Here’s the quick guide to help you navigate how ownership is assigned, how contributors support the work, and how roles keep everyone aligned.
👤 Project Owner (always one per-phase)
Every project record has only one owner at all times.
⚠️ Tip: an owner can’t be removed (only edited) so the project is never left without someone leading it. This ensures every project always has a clear point of responsibility.
Default project owners vs. assigned project owners
Default owners: when Riffle identifies an ITB in someone's email, it automatically assigns the inbox owner as the first Project Owner.
Assigned owners: when the project moves phases (like when you Accept it), you can assign a new owner if needed. Or, simply keep Riffle's default owner if it supports your company's workflow.
💡Note: When a project is manually created in Riffle, the owner is automatically assigned as the user who created it. Like all other owners, this can be edited at any time.
🏷 Roles (what each person does)
Roles describe what someone is doing on/for the project (Estimator, PM, Foreman, Accounting, etc.).
💡 Tip: admins can enable/disable roles to keep the list clean and relevant to your company's specific workflow, with the exception of “ITB Manager”, which is automatically assigned when the ITB is detected but editable at any time on the Project Details page.
👍 Accepting a project (and assigning an owner)
When you Accept a project in Riffle, we ask you who should own this project & what is their main responsibility.
You can:
Keep the default/automatically assigned owner, or
Assign someone else & give them the correct role
Accepting still moves the project from the Project Inbox into Opportunities.
Other ways to assign a Project Owner
You can also assign owners directly from the Opportunities or Project Details pages if you come across a project without an owner. Just press the "Assign" button and select a team member.
🔄 Changing a Project Owner
At any phase, you can edit the owner.
When you edit the owner:
The new person becomes the Owner
The previous Owner becomes a Contributor
This keeps responsibilities clear while still allowing for handoffs, but you can remove contributors at any time.
⚠️ Remember, owners can never be deleted. This also helps to ensure responsibilities are clear and avoids projects accidentally having no clear ownership.
👥 Contributors (optional “helpers”)
Contributors help move the project forward but are not the main person responsible for it. You can add as many contributors as you need.
Project contributors might:
Provide general support for the project owner
Help with takeoffs
Be responsible for specific areas roles/contributions but not be fully responsible for driving the project to success
📍 Where to find Owners & contributors
The Project Team section inside every Project Details page
The Accept Project action process
The Opportunities table
⭐ Quick Summary
Every project always has one person in charge
Accepting a project lets you confirm or change that person
Contributors are helpers who support the work
Roles define responsibilities
Owners can change, but there is always someone assigned
Contributors can change/be removed at any time
💡Tip: Riffle recommends keeping the full history of a project team for accountability & future reference. These projects can last months, or even years! Having a clear & detailed history helps you company maintain visibility as your projects grow.