Variations in field services: agreeing changes to scope, time and cost
Why variations matter
Field work rarely goes exactly to plan. Access is different from the survey, a part is not where it should be, or the customer asks for one more thing while the engineer is on site. None of that is a problem in itself. The problem is a change that is carried out but not agreed: it turns into an invoice line the customer does not recognise and a dispute nobody wanted.
What a good variation record contains
- What changed, and why, in the words of the person on site.
- The effect on time, cost or the rest of the job.
- Who approved it, when, and within which agreed limits.
- The evidence that supports it, such as a photo of the blocked access or a receipt.
When to agree it
As close as possible to the moment it arises, and before it is incurred where that is practical. A variation agreed on the job travels with the work to acceptance and invoicing. A variation argued after the fact has to be reconstructed from emails and receipts.
How FortyFive handles variations
In FortyFive, the engineer raises the change on the job, and it goes to the person named to approve it, with its effect on time or price. The proposal, the approval and the evidence stay together on the job record, so the invoice reflects what was agreed and anything unapproved is flagged rather than buried.
Last updated · FortyFive
Frequently asked questions
Is a variation the same as a change order?
Broadly, yes. Construction and engineering contracts often say variation or change order; field services may say change request or additional charge. All describe a change to what was agreed before the job started.
Who should approve a variation?
Someone named in advance with the authority and the limits to do so, usually on the side of the business accountable to the end customer. Naming them before the job avoids the search for an approver on the day.
Why do un-agreed variations cause so many invoice disputes?
Because they surface on the invoice, weeks after the work, when the context has gone. The customer sees a charge it never approved and the provider has to reconstruct why it was needed.
Can small variations be approved automatically?
Yes, if the agreed rates and limits allow it. Routine costs within a set limit can be accepted automatically, leaving people to decide the exceptions.
Related terms
Acceptance criteria for field work
Acceptance criteria for field work are the specific, agreed conditions a job must meet to be accepted as complete, and the evidence that will show each one has been met.
The done-to-paid gap
The done-to-paid gap is the elapsed time between field work being completed and payment for it being received. It runs from completion through evidence, acceptance and invoicing to settlement.
Field service runbook
A field service runbook is the set of steps, checks and required evidence for a type of field job, given to the engineer before and during the work so that every visit meets the same standard and can be accepted against it.
See how FortyFive proves the work.
Book a 30-minute walkthrough and bring a job you have delivered recently.
Book a walkthrough