Creating and Viewing Phased Budgets in Brightflag

This article explains why the Phased budget type may not appear and how vendor users can create, view, and edit phased budgets in Brightflag.

Why you cannot see the Phased budget type ❗

If you do not see Phased as a budget type option, it is because a budget already exists on the matter.

⚠️ Important

Brightflag only allows one budget per matter.

If a budget already exists, the Phased budget type will not appear until the existing budget is deleted.

To add a phased budget, you must delete the current budget first and then create a new phased budget.

Creating a Phased Budget 📌

1️⃣ Find and access the matter

1. Locate the relevant matter in Brightflag.

2. Click into the Matter Overview page.

2️⃣ Navigate to the Budgets tab

1. Select the Budgets tab within the matter.

3️⃣ Add or remove an existing budget

• If no budget exists

  • Click Add a Budget

• If a budget already exists

  • Click Edit Budgets

  • Delete the existing budget

📢 Note

You must delete the existing budget before you can select Phased as the budget type.

4️⃣ Choose the budget type

1. Select Phased as the budget type.

5️⃣ Add phases

1. Click Add Phase

2. Enter a phase name

3. Press Enter or click Add Phase to confirm

4. Repeat as needed to add multiple phases

💡 Tip

Use consistent phase names. Previously used phase names will appear as suggestions while typing.

📢 Please note

Vendor invoices can only be associated with one phase at a time.

6️⃣ Enter budget details

1. Enter the total budget amount using the matter currency

⚠️ Important

If the currency is incorrect, update it on the Matter Details page before continuing.

7️⃣ Set an unassigned budget (optional)

• Also known as an internal or buffer budget

• This amount is not visible to vendors

• If not required, set this to 0 or 0 percent

8️⃣ Review and confirm allocations

1. Click Next to proceed

2. The non unassigned portion of the budget is split evenly across vendors

3. To adjust vendor amounts:

   • Click into a cell

   • Enter a new amount

   • Click the ✔ icon to confirm

4. To allocate amounts by month:

   • Click Phase Breakdown

   • Edit the monthly cells directly

5. To undo changes:

   • Click Reset Changes at the bottom of the grid

9️⃣ Add more phases (optional)

• Click Add Phase to include additional phases if required

🔹 Save and finalise the budget

1. Click Save in the top right corner

2. Enter an internal comment

   • This is logged in the Budget Changes Table

   • Visible internally only

3. Click Confirm Changes

📢 Please note

Vendors are not notified when a budget is created or updated.

Vendors can only see their allocated portion of the budget.

Editing a Phased Budget ✏️

1️⃣ Access the budget

1. Navigate to the Budgets tab on the matter

2. Click Edit Budgets

2️⃣ Modify budget details

You can update:

• Vendor allocations

• Phase amounts

• Monthly breakdowns

3️⃣ Delete a budget (if required)

• A phased budget can be deleted if necessary

• Deleted budgets remain visible in the Budget Changes Grid for audit purposes

⚠️ Important

Once deleted, vendors will no longer see any budget for the matter until a new one is created.

Suggested related articles 📚

• Viewing budgets as a vendor user

• Understanding budget allocations and visibility

• Why my invoice exceeds the matter budget

• How invoice phases work in Brightflag

If you continue to experience issues viewing or understanding budgets, please contact your Brightflag administrator or reach out to your client directly for clarification.