Industry Templates
Skip hours of manual setup — industry templates pre-load your task library, cost categories, and accounting mappings in seconds
Setting up a new system from scratch is daunting. You know you need to track tasks, log time, and manage costs — but defining every service category, mapping every expense account, and configuring tax codes manually takes hours. Most firms put it off, and when they finally do it, they miss important categories that only surface months later.
Here's the thing: most firms in the same industry share about 80% of the same service structure. Whether you're a digital agency or an engineering consultancy, you have discovery phases, delivery phases, and project management overhead. Industry Templates give you that 80% instantly, so you can focus on the 20% that makes your firm different.
What a Template Gives You
When you select an Industry Template during onboarding, AtomicSam doesn't just create a few folder names. It builds a functional backbone for your entire operational and financial tracking:
- Task Categories — high-level groupings (e.g., "Discovery," "Design," "Implementation") that organise how time is reported
- Task Items — the specific activities your team logs time against, pre-loaded with descriptions and unit types
- Cost Categories — pre-defined expenditure types such as Travel, Subcontractors, or Software Licenses
- Expense Account Mappings — behind-the-scenes logic linking cost categories to the right ledger accounts in Xero or QuickBooks
- Default Markup & Tax — sensible starting points for profit margins and tax codes based on industry norms
Available Templates
| Template | Core Task Categories | Sample Task Items | Typical Cost Categories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Agency | Strategy, Design, Dev, PM | Wireframing, API Integration, SEO Audit | Media Spend, Stock Assets, Hosting |
| Architecture | Pre-Design, Schematic, Admin | Site Analysis, 3D Modelling, Permit Filing | Printing/Plotting, Couriers, Travel |
| Engineering | Feasibility, Design, Testing | Structural Calc, CAD Work, Field Testing | Site Equipment, Sub-Consultants |
| Consulting | Discovery, Analysis, Delivery | Stakeholder Interviews, Reporting | Travel, Accommodation, Materials |
| Creative / Video | Pre-Prod, Production, Post | Storyboarding, Sound Mix, Colour Grading | Equipment Rental, Talent, Location Fees |
Your Starting Point, Not a Constraint
A common concern is that templates will box you in. They won't. Once applied, the template becomes your data — fully editable, deletable, and extendable:
- Prune what doesn't fit — if the Architecture template includes "Landscape Design" but you only handle interiors, delete it in two clicks
- Add what makes you different — create custom tasks for your firm's unique services and specialisations
- Adjust your rates — templates set sensible defaults, but you can override every rate to match your market positioning
- Remap for your accountant — re-link cost categories to match your specific Chart of Accounts naming conventions
Pro Tips
- Review before you build — after applying a template, spend 10 minutes walking through Settings → Task Library before creating your first job. Deleting irrelevant categories now is far easier than merging them later
- Do a dry run — create a test job and try logging a few time entries against the template tasks. You'll quickly spot any naming or structure issues while they're still easy to fix
- Pick the closest match — you can choose any template regardless of your industry, but selecting the one closest to your business model saves the most time