> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://usepike.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Run a pilot project

> Get value from day one by running one real client project end-to-end in Pike.

Use this page when you want one live consultancy or agency project to carry the whole pilot. The point is to connect delivery (who does what, when), time (what actually happened), and money (margin, billing, invoices) in a single thread, not a demo workspace.

How profitability shows up from the start: on the project Finance tab, Pike combines earnings (from billable time or from invoices, depending on the view) with costs (mainly labour from logged hours × each member’s cost) to show profit. Read [Project finance](/project/project-finance) for the full breakdown, especially [Profitability](/project/project-finance#profitability), Profit = Earnings - Costs, and how Billable time vs Revenue booked changes the numbers.

## What “good” looks like at the end

* Everyone on the pilot can see the same tasks, assignments, and progress for that project.
* Time is logged on real tasks and reviewed on a rhythm you can repeat.
* [Project finance](/project/project-finance) shows profitability (earnings, costs, profit) you can explain, and finance can invoice from the same project record.
* You can compare a few baseline numbers (before Pike) to the same numbers from this project.

<Warning>
  If finance never opens Pike during the pilot, you have not tested the hardest
  part, including whether costs and profit reflect how you actually staff and
  pay the work.
</Warning>

## Absolutely necessary setup

These steps are the minimum so tasks, time, and money stay tied to one real project. Skipping any of them usually breaks profitability or billing later.

<Steps>
  <Step title="People, roles, and access">
    Invite everyone who will touch the pilot and assign [workspace roles](/members/workspace-roles) that match what they really do. See [Getting started](/quickstart) for sign-in and role overview.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Customer record">
    Create the [customer](/customers/customer) you will bill, with real name and details, so the project and invoices stay linked to one account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Cost profiles for anyone who logs billable time">
    For each member who will log time on the pilot project, complete the [Cost profile](/members/cost-profile) on their member profile. Labour cost in the project (and therefore profit on [Project finance](/project/project-finance)) is calculated from those hourly cost figures and logged hours, not from guesses at the project level.

    <Tip>
      Treat [Cost profile](/members/cost-profile) as the source of truth for cost in project profitability. If it is empty or wrong, Costs and Profit on [Project finance](/project/project-finance) will mislead you even when time and rates look correct.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="One project, linked to that customer">
    [Create the project](/project/creating) with the real title, [team(s)](/workspace/teams), and customer selected. Add the pilot team under Resources ([Project resources](/project/resources)) with bill rates aligned to how you price the work ([member rate on tasks](/tasks/create-tasks#member-rate-source)).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Tasks people actually recognise">
    [Create tasks](/tasks/create-tasks) that match how you run the engagement, assign owners and dates, and use [My tasks](/sidebar/my-tasks) / [project Tasks](/project/tasks) as the shared execution view ([Tasks overview](/tasks/overview)).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Time logging and approval">
    Decide who logs time ([Time entry](/time/entry)) and who approves it ([Time admin](/time/admin)). Without approved time on tasks, billable and cost views lag what really happened.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Cost profile is not optional for a serious pilot: without it, Pike cannot
  attribute labour cost correctly on [Project
  finance](/project/project-finance). Earnings from rates × hours may look fine
  while profit is wrong.
</Warning>

## Before day one (recommended)

1. Agree where you’ll ask questions (Slack, Teams, email). If you use Slack, connect the workspace and profiles ([Slack](/integrations/slack)).
2. Skim [Core concepts](/concepts) and [Project overview](/project/overview) so naming in Pike matches how you talk internally.

## Day 1: shape the project

1. Refine [phases and dates](/project/creating#project-duration) if you use them. Use a [project template](/settings/templates) only if it mirrors real delivery.
2. [Allocate](/allocation/How%20to%20allocate) people to tasks and windows from Resources ([Allocation properties](/allocation/allocation-properties), [Workspace capacity](/allocation/workspace-capacity)).

## Collaboration

* Task-level collaboration: [Task properties](/tasks/properties), [Views](/tasks/views).
* Account-level context: [Customers](/customers/customer) (comments, tasks list). Optional: [Deals](/customers/deals).

## Plan vs reality: time

* [Project time](/project/project-time) for time budget, billable split, and planned vs actual.
* [Log](/sidebar/log) and [Time entry](/time/entry) for day-to-day logging; [Time admin](/time/admin) for approvals.

## Money: profitability, billing, and accounting sync

Start from [Project finance](/project/project-finance) so you understand earnings, costs (labour + expenses), and profit on this project, including the Billable time vs Revenue booked toggle. [Cost profile](/members/cost-profile) drives the labour portion of costs for people who log time.

<Tip>
  Open Finance on the project in week one, even if invoices are not ready. That
  forces you to validate cost profiles, rates, and time early instead of
  discovering gaps at month-end.
</Tip>

Workspace-level money: [Finance overview](/finance/overview) and [Finance metrics](/finance/metrics) for trends and unbilled work. Invoices: [Creating invoices](/finance/invoicing#creating-new-invoices) from the project when you bill.

Accounting integrations (optional but high value for finance):

* [QuickBooks](/integrations/quickbooks): connect from workspace integrations; sync invoices and related financial data between Pike and QuickBooks.

<Warning>
  Integrations do not replace cost profiles or time on tasks: QuickBooks and
  Xero extend what you push or pull after Pike has the right operational data.
  Profitability on the project still comes from the rules in [Project
  finance](/project/project-finance) and [Cost profile](/members/cost-profile).
</Warning>

## Operating rhythm (suggested)

| When      | Do this                                                                                             |
| --------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Weekly    | [Project resources](/project/resources) + [Project time](/project/project-time).                    |
| Weekly    | Approve time ([Time admin](/time/admin)); [Finance overview](/finance/overview) for unbilled hours. |
| Weekly    | [Project finance](/project/project-finance): profitability, budget vs actuals.                      |
| As needed | [Edit tasks](/tasks/edit-tasks); [Project overview](/project/overview) for description and status.  |

## Baseline and exit

Before day one, write down measurable facts for *this* project or your usual process (e.g. days to invoice, unbilled hours age, margin estimate).

At pilot end, compare using Pike’s [Project finance](/project/project-finance), [Finance overview](/finance/overview), and invoices. Decide continue, adjust, or stop from data and team feedback, not slides alone.

## Deeper reference

* [Finance settings](/finance/settings), [Workspace settings](/settings/workspace).