Time Capture & Billable Hours

Q: What happens if the automation assigns the wrong client or matter code?

Entries below the automation's confidence threshold are flagged for manual review before export. Your billing administrator can correct codes quickly without re-entering the entire entry.

Q: Can the automation work with our existing invoicing system?

Yes. The automation exports verified hours directly to your invoicing or accounting system, whether that is HubSpot, QuickBooks, or another mainstream platform your firm uses.

Q: Will staff still need to log time manually, or does the automation capture it automatically?

The automation monitors your calendar and email to capture work automatically. Staff can still log time manually if needed, and the automation will integrate those entries into the same workflow.

Q: How much time does this actually save each month?

The automation eliminates manual entry, validation, and export work, freeing your billing administrator to focus on exceptions and client relationships instead of data entry.

Stop losing revenue to forgotten time entries by capturing and posting billable hours without manual logging.

2.9k hrs

Manual time identified

Companies have mapped

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About This Automation

Time capture and billable hours tracking requires staff to manually review calendars and emails, then enter hours into spreadsheets with client and matter codes. Manual entry is slow, error-prone, and often incomplete, causing missed billable time and delayed invoicing.

Automation monitors work activity, extracts time entries, assigns codes automatically, and validates entries against the firm's master list. The result is faster capture, fewer errors, and invoices delivered days sooner.

Key features:

Monitor calendar and email activity to identify billable work automatically

Extract time entries and assign client and matter codes using pattern matching

Validate codes against the firm's master list and flag mismatches for review

Detect duplicate or conflicting entries and calculate billable hours by client

Export verified hours directly to invoicing and accounting systems

Flag ambiguous entries for human review before final submission

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 spreadsheet entry errors Staff abbreviate entries or omit required detail, forcing administrators to request corrections and re-enter data.	80%
2	Code mismatch and validation delays Incorrect client or matter codes require manual cross-checking against the master list and back-and-forth with staff.	67%
3	Duplicate and conflicting entries Overlapping hours or entries exceeding 24 hours per day must be manually identified and resolved by judgment call.	53%
4	Slow invoicing turnaround Manual export and re-entry into invoicing systems delays invoice generation by 5 to 7 days after period close.	40%
5	Missed billable time Work not logged in calendar or email is never captured, resulting in unbilled hours and lost revenue.	26%

Disclaimer

Automation readiness

How well-suited this process is for automation

Process Pain Score™

9.2/ 10

AI Fit Rating™

8.6/ 10

Automation Lift Index™

8.4/ 10

Hidden Overhead™

7.1/ 10

How The Automation Works

The full workflow, from trigger to completion.

1. Billing Period Startstrigger

The automation is triggered at the start of each billing week or on a daily schedule. It monitors calendar and email activity for all billable staff.

2. Extract Calendar Events and Email Activity

The automation reads events and messages for each billable staff member, identifying entries tagged with client names or matter codes. It extracts event titles, duration, and timestamps.

3. Classify and Assign Matter Codes

The automation analyzes event descriptions and email content to infer the correct client and matter code. It matches against the firm's master code list and flags ambiguous entries for human review.

4. Code Confidence High?

If the AI confidence score is above 85%, the entry is auto-assigned. If below 85%, the entry is flagged for manual review.

5. Detect and Flag Duplicates

The automation compares entries across staff and dates, flagging overlapping hours or duplicate descriptions. Flagged entries are held for manual review.

6. Compile Billable Hours Report

The automation aggregates verified entries by client and matter, calculates total billable hours, and identifies unbilled time. The report is formatted and ready for invoicing.

7. Notify Administrator of Flagged Entries

A message is sent to the billing administrator with a summary of flagged entries, duplicates, and unbilled hours. A link to the full report is included.

8. Export

Verified billable hours are automatically exported, creating or updating invoice line items. The administrator can then generate invoices directly.

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

How does the automation know which work is billable and which is not?

The automation learns from your calendar and email patterns, recognizing billable activities based on client names, meeting types, and task descriptions. Ambiguous entries are flagged for your team to confirm.

What happens if the automation assigns the wrong client or matter code?

Can the automation work with our existing invoicing system?

Will staff still need to log time manually, or does the automation capture it automatically?

How much time does this actually save each month?

View more FAQs

Process pain:9.2/10

Mapped by:36 Companies

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Page updated 10 August 2026