--- title: 3. Tracking Ideas and Opportunities description: Getting Started for General Contractors --- [Skip to content](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-items#main-content) [Contact Join Support](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en) [![Join Help Center](https://success.join.build/hubfs/Join%20Help%20Center.svg)](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge?hsLang=en) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Contact Join Support](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/kb-tickets/new) - [Login](https://app.join.build/) [Login](https://app.join.build/) Hi! 👋 How can we help? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Join - Help Center](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge?hsLang=en) 2. [Getting Started with Join](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-with-join?hsLang=en) 3. [Getting Started for General Contractors](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-with-join?hsLang=en#getting-started-for-general-contractors) # 3. Tracking Ideas and Opportunities ## General Contractors: learn how to track ideas and opportunities as Items in Join, add costs and details, and group, sort, filter, and report on Items. If you work for a General Contractor and have been invited to a Join project, here's everything you need to know to get up and running. Select a section below and scroll down to see the related information. | [![Join\_SuccessHub Art\_ProductUpdates](https://20889837.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20889837/SuccessHub%20Illustrations/Join_SuccessHub%20Art_ProductUpdates.svg)](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-nav?hsLang=en) [1. Signing Up and Navigating Join](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-nav?hsLang=en) | [![Join\_SuccessHub Art\_Dashboard](https://20889837.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20889837/SuccessHub%20Illustrations/Join_SuccessHub%20Art_Dashboard.svg)](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-dashboard?hsLang=en)[2. Visualizing Project Progress and Costs](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-dashboard?hsLang=en) | [![Join\_SuccessHub Art\_Items](https://20889837.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20889837/SuccessHub%20Illustrations/Join_SuccessHub%20Art_Items.svg)](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-items) **[3. Tracking Ideas and Opportunities](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-items)** | | --- | --- | --- | | [![Join\_SuccessHub Art\_Milestones](https://20889837.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20889837/SuccessHub%20Illustrations/Join_SuccessHub%20Art_Milestones.svg)](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-milestones?hsLang=en) [4. Managing Baseline Costs and Project Phases](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-milestones?hsLang=en) | **[![Join\_SuccessHub Art\_Reports](https://20889837.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20889837/SuccessHub%20Illustrations/Join_SuccessHub%20Art_Reports.svg)](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-reporting?hsLang=en)** [5. Pivoting and Reporting](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-reporting?hsLang=en) [Cost Data](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-reporting?hsLang=en) | **[![Join\_SuccessHub Art\_Projects](https://20889837.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20889837/SuccessHub%20Illustrations/Join_SuccessHub%20Art_Projects.svg)](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-nav-configure?hsLang=en)** [6. Project Settings and Inviting Your Team](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-nav-configure?hsLang=en) | ### What You'll Learn - [How ideas and opportunities are tracked using Items in Join](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-items#overview) - [Grouping, Sorting, Filtering, and Reporting on your Items](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-items#items-list) - [Turning your idea into an Item](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-items#create) - [Adding costs and other relevant information to an Item](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-items#detailed-view) ### Items in Join Items are how Join allows you to track ideas to be explored or decisions to be made. Each Item has a set of information to make it easy to brainstorm, analyze, and review an Item. You can associate the costs of each idea against your Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), track its status and history, collaborate and comment with the project team, or create mutually exclusive Items using Options. ### Navigating the Items List Use the **Items List** to sort, filter, and group them, and to create dynamic or static reports of Item information.  ### Creating an Item Turn your idea into an Item by adding a few pieces of basic information and optionally add accountability by tracking a due date and assignee. ### Detailed Item View Use the **Detailed Item View** to add costs and supporting information, collaborate with the project team, or create mutually exclusive **Options**.   | **[2. Visualizing Project Progress and Costs](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-dashboard?hsLang=en)** | **[4. Managing Baseline Costs and Project Phases](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-milestones?hsLang=en)** | | --- | --- | | [![join-back-s](https://20889837.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/20889837/hubfs/Knowledge%20Base%20Import/join-back-s.jpg?width=105&name=join-back-s.jpg)](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-dashboard?hsLang=en) | [![join-next-s](https://20889837.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/20889837/hubfs/Knowledge%20Base%20Import/join-next-s.jpg?width=104&name=join-next-s.jpg)](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-for-gcs-milestones?hsLang=en) |     - [Getting Started with Join](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-with-join?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Join Overview](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-with-join?hsLang=en#join-overview) - [I'm a new Join user](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-with-join?hsLang=en#im-a-new-join-user) - [My company is new to Join](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/getting-started-with-join?hsLang=en#my-company-is-new-to-join) - 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[Integrations](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/integrations?hsLang=en#integrations) - [Security](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/security?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Frequently Asked Questions](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/security?hsLang=en#frequently-asked-questions) - [Single Sign-on](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/security?hsLang=en#single-sign-on) - [AI](https://success.join.build/en/knowledge/ai?hsLang=en) [![Artboard 3@4x-8](https://success.join.build/hs-fs/hubfs/Artboard%203@4x-8.png?width=100&height=69&name=Artboard%203@4x-8.png "Artboard 3@4x-8")](https://join.build) © 2026 - Join | All rights reserved. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "VideoObject", "contentUrl" : "https://8897459.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/8897459/Onboarding%20Videos/Items%20List.mp4", "dateModified" : "2022-08-17T16:53:38.149Z", "duration" : "PT5M0.867S", "height" : 1080, "name" : "Items List", "thumbnailUrl" : "https://success.join.build/hubfs/Onboarding%20Videos/Items%20List.mp4/medium.jpg", "uploadDate" : "2022-08-17T16:51:30.598Z", "width" : 1920 } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "VideoObject", "contentUrl" : "https://8897459.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/8897459/Onboarding%20Videos/Creating%20a%20new%20Item.mp4", "dateModified" : "2022-08-17T16:53:34.858Z", "duration" : "PT5M18.233S", "height" : 1080, "name" : "Creating a new Item", "thumbnailUrl" : "https://success.join.build/hubfs/Onboarding%20Videos/Creating%20a%20new%20Item.mp4/medium.jpg", "uploadDate" : "2022-08-17T16:50:24.014Z", "width" : 1920 } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "VideoObject", "contentUrl" : "https://8897459.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/8897459/Onboarding%20Videos/Item%20Detail%20View.mp4", "dateModified" : "2022-08-17T16:53:39.846Z", "duration" : "PT4M59.933S", "height" : 1080, "name" : "Item Detail View", "thumbnailUrl" : "https://success.join.build/hubfs/Onboarding%20Videos/Item%20Detail%20View.mp4/medium.jpg", "uploadDate" : "2022-08-17T16:51:39.817Z", "width" : 1920 } ```