Building Maintenance
Staff procedure

One parent task for the job. A separate contractor subtask for each contractor and issued order.

Please review the Building Maintenance procedure below. It covers task ownership, contractor work orders, cost coding, budget allocation and close-out. The key requirement is to keep internal communication on the parent task and each contractor's communication and WO/PO documents on their own contractor subtask.

This is a review copy. Approval is required before it is issued or published as the approved procedure.

The six rules staff must remember

• Keep every internal discussion on the parent. Keep every contractor exchange, WO/PO reference and contractor document on the relevant contractor subtask.
• Create or verify the separate contractor subtask before issuing work. Listing contractors on the parent is not enough.
• Complete the property, owner, scope, Cost Type, GL code, budget and dates. Resolve conflicts before issue.
• Record approval before committing work or variations. A status label or budget number is not approval.
• Count each cost once: parent residual plus contractor allocations. Do not subtract the allocations from the residual again.
• Close the loop with Accounts. Asana completion does not prove a supplier has been paid.

Follow the job through

1. Intake and parent
2. Scope and coding
3. Approval
4. Contractor subtask and WO/PO
5. Schedule and manage
6. Verify completion
7. Invoice/Xero hand-off
8. Close

Use this guide: task setup sections 2–3; Cost Type and GL sections 4–6; budgets section 7; issuing section 8; delivery section 9; close-out section 10; checklist and references section 11.

2. Open and own the parent task

Step 1: check the request and immediate risk

1. Search for the existing job before creating another parent. Read the request, attachments, history and any linked tasks. Add related information to the existing job where it is the same issue.
2. Identify immediate safety, security, water, electrical, fire, lift or business-interruption risk. Escalate urgent risks by phone under the established emergency process; then record the action on the parent. Do not wait for routine Asana processing to raise an urgent risk.
3. Keep the parent in Building Maintenance and the correct property section. Use a clear title: [Property] - [exact location] - [issue or outcome]. Confirm the title, description and fields all identify the same location.
4. Assign an internal DMF owner and complete DMF Staff Responsible. This person coordinates the whole job and remains accountable for follow-up and closure.

Step 2: make the parent usable

All internal communication stays here

Use parent comments for internal instructions, quote comparisons, budget approval, cost allocation, lease/recharge decisions, staff handovers, concerns and financial reconciliation. Mention the colleague who must act. Include a clear next action and date.

Check that the parent and its internal attachments are restricted to the intended DMF audience. Do not add a contractor to the parent or paste internal discussions into a contractor-visible thread. Escalate incorrect access to the responsible administrator.

3. Create the contractor work-order record

Use one contractor subtask for each contractor and issued order. Two contractors mean at least two contractor subtasks. A further separately issued order needs its own linked subtask. Internal checklists are not contractor work-order records.

Step 3: create or verify the child record

1. Check whether the approved workflow has already created it. If it exists, update that record. If not, arrange creation through the established workflow; do not trigger a second copy.
2. Verify the record is a subtask of the correct Building Maintenance parent and is also a member of Contractor Work Orders. Adding it to the register must not sever its parent link.
3. Give it a specific title: [WO/PO reference when issued] - [Property] - [location] - [contractor] - [scope]. Keep each contractor's scope distinct.
4. Assign the contractor's verified Asana identity for contractor action. Retain the internal owner in DMF Staff Responsible. Confirm the contractor can access only the intended task and documents.

All contractor communication stays here

Put requests for quotes, contractor replies, booking/access messages, progress requests, agreed instructions, variation correspondence, completion photos, service reports, certificates, invoice references and the contractor's WO/PO documents on this subtask.

Ask contractors to comment on the relevant subtask and @mention the responsible DMF staff member when action is needed. Record telephone or off-platform exchanges here so that the contractor history remains together.

4. Select the right Cost Type

Cost Type describes the commercial treatment of the spend. GL Account Code describes the accounting category. Property/project/cost centre identifies where the cost belongs. Vendor Type identifies the trade. These are different decisions.

Ask these questions in order

1. What work is actually being bought? Separate a repair, a replacement/improvement, a contracted service and any tenant-specific request. Mixed scopes may need separate approved line allocations.
2. Who is responsible for the cost? Check the lease, service contract, warranty, owner approval and established accounting treatment. A tenant request alone does not establish tenant liability.
3. Is it covered by an existing service contract or warranty? Check the included scope before authorising a separately charged repair or call-out.
4. Is it a capital item, an operating/outgoings cost, an owner-only cost or a direct recharge? Use the definitions below and ask Accounts/Property Manager when there is uncertainty.
5. Select the exact Asana Cost Type, then a matching GL code and property/project allocation. Record the basis internally on the parent. Give the contractor only the information needed for its order.

Capital versus repair: routine servicing and minor repairs differ from replacement of a significant asset/component. A large repair is not automatically Capex, and like-for-like replacement is not automatically an expense. Accounts decides borderline treatment. See AASB 116, paragraphs 7 and 12–14, for the accounting distinction.

5. Apply the classification to real situations

These are fictional, ordinary commercial-property examples. The assumed responsibility and treatment are stated so staff can see what must be checked. They do not authorise spending or establish a lease entitlement.

Other current options: use deliberately

Construction & Fitouts: approved construction/fitout work using the relevant project budget and cost-code structure. Confirm its relationship to capital reporting with Accounts.

Warranty / Defect: work pursued under supplier/builder responsibility. Confirm coverage and any chargeable investigation before proceeding. A warranty label does not prove there will be no cost.

Split Costs: use only with a documented allocation between properties, entities, tenants or cost treatments that Accounts can process. State amounts/percentages and confirm they total the whole cost.

Admin / Non Property, Holding & Maintenance Costs and Statutory & Authority Fees: use only when the approved accounting/project context applies. Do not use them as a substitute for missing information.

6. Use the matching GL and cost allocation

The examples below are enabled GL Account Code choices checked in Asana on 19 October 2026. Select the full label shown in the task. The code must agree with the approved accounting treatment; it does not establish recoverability by itself.

The $5K wording above is part of the existing GL labels, not a capitalisation threshold or spending authority. Ask Accounts about an exact-$5,000 item, split invoice or any uncertain boundary. Never split a job to change its approval or coding treatment.

Property, project and cost centre: keep them aligned

1. Select the correct DMF PROPERTY CODE and DMF Address on both parent and contractor subtask. Confirm unit/suite and tenant details for tenancy-specific costs.
2. Use the correct property/entity and, where relevant, project/job and cost-code allocation in Re-Leased, Plexa and Xero. An Asana property code is not proof that the downstream cost centre is correct.
3. For a direct recharge, provide the identified tenant/unit and recovery basis to Accounts. For a split, provide the full approved allocation. Do not invent a cost-centre number or assume every system uses the same code.
4. If the correct GL or allocation is missing, ask Accounts/Property Manager to confirm it. Record their decision on the parent and update the relevant contractor/order record before issue or invoice processing.

7. Allocate the budget without double counting

Keep the original approved total, approved changes and budget-allocation record in the parent's internal description/comments or approved supporting schedule. The parent Budget field stops holding the original total as soon as part of it is allocated to a child.

Fictional example: approved $20,000 ex GST

Stage	Parent residual	Flooring child	Electrical child	Total
Before allocation	$20,000	$0	$0	$20,000
Allocate flooring $12,000	$8,000	$12,000	$0	$20,000
Allocate electrical $5,000	$3,000	$12,000	$5,000	$20,000
Approved $1,000 flooring variation funded from residual	$2,000	$13,000	$5,000	$20,000

Correct: $2,000 residual + $13,000 flooring + $5,000 electrical = $20,000.
Incorrect: keep $20,000 on the parent and also count $18,000 on the children.
Also incorrect: subtract the $18,000 again from a parent that already shows $2,000 residual.

When an allocation changes

1. Obtain approval for the revised scope/commitment. Record the internal decision and funding source on the parent.
2. If the variation is funded from existing residual, increase the child allocation and reduce the parent residual by the same amount. If extra budget is approved, record the increased total separately and reconcile the new allocation.
3. Update the actual order or issue a separately approved order/subtask as required. Put the contractor-facing variation and revised WO/PO documents on the affected subtask. Do not count the same variation on two orders.
4. Check the total and record the before/after figures, date, approval and person making the change. An unexplained negative residual is an escalation, not an acceptable balancing item.

Blank, zero and mixed costs

Blank means unknown or not entered. It does not mean free work. Record an estimate as an estimate with its basis; never present it as approved. An unapproved estimate must not be treated as authority to issue.

Zero means genuinely no remaining allocation/cost at that level and needs an explanation, for example fully allocated parent, confirmed no-charge warranty work or cancelled uncommitted scope. Do not enter zero just to clear a missing-budget warning.

A child must carry its own amount and coding. Do not leave the money solely on the parent after issuing separate contractor orders. For mixed Cost Types, document the allocation so a report does not classify the whole job from the parent alone.

8. Approve and issue the work

Step 4: scope, quote and approval

1. Prepare a clear contractor-specific scope. Include property, exact location, observed issue, requested inspection/action, deliverables, access/contact arrangements and whether this is quote only or approved work. Do not invent technical causes, measurements or compliance requirements.
2. Request pricing on the contractor subtask. Ask for itemised scope, exclusions, GST basis, lead time and validity. Attach the returned quote there. Compare and discuss quotes internally on the parent.
3. Obtain approval from the person with the required authority before committing work. Record approved scope, amount, GST basis, contractor, conditions, approver, date and evidence on the parent. Escalate anything outside delegated authority.
4. Confirm the approved contractor allocation and reduce the parent residual. Check the required child fields in section 3 before preparing the order.

Step 5: issue the matching WO/PO

Use the designated order system for this job. The current Order Type choices are Re-Leased WO and Plexa PO. Follow the approved issue process for that system; do not assume that changing an Asana status creates, approves or sends an order.

1. Check the correct property/entity/project, contractor, scope, dates, approved amount, coding and supporting quote in the source order. Keep internal approval discussion out of contractor-facing documents.
2. After the order is approved and issued, put its actual number in the child's DMF - PO # / SC# / WO# field. Attach/link the issued order and supporting contractor documents on that child. A number in the task title alone is not enough.
3. Record the source-system link and cross-reference to the contractor subtask where supported. Test the links and confirm they open the correct order/task. Put the Re-Leased link in Re-Leased Work Order Link where available; otherwise keep the verified link in the child record.
4. Confirm the intended contractor received the correct instruction and can access the relevant subtask. Record the issue date, recipient, order number, approved amount and next action on the child. Record an internal issue summary on the parent.

Treat action fields as potential send controls

Contractor Task Action has Ready to Issue, Issued, Error / review and Cancelled. Order Actions (DMF Staff Only) includes Send Quote Request Email and Send Work Update Request. Use these only under the established workflow after checking the recipient and content.

Keep Status, Re-Leased / Plexa Order Status and Contractor Task Action aligned with verified events. These fields describe different parts of the workflow; a status change never replaces the approval or issue evidence.

9. Schedule, communicate and manage changes

Dates must describe the real plan

Due Date: enter the agreed job/order completion target and keep it current. Record the date and owner of any earlier follow-up in a comment. Do not replace a genuine delivery date with an arbitrary reminder date.

Proposed Date of Works: record the proposed or confirmed contractor attendance date on the contractor subtask. Clearly say whether it is booked or awaiting confirmation.

Start Date and Due Date for a project: use a genuine start/end range where relevant. Record known deposit, progress-claim and final-payment timing for Accounts. The work deadline and the invoice payment date are different facts.

If a date is unknown, record what is missing, who must confirm it and when staff will follow up. Do not use retired Planned-quarter priorities as dates or invent dates to make a report complete.

Use a current Status that matches the next action

Select the closest true stage and use a comment to explain the exact next action. Parent status describes the overall job; each child describes that contractor's progress. Physical completion may still leave an invoice or defect action outstanding.

Every action needs a record in the right place

Comment pattern: Date - Action taken. Outcome. Relevant quote/order reference. Next action by [owner] due [date]. Use it after calls, emails, inspections, bookings, delays, approvals, variations, completion and invoice follow-up.

Internal coordination: parent. Contractor instruction/update: relevant child. If both audiences need an update, make two appropriate records; do not copy the private internal discussion to the contractor thread.

Variations, delays and cancellation

• Variations: obtain internal approval on the parent before extra work; update the child/order, budget allocation and timing. Keep the approved contractor instruction on the child.
• Delays: state the reason, impact, revised date and owner. Notify the affected contractor on its child; coordinate staff and dependencies on the parent.
• Cancellation: confirm whether work, call-out, materials or cancellation charges have already been committed. Record contractor cancellation on the child, internal decision on the parent, and update the source order. Keep the audit history.
• Reallocate only the confirmed uncommitted amount. Return it to the parent residual if the scope remains planned; if the scope is removed, record the approved budget reduction. Do not release money already invoiced or still owed.

10. Complete, invoice and close the job

Step 6: verify the work

1. Obtain completion confirmation and required photographs, service reports, certificates, warranties and other deliverables on the relevant contractor subtask.
2. The responsible DMF owner checks the work against the approved scope, including the tenant/requester confirmation where appropriate. Record defects or incomplete items and assign follow-up. Do not treat a contractor's claim of completion as the only check.
3. Update the child Status to reflect the remaining action. Use Awaiting Invoice when physical work is complete but the invoice is still outstanding. Record the overall position internally on the parent.

Step 7: reconcile the invoice with Accounts

Keep invoice submission through the established channels: invoices@demartini.com.au for maintenance and projectinvoices@demartini.com.au for projects. An Asana comment or invoice attachment does not replace invoice submission.

1. Match the invoice to the correct contractor, property, WO/PO, approved quote, approved variations, work completed and previous claims. Resolve duplicate, incorrect or disputed amounts before approval.
2. Confirm Cost Type, GL, property/entity/project and tenant/recharge allocation. Record internal checking, approval and Accounts queries on the parent. Keep contractor invoice correspondence and order/invoice references on the relevant child.
3. Obtain confirmation that Accounts has processed the item in Xero, or record evidence that there is genuinely no cost. Record the invoice/order reference, outcome and date so the work can be reconciled later.

Step 8: close the contractor child, then the parent

Close a child only when its scope and close-out evidence are complete, any remaining defects are resolved or formally assigned to linked follow-up work, and the cost is either confirmed as nil or processed through Accounts in Xero. Preserve the order, quote, approvals and invoice trail.

Close the parent only after every contractor child and internal action has been checked, the overall outcome is verified, the budget residual is reconciled, and no unexplained commitment remains. Record the final internal summary and any continuing warranty/follow-up responsibility.

Keep cash forecasting separate from task closure

An invoiced/processed amount must not remain counted as an unbilled Asana forecast for the same scope. Accounts reconciles partial invoices, credits and remaining commitments against the source orders and Xero.

If a processed invoice is still unpaid, it remains in Xero accounts payable/cash forecasting even after its Asana child is complete. Never remove that cash obligation just because the task is ticked complete. Do not overwrite the historical order amount to pretend it was never committed.

Where actual payment timing is known, give Accounts that schedule. An equal monthly project spread is a reporting assumption only; it is not an instruction to staff or a substitute for an agreed payment schedule.

11. Final check and worked communication example

Fictional example: two contractors, one job

Job: a small office refurbishment. Parent: "EXAMPLE PROPERTY - Suite A - Flooring and lighting". Child 1: flooring contractor/order. Child 2: electrical contractor/order. All names, amounts and dates here are training examples only.

Before issue

• Correct parent and a separate child for each contractor/order; each child appears in Contractor Work Orders.
• Internal owner and contractor assignee correct; audience/access checked; contractor scope and documents contain no internal discussion.
• Property, location, Cost Type, GL, allocation, approval, ex-GST budget and dates complete and consistent.
• Parent residual reconciles with children; actual WO/PO number, documents, links and issue evidence are on the child.

Before close-out

• Work and deliverables verified; defects and outstanding actions resolved or explicitly assigned.
• Invoice/no-cost outcome checked with Accounts; Xero processing reference recorded; unpaid AP retained in cash forecasting.
• Parent and children have current statuses, final comments and reconciled budgets. Nothing is left with no owner.

Source references and document control

Prepared against live Asana fields and the DMF Building Maintenance SOP, checked 19 October 2026. Core task structure and communication/budget rules reflect Brett's instructions. GL examples are current Asana choices, cross-checked against DMF's Chart of Accounts Grouping; Accounts must confirm application to the relevant entity.

Building Maintenance project Contractor Work Orders project Existing DMF training SOP AASB 116, paragraphs 7 and 12-14

Document owner: DMF Property. Review copy v0.9. Brett's approval is required before staff issue or publication. Maintain one approved version and regenerate the matching PDF when it changes.