Many businesses are forced into rigid status flows that don't match how they actually work. This update gives you a way to define your own - across jobs, quotations, and invoices.
Your cleaning company doesn't work like a repair service. Your HVAC business doesn't run the same way as a pest control operation. So why should your software force you all into the same predefined boxes?
The December 2025 release centres on one big idea: your business management software should match how you work, not force you to change your processes to match the software.
Here's what's new - and more importantly, why it matters.
Custom Status System
Stop wrestling with statuses that don't match your workflow. Create your own - with your terminology, your colours, your rules - across jobs, quotations, and invoices.
Mark a quote as "Client Reviewing" to spot follow-ups fast. Use a "Partially Paid" invoice status so your team knows what's still financially open.
Complete Control Over Your Workflow
Every business works differently. Electricians call it "Awaiting Materials." Cleaners call it "Site Access Required." Pest control might call it "Follow-up Booked." HVAC engineers might use "Parts Ordered." Now you can use your language instead of generic labels that mean nothing to your team.
Custom labels. Colour coding that makes sense to you. Statuses that apply consistently across jobs, quotes, and invoices. Finally, clarity instead of confusion.
Flexible Status Progression
There are no rigid workflow rules - your team simply chooses the next status when it is ready. Can a job jump from "Quote Sent" straight to "Complete"? Your call. Prefer to go through "Approved" before "Scheduled"? Do that whenever it fits the job.
This keeps the workflow flexible without forcing your team into rigid automation. You control the flow, and your data still stays consistent across jobs, quotes, and invoices.
HivePlanner: Drag & Drop Scheduling
Planning should feel effortless, not like admin work. The updated HivePlanner makes scheduling jobs as simple as dragging them from your pipeline onto the calendar.
Visual Scheduling That Just Works
See a job in your pipeline that needs scheduling? Drag it onto the calendar. Done. No forms, no clicking through menus, no switching between screens. Your calendar updates instantly, and your team sees the change immediately.
It's the kind of interaction that feels obvious once you've used it - but makes you wonder why you were ever clicking through forms in the first place.
Smart Pipeline Filtering
The pipeline now automatically shows only active jobs. Completed work, cancelled quotes, archived projects - all hidden by default. Less noise, more focus on what actually needs your attention.
You didn't have to configure anything. It just works smarter.
Custom Status Integration
Your custom statuses display throughout HivePlanner with your chosen colours. "Awaiting Materials" shows up in amber. "Ready to Invoice" shows up in green. Visual clarity without having to remember what anything means.
Platform Improvements
This release includes strengthened security across the platform, along with improvements that make HiveSuite faster, more stable, and more reliable. We've also hardened session handling and error reporting so changes are captured consistently.
Polish & Usability
These are the changes that don't make headlines but dramatically improve how HiveSuite feels to use every day:
- Session timeout handler - Friendly notifications instead of nested login screens when your session expires
- Improved inventory search - Shows top 25 items immediately on focus for faster browsing
- Better visual alignment - Consistent sizing and spacing across controls
- Clearer button labels - "View Job" instead of "Planner" (more descriptive, less ambiguous)
- Accessibility fixes - Resolved ARIA warnings and improved keyboard navigation
Each one is small. Together, they make HiveSuite feel more polished, more predictable, more solid.
Additional Updates
Custom statuses work seamlessly across invoices and quotations. Yearly billing is now available for those who prefer annual subscriptions. Behind the scenes: eliminated duplicate script loading, added database indices for faster queries, optimised autocomplete performance, and enhanced error handling throughout.
Every existing HiveSuite customer gets all of this automatically. No upgrade fees. No feature tiers. No "enterprise plan" required. This is just how we build software - continuous improvement, available to everyone.
Try HiveSuite Free for 30 Days
Custom workflows, drag & drop planning, and platform-level improvements - all included in every plan.
£24.99/month for Founding 100 members (first 12 months). All features included.
No credit card required. Set up in 10 minutes.