# Getting started Use this guide during a Drum trial. The goal is to see whether your firm can run pipeline, delivery, time, and invoicing from one live source of truth — without rebuilding everything first. ## Before you start You need: - A Drum trial account at [app.getdrum.com](https://app.getdrum.com) - One real (or realistic) project you can use as a test case - At least one other person from the firm, if you want to check resourcing and timesheets ## 1. Confirm who will evaluate Drum Drum is built for directors, project managers, and finance to work from the same data. Invite the people who will decide whether it fits, not only administrators. Have each person open the same project and check the view they care about: pipeline, budget, time, WIP, or invoicing. ## 2. Create one project the way you sell work Create a project that matches how your firm actually scopes work — deliverables, tasks, roles, and a fee or budget. If you already write fee proposals, start there. Drum is most useful when the budget your team manages is the same commercial promise you sold. ## 3. Capture time and costs against that work Log time against the project’s tasks, and add a cost if you typically recover expenses or subconsultant fees. This is the fastest way to see whether Drum can replace spreadsheet timesheets and month-end exports. ## 4. Check WIP and what you could invoice Open the project’s financial view and confirm you can see: - Time and costs against the budget - Work in progress - What is ready to invoice If those numbers are visible without an export, the trial is doing its job. ## 5. Connect finance when you are ready Drum integrates with Xero, MYOB, and QuickBooks. You do not need the integration on day one, but connecting it is the best way to test whether invoicing can stay attached to live project data. ## What to look at next - [API reference](/reference/api/) if you need to pull Drum data into another system - [getdrum.com](https://getdrum.com) for product background, or [contact support](https://getdrum.com) if you get stuck during the trial

Use this guide during a Drum trial. The goal is to see whether your firm can run pipeline, delivery, time, and invoicing from one live source of truth — without rebuilding everything first.

Before you start

You need:

• A Drum trial account at app.getdrum.com
• One real (or realistic) project you can use as a test case
• At least one other person from the firm, if you want to check resourcing and timesheets

1. Confirm who will evaluate Drum

Drum is built for directors, project managers, and finance to work from the same data. Invite the people who will decide whether it fits, not only administrators.

Have each person open the same project and check the view they care about: pipeline, budget, time, WIP, or invoicing.

2. Create one project the way you sell work

Create a project that matches how your firm actually scopes work — deliverables, tasks, roles, and a fee or budget.

If you already write fee proposals, start there. Drum is most useful when the budget your team manages is the same commercial promise you sold.

3. Capture time and costs against that work

Log time against the project’s tasks, and add a cost if you typically recover expenses or subconsultant fees.

This is the fastest way to see whether Drum can replace spreadsheet timesheets and month-end exports.

4. Check WIP and what you could invoice

Open the project’s financial view and confirm you can see:

• Time and costs against the budget
• Work in progress
• What is ready to invoice

If those numbers are visible without an export, the trial is doing its job.

5. Connect finance when you are ready

Drum integrates with Xero, MYOB, and QuickBooks. You do not need the integration on day one, but connecting it is the best way to test whether invoicing can stay attached to live project data.

What to look at next

• API reference if you need to pull Drum data into another system
• getdrum.com for product background, or contact support if you get stuck during the trial