Setting Up Xero Projects for Real Use
Implementation starts with confirming the add-on is available on the client’s plan, then setting up the project structure: creating project templates, defining task lists, and setting billable and cost rates per staff member so time entries calculate correctly from day one. We migrate any in-flight jobs from spreadsheets or a previous system as new Xero Projects entries with their quoted budgets and costs to date, so profitability comparisons stay accurate from the switch-over point.
We configure how time gets logged — through the browser, the Xero Projects mobile app, or both — based on where the client’s team actually works, and set conventions for billable versus non-billable time so reporting is consistent across projects rather than left to individual habit.
We’re direct about the limits during setup too: Xero Projects has no custom fields beyond its standard project and task structure, no Gantt or timeline view, and no way to track dependencies between tasks. Where a client’s workflow assumes any of that, we flag it before go-live rather than let the gap surface mid-project.
Rollout stays deliberately small — we pilot with one or two active projects first, confirm invoicing from tracked time works cleanly against the client’s existing invoice templates, and only then move the rest of the project list across.
Use cases
- Creating project and task templates for consistent setup in Xero Projects
- Setting billable and cost rates per staff member in Xero Projects
- Migrating in-flight jobs with existing budgets and costs into Xero Projects
- Configuring time entry through the browser and the Xero Projects mobile app
- Piloting invoicing from tracked time against existing invoice templates in Xero Projects
- Establishing conventions for billable versus non-billable time in Xero Projects
- Validating that logged costs link correctly to supplier bills within Xero Projects
- Confirming plan-tier access to the Xero Projects add-on before rollout
- Training a pilot group on the full quote-to-invoice flow in Xero Projects
- Rolling out remaining projects once the pilot invoicing cycle is validated in Xero Projects
The result is a Xero Projects setup that matches how the team actually bills for work, not a configuration built around features the module doesn’t include.
Use cases
Intro
Implementation engagements deliver a production-ready Xero Projects environment.
- Discovery and architecture within Xero Projects
- Data readiness and migration planning for Xero Projects
- Security and access configuration in Xero Projects
- Pilot deployments to validate end-to-end workflows in Xero Projects
- Integration design with finance systems around Xero Projects
- Rollout planning and go-live support for Xero Projects
- Dashboard and reporting deployment in Xero Projects
- Change management materials linked to Xero Projects
- Governance setup for project controls in Xero Projects
- Production support and optimization in Xero Projects
Each step leverages Xero Projects to ensure practical, scalable implementation outcomes.