Sea Shipment, Declaration
• Track planned cost, actual cost, planned revenue, actual revenue per job
• Cost & Revenue Summary – Collapsible section showing totals (planned/actual cost, revenue, margin) and breakdown by job type

4.9 Documents Tab

• Document Checklist – Project-level documents (permits, DG certs, customs docs, contracts)
• Document Template – Override default Document List Template; leave empty to use product default
• Uses Job Document child table; supports document status and attachments
• See Document Management for document types and templates

4.10 Deliveries Tab

• Delivery types – Full, Partial, Milestone, Proof of Delivery
• Status – Pending, Scheduled, Completed, Delayed
• Items delivered – Free-text or structured description of delivered items

4.11 Billings Tab

• Bill types – Milestone, Interim, Final, Ad-hoc
• Status – Pending, Invoiced, Paid
• Sales Invoice – Link when invoiced; invoice date tracked

4.12 More Info Tab

• Client Notes – Notes visible to customer
• Internal Notes – Internal-only notes
• Terms and Conditions – Link to Terms and Conditions master
• Service Level Agreement – Link to Logistics Service Level for project-level commitments

5. Workspace Structure

5.1 Number Cards and Chart

• Active Projects – Projects in progress
• Total Projects – All projects
• Chart – Special Projects by Status

5.2 Quick Access

• Project – Special Project list
• Project Task Order / Project Task Job – Program task order and job documents
• Active Projects – Filtered list (status: In Progress, Planning, Approved, Booked, Scoping)

5.3 Reports

Operational

• Projects Report – Project list with filters
• Delivery Status – Delivery status by project
• Billing Status – Billing status by project

Cost Analysis

• Cost vs Revenue – Planned vs actual cost and revenue
• Profitability – Group by Customer, Status, or none

Strategic Planning

• By Customer – Projects grouped by customer
• Pipeline – Projects by stage

5.4 Masters

• Handling Type – Special Handling Type (e.g. DG, temperature-controlled)
• Equipment Type – Special Handling Equipment Type

5.5 Sidebar

The sidebar is organized into sections:

• Home – Special Projects workspace
• Special Project, Request – Main doctypes
• Operational – Projects Report, Request Fulfillment, Delivery Status, Billing Status
• Cost Analysis – Cost vs Revenue, Profitability
• Strategic Planning – By Customer, Pipeline
• Setup – Handling Type, Equipment Type
• Settings – Special Project Settings

Complete field reference

Special projects use General Job and related logistics documents; open the relevant doc wiki page for the full field table.

6. Related Topics

• Getting Started
• Sales Quote
• Transport Job
• Warehouse Job
• Air Shipment
• Sea Shipment
• Declaration
• Document Management
• Document List Template
• Milestone Tracking