Understanding Opportunities
Concept Article – Learn what an Opportunity is, why it exists and how it forms the foundation of every project in JGID.
What is an Opportunity?
An Opportunity represents a potential project that your business is actively pursuing.
It is much more than a sales record.
In JGID, an Opportunity becomes the central hub for everything related to that project—from the first site visit through to the final invoice.
Once created, the Opportunity provides a single place where information can be gathered, organised and shared as the project develops.
Why Does JGID Use Opportunities?
Many business systems treat Opportunities simply as a sales pipeline stage.
JGID goes much further.
An Opportunity marks the point where a project has been pre-qualified and begins to take shape.
It allows your team to begin collecting valuable project information before any work has been won or scheduled.
This ensures that when the project progresses, everyone involved already has access to the knowledge collected during the early stages.
The Opportunity Creates the Project
One of the most important things that happens when an Opportunity is created is that JGID assigns a unique Project ID.
This Project ID remains with the project throughout its entire lifecycle.
Everything created afterwards—including Quotes, Jobs, Worksheets, Timesheets, Forms, Cloud Storage folders and Invoices—remains connected to this same Project ID.
Rather than creating separate records that become disconnected over time, JGID keeps the complete project history together.
More Than Just Sales
For many businesses, the Opportunity stage is where the real work begins.
Before preparing a quote, an estimator may visit the site to understand the project and gather information.
Using the JGID Mobile App, they can record:
- Site notes
- Photographs
- Measurements
- Access instructions
- Parking information
- Required equipment
- Ladder or access methods
- Safety observations
- Client requests
- Any other information that may help deliver the project successfully
This information becomes part of the Opportunity and remains available throughout the life of the project.
Why Site Information Matters
The person preparing the quote is often not the person who eventually completes the work.
There may be weeks—or even months—between the initial site visit and the day technicians arrive on site.
Without proper documentation, important details can easily be forgotten.
For example:
- Which entrance should be used?
- Where can vehicles park?
- Which doors require security access?
- Does the client require inductions?
- Is a specific ladder or piece of equipment needed?
- Are there any site-specific hazards?
By recording this information during the Opportunity stage, the estimator passes valuable knowledge to the Project Manager, Scheduler, Supervisor and field technicians.
This creates a smoother handover and helps reduce mistakes, delays and unnecessary return visits.
One Opportunity, Many Quotes
An Opportunity can contain multiple Quotes.
For example, you may:
- Revise pricing.
- Offer alternative options.
- Submit staged proposals.
- Provide budget pricing before a final quotation.
All of these Quotes remain linked to the same Opportunity and Project ID, giving you a complete history of the sales process.
What Happens After a Quote Is Accepted?
Once a Quote is accepted, one or more Jobs can be created.
Those Jobs remain linked back to the original Opportunity.
This means anyone viewing the project can easily trace its history from the first enquiry through to the completed work and final invoice.
Best Practice
Create an Opportunity as soon as you begin actively working on a potential project.
Don't wait until you're ready to prepare a Quote.
Use the Opportunity to capture everything you learn during site visits and client discussions.
Even information that doesn't affect the Quote today may become invaluable to the project team weeks or months later.
Think of the Opportunity as the beginning of your project's knowledge base.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an Opportunity the same as a Quote?
No.
An Opportunity represents the potential project.
A Quote is one possible pricing proposal created from that Opportunity.
An Opportunity may contain multiple Quotes.
Can I create more than one Quote?
Yes.
Multiple Quotes can be created from the same Opportunity while remaining linked to the same Project ID.
When is the Project ID created?
The Project ID is created when the Opportunity is created.
It remains with the project for its entire lifecycle.
Why shouldn't I wait until I'm quoting?
Because valuable project information is often discovered before the Quote is written.
Capturing site notes, photographs and access information early ensures that knowledge is available to everyone involved in delivering the project.
Does the Opportunity still matter after the Job has started?
Absolutely.
The Opportunity remains the central record for the project and preserves the complete history from the original enquiry through to the final invoice.
Summary
An Opportunity is far more than a sales stage.
It marks the beginning of a project, creates the Project ID, preserves valuable knowledge and connects every stage of the project lifecycle.
By capturing information early and keeping everything linked together, JGID helps businesses deliver projects more efficiently, reduce administration and ensure that valuable knowledge is never lost.