How to manage installation projects

Managing installation projects from sales to completion 

For a small electrical installation company, it’s crucial to keep all project information in one system—from the first customer contact to final handover. When data is scattered across spreadsheets, emails, and paper notes, it leads to confusion, delays, and errors. 

Sharing information saves a lot of time

You can coordinate work in Excel and over email with two or three people. But once the team grows, spreadsheets won’t cut it—you know this well. The effort needed to manage a job depends heavily on smooth communication and consistent information sharing among everyone involved. When you have shared information in a single source of truth, you’ll find what you need faster than digging through scattered emails.

• everyone sees up‑to‑date information 
• no need to chase the sales rep for answers  
• no more searching through long email threads 
• documents (plans, inspections, permits) are stored in one place and easy to access.

Unifying sales and field installation in one system

Keeping everything in one platform greatly reduces errors caused by outdated info, wrong document versions, or poor handoffs. A central solution that connects sales, job scheduling and dispatch, installation management, timeline tracking, and subcontractor coordination will boost efficiency and customer satisfaction.

• You manage all work and communication on a job from estimate and proposal through installation.
• Nothing gets lost.

1. Sales opportunities, customer records, and managing sales meetings

Every installation project starts with sales activities. You either process inbound inquiries from clients or your sales team actively prospects for new customers. In any case, you need to manage individual sales opportunities and keep all related information in one place so you stay in control. Managing opportunities helps you track what you agreed with the customer and when to follow up.Even at this stage, it’s important to have a system where you can:

• Store customer contact details
• Capture their requirements and everything you agree on
• Log outcomes from in‑person meetings, phone calls, or email communication
• Track opportunity stages (e.g., “Inquiry,” “Proposal sent,” “Contract signed”).

How to manage sales opportunities, your sales process, and customer meetings

• Keep everything centralized and under control from day one. Otherwise, things get scattered and you’ll waste time searching for the same info across different places. If you record everything in Aptien from the start, you’ll save a lot of time later.

  1. Open the Sales Opportunities register
  2. Create a new sales opportunity
  3. Save the key details about the opportunity and the customer
  4. Attach RFPs, inquiries, or proposals as attachments
  5. Use notes within the opportunity to log meeting outcomes, minutes, documents, and keep everything easily searchable.

2. Project Execution

Once the deal is closed, the customer details and agreed terms become your essential starting point that you must follow throughout execution. Now you need to plan key milestones and dates and coordinate all work on the installation project, especially

• Set key delivery and installation deadlines
• Prepare complete installation documentation
• Assign and coordinate tasks, including subcontractors and on-site crews 

If you keep all installation information in one place and everyone works from the same page, you significantly reduce the risk of losing details during manual re-typing or miscommunication. Everyone on the team has access to the same up-to-date information and knows what to do and when.

Creating an Electrical Installation Project and Its Documentation

1. Create a new project
2. Enter all essential project information
3. Upload all required documents as attachments 
4. Plan all key installation milestones
5. Assign owners for specific tasks
6. Track execution progress in real time
7. Document the installation process (e.g., photo documentation)
8. Prepare steps for handover of the installation or jobsite

3. Managing On‑Site Work and Installations

Once a project kicks off, clear communication among everyone involved in the installation is critical. Without it, you can end up in email chaos, misunderstandings, and avoidable costs—or an unhappy customer. Aptien helps you manage the work with tasks and meeting notes. This becomes even more valuable as your team grows or when you need to look back and see exactly what was done and when.

Checklists for what needs to get done 

• Checklists help you make sure you don’t miss any important deadlines or tasks
• See how to work with checklists

Managing your team

• Coordinate and manage installation work using tasks
• See how to manage installation projects with tasks

Managing installation subcontractors

• If you work with subcontractors you need to coordinate, use the extranet to manage them.
• Use the extranet to manage your subcontractors’ work, and share information and documentation with them
• You can also manage subcontractors through tasks

4. Service and Preventive Maintenance

Typically includes:

• scheduled inspections (e.g., annually / semi-annually)
• cleaning, tightening, and checking connections, filters, and fans
• testing and verifying operating parameters
• updating settings (controls for electrical/electronic equipment)
• inspection records / service reports