What exactly are change orders? How do change orders affect the job's estimate or its billing? How does a change order get approved? The Change Orders FAQ has all the answers:

Q. What exactly are change orders?

Change orders communicate changes made to a job's estimate after it has been approved. They prevent potentially costly misunderstandings between the agency and the client when a job has gone over budget. They're the best way to documents changes that cost money to the client.  

Q. When should I use change orders?

Any time a change is requested by either the client or the agency, a change order is added. A change order should be prepared, even if the changes will not change the job's cost to prevent any misunderstandings with the client. It includes signature lines to document the client's approval of the change.  

Q. Do I have to use change orders?

No, but without them your shop is at risk for unbilled costs if the client disputes the changes later.  

Q. How do change orders affect the job's estimate or its billing?

Once the job's estimate is approved, it doesn't change. Adding change orders increases the job's budget so that users can add more job costs without getting over-budget alerts. Change orders can be included on job invoices, so that change order amounts aren't mistakenly not billed.  

Q. Do change orders affect job traffic or schedules?

No. Change orders only affect the budget alerts.  

Q. What's better? Adding change orders or simply revising then reprinting the estimate?

Change orders do a better job of isolating the change under consideration and showing the cost of that change to the client. Revising the estimate may confuse the client when the details of the change get buried in the entire job's estimate. Revised estimates have another drawback - they remind clients of how expensive jobs have become. Use a revised estimate only if it's important that the client again review the entire job and its costs.  

Q. Do I need to include an amount on a change order?

No. A change order can be added with just a description. You can use it to confirm changes with a client that won't affect the job's cost.  

Q. Can I use a change order as an internal memo?

Yes. Change orders are usually produced for the client's benefit, to prevent relationship-straining disputes about revisions, modifications, and other changes. They do include a space for a client's authorization, which documents their approval of the change (otherwise, what's the point?). If you do use the change order for internal use, change the change order "type" field to "Other". Copies of client change orders can be routed to account executives, the production staff, or to particular creatives. You will need to print out extra copies of the change order; change orders don't have distribution names.  

Q. How does a change order get approved?

When the client signs the printed change order, an AE or production staffer should check its "Approved" checkbox.  

Q. Can a change order include more than six job tasks?

No, it's a limitation. If you need to document a more substantial change, the changes can be broken down into several additional change orders -- each one with its own change amounts and approvals.  

Q. What happens if a change order isn't approved by the client?

Nothing, since approving change orders isn't required. Clients & Profits ASAP treats approved and unapproved change orders identically.