# FAQ and Troubleshooting --- ## General **What browsers work best with PAI?** Use Chrome for the best experience. **Does PAI have a mobile app?** PAI is a web application optimized for desktop. You can access it on mobile, but most features work best on a larger screen. The Vendor Portal is the exception — it's designed for mobile-first use. **Can I import data from spreadsheets?** Not directly. Data migration is available through the PAI services team. Contact [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) to discuss options. --- ## Account and Organization Setup **How do I sign in?** Enter your email at [app.paihq.com](https://app.paihq.com) and open the link PAI emails you (it expires after 5 minutes). You can also sign in with a password, a passkey or Google: set them up under **Settings → Security**. See [First Login and Setup](../00-Understanding-PAI/First-Login-and-Setup.md#step-3-sign-in). **My old password doesn't work.** Passwords set before PAI's October 2026 sign-in update no longer work. PAI shows **Your Password Needs Resetting**: choose **Email me a sign-in link**, or **Email me a link to set a new password**. **How do I turn on two-step verification?** Go to **Settings → Security**, set a password if you don't have one, then set up **Two-Step Verification** with an authenticator app. Once it's on, sign-in links are turned off for your account. **How do I sign out a device I no longer use?** **Settings → Security → Active Sessions** lists every device where you're signed in. **Revoke** it, or **Revoke All Other Sessions**. **How do I add users to my organization?** Go to **Settings → Users** and click **Add User**. Choose **Workspace User** (login access) or **Staff Resource** (assignable to work, optional login for logging hours). Review [Users and Permissions](../01-Organization-Setup/Users-and-Permissions.md) before assigning roles. **Can I duplicate an existing project?** Yes. On the Projects list, open the **⋯** menu in the project's name cell and select **Duplicate**. This is also a useful way to template repeat projects. To copy just an estimate, use **Duplicate Estimate** or **New Project From Version** in the estimate's **⋯** menu. **How do I delete a project?** Open the project's **Dashboard** and choose **Actions → Delete Project**. Deletion is permanent and unrecoverable. Only projects that were never approved can be deleted — this is intended for removing creation errors like duplicate projects, not retiring completed work. --- ## Estimation and Bidding **Why can't I edit my estimate?** The estimate version is locked. A version locks when it's set to **Sent** (including **Send & Download** from the print window) and stays locked through every later stage, including Approved; changing the stage doesn't unlock it. If you have the permissions, unlock it with the lock icon in the estimate toolbar or the **Locked / Unlocked** toggle in **Version Settings**. Otherwise, create a new version to make changes while preserving the locked one. **How do I apply a discount to an estimate?** Two ways. For a discount on specific lines, show the **Disc. (%)** column in the estimate grid (it's hidden by default) and enter a percentage per line. For one across the whole estimate, open the **Modifiers** window (the **%** button in the estimate toolbar) and set a **Project Discount** percentage in the Discount section at the top. See [Modifiers](../02-Bidding-a-Project/Modifiers.md#discounts). **Where do I manage the Reporting panel settings?** In the project, open the right sidebar and select the **Reporting** panel. Set the reported version, owner, probability, expected close date, and other pipeline fields there. --- ## Budget Management **Can I generate a budget from a non-approved estimate?** Yes: on an unapproved version, **Generate Budget** is the primary button and is also in the estimate's **⋯** menu. This is an exception for organizations whose process commits spend before formal approval, not the normal path. You can also delete a budget and regenerate it from a different estimate version if needed. **How do I delete and regenerate the budget?** From the budget page: open the **⋯** menu at the top right and choose **Delete Budget**. Deleting the budget removes everything in it — all expense lines, vendor assignments, rates, call sheets, and associated data. This is irreversible. > [!warning] > Deleting the budget is not possible if any expense lines have reached Approved status or are under AP control. All expense lines must be at Draft, Confirmed, or Posted status before deletion is allowed. If your budget contains locked lines, you cannot delete it. **How do I update multiple expense statuses at once?** The budget works like a spreadsheet for cell editing. Copy a cell with the status you want to apply (Cmd+C / Ctrl+C), then select the target cells using Shift+click for a range or Cmd/Ctrl+click for individual rows, and paste (Cmd+V / Ctrl+V). The copied status applies to all selected cells. **Can I modify the budget after it's been created?** Yes. Budgets don't use a versioning system. You can add, modify, or remove expense lines as needed. PAI tracks all changes against the original approved estimate. --- ## Call Sheets and Production **How do I create a new production day?** Copy an existing day from its call sheet with the copy icon at the top of the day ("Are you sure you want to duplicate this day?"). The copy gets the next day number, the same date, and copies of its crew lines at Draft. To create a brand new day, click into the **Dates** cell on any expense line in the budget and choose a day type from the buttons at the bottom of the dropdown — Prep, Travel, Production, Wrap, or Post. PAI creates a day of that type and assigns the line to it. **How do I schedule multiple days at once?** Use the Project Calendar. Days without dates appear under **Unassigned Events** in the calendar's sidebar — drag them onto dates to schedule them. **Can I connect my PAI calendar to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook?** Yes. Go to **Calendar** in the main navigation and click **View Feed** in the sidebar. Use **Add to:** **Google**, **Apple** or **Outlook**, or copy the **Feed URL** into any ICS-compatible app. Under **Feed Settings**, choose **Organization Calendar** (all events) or **My Calendar** (events you're assigned to), and which event types to include. The feed has to be turned on for your organization (**Settings → Company Settings → Calendar Feed**). See [Project Calendar](../04-Executing-the-Job/Project-Calendar.md#calendar-feed) for full setup details. **Why can't I post an expense line?** Usually because the day assigned to that expense doesn't have a calendar date. The fastest fix from the budget: click into the Dates cell on the expense line, hover over the day name to reveal the pencil icon, and click it to open a modal where you can assign the date. You can also assign the date from the Project Calendar or from the call sheet day's Overview section. --- ## Vendor Management **What's the difference between Create and Create & Invite when adding a vendor?** **Create** adds the vendor to your database for internal tracking without notifying them. **Create & Invite** does the same and sends them an invitation to register on the vendor portal. **What are the vendor classifications?** - **W2 Employee** — employees who submit timecards through PAI - **1099 Contractor** — independent contractors who invoice through PAI - **Foreign Contractor** — non-US contractors who invoice through PAI - **Merchant** — businesses paid outside PAI (cash, card, wire); for internal tracking only Portal billing requires a vendor record with a first name, last name and email. **Can vendors update their own information after registering?** Yes. Once a vendor has connected to your organization via the portal, their profile is managed by them — changes you make in PAI create an alias rather than modifying their record. **How does Crew Finder work?** Crew Finder is the **Map** in the Vendors module. Set a **Location**, a **Search Radius**, and the **Vendor Types** (roles) you need to find vendors in your database near a specific area. It searches your existing vendor database only — it's not a public crew directory. --- ## AP and Vendor Invoicing **Why can't a vendor see the expense I posted?** Check that: the vendor's status is **Active**; the expense is **Posted** in the budget; the expense's day is **today or earlier** (posted lines on future days only appear in the portal on that date); the vendor's email address is correct; and the vendor's classification is not Merchant (Merchants don't receive invoices through PAI). Note that posting notifications are delayed 2–3 hours. **How do I reject an invoice?** Review all expense lines first — approve or reject each individually; each rejection asks for a note the vendor will see. Once all lines are actioned, click **Request Changes** to return the invoice to the vendor. The invoice moves to **Changes Requested** and the vendor must resubmit. **How do reimbursable expenses work?** Mark an expense line as Reimbursable. In the vendor portal it starts at $0 with the preapproved amount shown beside it ("Preapproved for up to $150.00"). Vendors enter what they spent and attach a receipt. The preapproved amount is a guide, not a cap, so every reimbursable comes to you for review regardless of amount. --- ## Troubleshooting **Timecard error: "Invalid start time and invalid end time"** This usually means the AM/PM indicator wasn't entered. Use the format "9:00 AM" or "9:00 PM" explicitly. You can type "900a" or "500p" as a shortcut. Safari users: the AM/PM may appear as placeholder text but not be entered — type "A" or "P" explicitly to register it. **Vendor cannot see a posted invoice** Verify the vendor's status is Active, the expense is marked Posted, its day is today or earlier, the vendor email is correct, and the vendor is not classified as Merchant. If all checks pass, contact support. **Estimate is locked and I can't edit it** The version was locked when it was sent, and stays locked through later stages. Click the lock icon in the estimate toolbar, or use the **Locked / Unlocked** toggle in **Version Settings**, to unlock it (requires sufficient permissions), or create a new version.