Time-to-Invoice & Retainer Billing

Q: Do we still need a person to approve invoices before they go out?

Yes. The automation creates the invoice and prepares it for review, but a finance manager or owner approves it in the accounting system before it is sent.

Q: Will this work with our existing timesheet and accounting tools?

The automation connects to mainstream timesheet systems, CRMs, and accounting platforms like Xero, HubSpot, and Google Sheets. Your integration specialist will confirm compatibility during setup.

Q: What happens to invoices that are already in the system?

Existing invoices are not affected. The automation processes new invoices going forward.

Q: How does the system handle retainer billing and credits?

The automation looks up retainer amounts and credits from your client contracts, applies them to each invoice, and calculates the net amount due. Multi-currency conversions are also handled automatically if needed.

Stop losing billable hours to manual timesheet chasing and get invoices out the door on time, every time.

200 hrs

Manual time identified

Companies have mapped

Map This Automation

About This Automation

Creating and sending invoices manually is slow and error-prone, especially when billing rules vary by client and retainer credits must be applied.

Automation extracts billable hours, applies the correct client rates and billing rules, calculates invoice amounts with retainer credits, and creates invoices in the accounting system.

Key features:

Extract timesheet hours automatically by project and team member for each billing period

Look up client rates and billing rules from contracts and apply them to each invoice

Calculate invoice amounts with retainer credits, discounts, and multi-currency conversions

Create invoices in your accounting system with all line items and due dates pre-filled

Send invoices to clients automatically and log them in a tracking system

Monitor payment status and flag overdue invoices for follow-up

Data insights How it works Apps used What you get FAQ

Top friction points when done manually

The issues teams report most often with this process

#	Friction point	Companies Report This
1	Manual rate verification Bookkeeper must cross-check each client contract to confirm rates, discounts, and billing method, introducing errors and delays.	80%
2	Spreadsheet-based calculations Invoice amounts are calculated manually in spreadsheets, risking formula errors and inconsistent application of retainer credits.	67%
3	Manual invoice data entry Each invoice is typed individually into the accounting system, consuming time and introducing transcription errors.	53%
4	Email lookup and sending Client email addresses are looked up manually or from contact lists, slowing distribution and risking wrong recipient.	40%
5	Weekly payment status checks Finance staff manually review unpaid invoices and send reminder emails, a reactive process that delays collections.	26%

Disclaimer

Automation readiness

How well-suited this process is for automation

Process Pain Score™

8.6/ 10

AI Fit Rating™

9.1/ 10

Automation Lift Index™

8.7/ 10

Hidden Overhead™

7.3/ 10

How The Automation Works

The full workflow, from trigger to completion.

1. Billing cycle date or timesheet approvaltrigger

Automation is triggered when the billing cycle date arrives or when timesheets are marked approved in the source system.

2. Fetch timesheet and client data

The automation pulls billable hours from the timesheet system and retrieves client billing rules, rates, and contact details.

3. Calculate invoice amounts

The automation applies rates, discounts, and retainer credits to the extracted hours and generates line items with totals.

4. Create invoice

The calculated invoice is automatically created with client details, line items, amounts, and due date.

5. Send invoice

The invoice is exported and sent automatically to the client email address with a standard message.

6. Log invoice and notify team

Invoice details are logged to a tracking sheet and a notification is sent to the finance team for visibility.

Most popular tool stack used

— the complete tool combinations companies use

52% of companies

28% of companies

15% of companies

Disclaimer

What you get when you map this process

Everything you need to understand, plan, and build your automation.

ROI and business case

What this process costs today and what changes once it's automated.

Launch schedule

What gets built, in what order, and what success looks like once it's live.

Process runbook

How the automation runs day to day, including exceptions and human decision points.

Developer handover pack

Full build spec, logic, and configuration — ready to hand off without a briefing call.

Integration and connections guide

Every tool connection, credential, and data mapping the build needs.

Test and QA plan

20 hrsIdentified

4Mapped

View

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before mapping this process.

What happens if a client has a custom billing rule or one-off discount?

The automation applies rules stored in your CRM or contract database. For exceptions, the invoice is flagged for manual review before sending, ensuring your finance team maintains control over non-standard scenarios.

Do we still need a person to approve invoices before they go out?

Will this work with our existing timesheet and accounting tools?

What happens to invoices that are already in the system?

How does the system handle retainer billing and credits?

View more FAQs

Process pain:8.6/10

Mapped by:4 Companies

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Page updated 10 August 2026