Time-to-Invoice Billing

Turn tracked creative hours into accurate, sent invoices in minutes instead of days.

35 hrs
Time saved/month
7
Companies have mapped
Map This Automation

About This Automation

Billing a client after a project milestone requires pulling hours, expenses, and contract terms from separate systems before an invoice can be built. Because these pieces live in different places, the work is repetitive, error prone, and easy to delay past the point where cash flow suffers.

An automated version gathers billing data the moment a milestone closes, drafts the invoice, and routes it for approval before sending it to the client. Overdue balances are then tracked and followed up on without anyone needing to check a separate report.

Key features
Detects when a project milestone becomes billable and starts the invoicing workflow automatically
Pulls logged hours, reimbursable expenses, and contract rates into one place without manual copying
Builds invoice line items and applies the correct contract rates before anyone reviews them
Routes the draft invoice for internal approval before it reaches the client
Sends the approved invoice directly to the client and logs it in the receivables record
Monitors due dates and sends overdue payment reminders without manual checking

How The Automation Works

The full workflow, from trigger to completion.

1. Milestone Or Billing Cycle Triggertrigger

The automation platform watches for completed milestones and the studio's billing calendar for cycle dates.

2. Aggregate Billing Data

The Billing Data Aggregator pulls logged hours, expenses, and contract rates.

3. Build Invoice Line Items

The Invoice Builder applies the correct rates and assembles a clean set of billable line items.

4. Create Invoice

The line items are written directly into a new invoice for the project.

5. Send Invoice

Invoices under the auto-send threshold are emailed to the client contact straight.

6. Studio Director Reviews Invoice

Invoices above the threshold route to the studio director's inbox for a manual check before sending.

7. Log Invoice Tracker

The sent invoice's number, amount, and due date are written to the AR tracker automatically.

8. Payment Follow-Up Monitors And Reminds

The Payment Follow-up checks due dates daily and sends reminder emails when a balance goes overdue.

4 reasons to map this process

1

It's completely free

No credit card, no commitment. Map your process and walk away with a full build plan.

2

You get a complete build plan

A visual process map, automation spec, delivery timelines, and everything needed to build it, customized to your workflow and tools.

3

You see your real numbers

Custom pricing, ROI projection, and payback timeline based on your actual process, not industry averages.

4

There's no obligation to build

Your build plan stays in your workspace with no expiry. Move forward whenever the timing is right.

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Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before mapping this process.

This template is a starting point based on how other businesses handle this type of work. When you map your process, you describe exactly how your team does it and the automation is built around your workflow, not a generic template.

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Estimated Time Saving
35hrs/month
Process pain:8.2/10
Mapped by:7 Companies

Map this to your business to get your exact numbers.

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