🚀 A Stronger backbone for Commercial and Project Financials

Head contracts sit at the heart of every project’s commercial position. They determine how value is earned, how cash flows, how variations are priced, and ultimately whether margin is protected or lost. This release marks a significant milestone for commercial management in Deep Space. Head contract management is no longer a static register. It is now a fully connected commercial and financial workflow that anchors schedule of values, claims, invoices, payment schedules, and variations to a single source of truth. This capability forms a core pillar of how project financials are controlled in Deep Space. The Contract Now Drives The Commercial Reality Of The Project The head contract record has been rebuilt to reflect how commercial teams actually work on live projects. From the moment a contract is created, you define the structure and rules that govern the entire project lifecycle: Contract type including lump sum, gmp, cost plus, or construction management Claim cycles, reference dates, payment terms, gst treatment, and retention logic Original and current contract sums with automatic updates as variations are approved Key dates such as contract date, practical completion, and defects liability period Risk and metadata to support approvals, reporting, and portfolio oversight This ensures every downstream financial workflow follows the contract by design rather than manual intervention. Schedule Of Values becomes the commercial backbone The schedule of values is now treated as the backbone of the head contract rather than a supporting document. Deep Space guides you through building the schedule of values based on the actual contract structure, whether that is lump sum, gmp, cost plus, or a client mandated breakdown. The schedule of values can be generated from the budget register or mapped back to it, locking scope, value, and reporting together. This is where the contract, budget, and financial reporting truly align. Progress Claims Built for Control Progress claims now flow directly from the head contract and its schedule of values. Claims are created with clear claim periods, submission dates, and response deadlines. Progress and value are assessed against agreed scope, not rebuilt each month in spreadsheets. This creates claims that are consistent, auditable, and far easier to review, even on complex projects. Invoicing that mirrors the Commercial Position of the project Invoices are now generated directly from contract and claim data. They retain full schedule of values transparency and can be reviewed before being issued as client ready documents. What is invoiced always reflects what has been claimed and approved. This closes a long standing gap between commercial and finance teams. Payment Schedules that make Cashflow Visible Payment schedules are now managed alongside the head contract itself. You can clearly see what has been issued, what responses have been received, and what has been paid, all within the same commercial context as the contract and claims. This brings real cashflow visibility into day to day project management. Variations Fully Integrated into the Commercial Lifecycle Variations now live where they belong, inside the head contract. They are created against the contract, priced using the same scope structure, reviewed, approved, and automatically reflected in the current contract sum. Future claims pick them up naturally without manual adjustment. This is critical for protecting margin on live projects. Why this update matters This release elevates head contract management into a core commercial and financial system of record. Contracts drive financial behaviour across the project Scope, value, claims, invoices, and variations remain aligned Commercial teams gain confidence in the numbers Finance teams get cleaner data and smoother month end Leadership gets a clearer view of project and portfolio performance This is a foundational pillar of project financial control in Deep Space and a major step toward tighter, more predictable commercial delivery.