Linking an Action to other records

When to link records

An Action on its own is a short piece of information. Linking it to other records around the project is what turns it into something connected — the Variation that triggered the snag, the Purchase Order it relates to, the Invoice it's holding up, the Delivery Note it came in on.

Good situations to reach for linking:

• A snag caused by the wrong material being delivered — link the Action to the Delivery Note and the Purchase Order
• A Variation that's held up because of a design query — link the Action to the Variation so the QS can see what's blocking it
• An Invoice that can't be paid until a defect is sorted — link the Action to the Invoice so the accounts team can see why
• A Daywork that came out of an issue on site — link the Action to the Daywork sheet

An Action can be linked to as many records as you need, and every link is two-way — the Action shows the linked record in its list, and the linked record shows the Action in its own Link with Issue list.

What you can link to

Actions can be linked to records in these modules:

Contract Management

• Variations
• Dayworks
• Applications
• Payment Notices
• Invoices
• Sales Credit Notes

Procurement

• Purchase Orders
• Delivery Notes
• Goods Return Notes
• Invoice Checking
• Credit Notes
• Direct Costs

That's twelve different record types, covering most of the places an Action might come from on a project.

Adding a link from the Action

Links are added from the Linked To section of the Details tab on the Action detail sidebar.

1. 1

   Open the Action you want to link.

2. 2

   On the Details tab, scroll down to the Linked To section.

3. 3

   Click Add Link.

4. 4

   Choose the record type from the dropdown — Variations, Invoices, Purchase Orders, and so on.

5. 5

   Start typing the record's number or name. Results filter as you type.

6. 6

   Click a result to create the link.

The linked record appears in the Linked To section with its number, its name, and a direct link to open it.

Adding a link from the other record

You can also create the link from the other side. Each of the linkable record types has a Link with Issue option in its Actions dropdown that opens a search for Actions by number or title. Pick the Action from the list and the link is created.

Both directions end up with the same result — a two-way link between the Action and the record — so start from whichever side is more convenient.

Removing a link

Each row in the Linked To section has a delete button next to it. Click it to break the link.

Removing a link only removes the connection between the two records. Neither the Action nor the linked record is affected — they both stay exactly as they were, just without the link between them.

What the Linked To section shows

Every linked record in the section shows:

• A coloured badge for the record type
• The record number (for example VO-12, INV-007, PO-45)
• The record name or description
• A direct link icon to open the record in a new tab
• A delete button to break the link

If an Action has no linked records, the section shows a placeholder inviting you to add one.

Real-world examples

• Damaged delivery — a pallet of plasterboard arrives chipped. Raise an Action, attach photos, and link it to the Delivery Note and the Purchase Order. The buyer can now see the issue from their side too
• Variation blocked by RFI — a Variation can't be priced until the design team clarifies a detail. Link the RFI Action to the Variation so the QS sees the blocker whenever they open it
• Disputed invoice — the subcontractor's invoice is on hold because of an outstanding snag. Link the Action to the Invoice so the accounts team can see exactly what's holding payment up

Next steps

• Getting started with Actions — for the wider Actions workflow.
• Closing an Action off properly — for finishing the Action once its linked work is complete.
• Variations, Invoices, Purchase Orders — some of the linkable records from the other side.