Managing construction projects is all about staying organized and keeping details at your fingertips. Pipeline CRM gives you flexible tools to track activities, customize data, and automate routine tasks—so you can spend less time chasing information and more time building. This guide lays out the essentials for a smooth setup. Activity Categories: Sort What Matters Activity categories let you filter and report on the types of records you create. This helps you see where your team’s efforts go and spot patterns. Examples:
- Recruiting
- Operations
- Routine Site Check-Up
- Inventory Check
Tip: Use activity categories to power up your Activity Report and Scoreboard for instant insights. _Learn more here._ Custom Field Groups: Organize Your Info Custom field groups help you bundle related data, making it easier to find what you need on each record profile. Popular Groups:
- Location (Seattle, Portland, etc.)
- Industry
- Material Type
Pro move: Group fields by workflow stage for faster navigation. _More info on custom field groups here._ Custom Fields: Track What Matters Most Tailor your account with custom fields at the company, deal, or person level. Capture the info that’s relevant to your business, not just generic details. Examples:
Field Name
Level
Residential
Company
Commercial
Company
Estimate
Deal/Company
Date
Deal
Contact
Person/Company
Deadline
Deal/Company
Built
Company/People
Quote
Deal
Schedule
Person/Company
Trade
Deal/Person
Person Statuses: Know Your Contacts Person statuses help you quickly evaluate your relationship with contacts. Create as many as you need to keep track. Examples:
- Contractor
- Distributor
- Potential Client
- Project Manager
Read more about Person Statuses here. Person Tags: Label for Easy Search Tags let you group people by industry, role, or any other attribute. There’s no limit to how many tags you can apply. Sample Tags:
- Partner
- Architect
- Consultant
- Subcontractor
- Surveyor
Admins can manage tags in Account Settings or add them directly from the list view. _Learn more here._ Sources: Know Where Your Leads Come From Tracking sources helps you see which marketing efforts drive business. Common Sources:
- Website
- Market Research
- Architect
- Distributor
[**For more information on lead sources, click here.
**](/article/sources "https://help.pipelinecrm.com/article/172-sources")
Pipelines & Stages: Map Your Project Journey Multiple pipelines let you manage different products or services, each with unique processes. How it works:
- Create pipelines for each product or service.
- Define unique stages for every pipeline.
- Track deals as they move through each phase.
Learn more about multiple pipelines here. Task and Event Categories: Stay on Schedule Categorize reminders and events to focus on what matters most. Examples:
- Site Tour
- Jobsite
- Post-Bid Follow Up
- Appointment
- Design
For more information on categories, click here. Automations: Let Pipeline CRM Handle the Routine Automations keep things moving by handling repetitive tasks. Set up triggers so your team stays informed and nothing falls through the cracks. Sample Automations:
Name
Type
Trigger
Description
Web-to-Lead Notification
Person
Create
Notifies when a new lead comes in from the web.
New Candidate Alert
Deal
Create
Alerts Deal Owners for new candidates in the Tradesman Pipeline.
Company Contact Information Updated
Company
Update
Sends an alert when company contact info changes.
Deal - Quote Accepted
Deal
Update
Notifies Accounting when a quote is accepted.
Canceled Deal
Deal
Update
Alerts team not to perform initial contact on canceled deals.
Inside Sales Notify Sales
Deal
Update
Keeps Sales reps in the loop on deals needing their action.
Ready to Process Trigger
Deal
Update
Tasks for the office once an Estimator sells a job.
Schedule Reminder / Preparation of Start Info
Deal
Update
Sends email reminders to customers before their scheduled start date.
Note: Automation limits depend on your subscription plan. _See details here._ Key Takeaways
- Use categories and tags for fast filtering and reporting.
- Customize fields and groups to fit your workflow.
- Automate routine tasks to boost productivity.
- Keep formatting clean for easy reading—short paragraphs, plenty of white space, and bold highlights where it counts.
If you have more questions, reach out to our support team at customercare@pipelinecrm.com.