What I’d start with
One completion form, one set of agreed rates and one Xero organisation.
CLEANING COMPANIES
Finish the clean. Get the invoice ready.
For a small cleaning company with a team out on jobs and an owner catching up on invoices later. Put completed work straight into the review queue.
See the automation flowIllustrative example · a possible starting point for your business
THE PROBLEM
Friday evening shouldn’t be invoice evening.
The team has cleaned three properties, but the hours and extras are in separate messages. You still have to match each job to the customer, check the agreed rate and type it all into your accounts software.
- Transcribing job sheets into invoice lines.
- Losing track of a completed job that hasn’t been invoiced.
- Missing an extra or using an out-of-date rate.
THE SOLUTION
How the automation would work
I’d start with a simple completion form that references the booked job. The workflow would validate the customer and agreed rate, then create a draft invoice only when the required details are present.
- 01 / TRIGGER
Team completes a job sheet
Record the job ID, hours, completion status and any agreed extras.
- 02 / AUTOMATION
Check the job and rate
Match the customer, approved rates and work completed. Check for an existing invoice.
- 03 / AUTOMATION
Create a draft invoice
Prepare invoice lines in Xero and link the original job sheet.
- 04 / YOUR DECISION
You approve and send
Review the amounts and any exceptions, then approve and send from Xero.
WHEN SOMETHING NEEDS CHECKINGUnknown rate, disputed hours or an unapproved extra?
Hold the job for review and explain what needs checking. Don’t invent a price or quietly leave out the extra.
WHAT YOU GET
Ready for your invoice review
Work through completed jobs as a queue, with the original sheet alongside the draft, instead of rebuilding every invoice from messages.
An example of the outputSAMPLE DATA
- Job
- CL-104 · end-of-tenancy clean
- Customer
- Sample property agency
- Completed work
- 4 hours · rate matched to job
- Extra
- Oven clean · approval needed
- Invoice status
- On hold for extra approval
- Next action
- Confirm the extra, then create the draft
This example shows the exception path. A fully approved job would proceed to a draft invoice. Sending the invoice stays with you in this first version.
INTEGRATIONS & HOSTING
How I could build it
| Tool | Its part in the workflow |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Forms & Lists | Collect the completion sheet and look up the booked job, customer and agreed rates. |
| Xero | Creates a draft invoice through the Accounting API after checks pass. Job-to-invoice references prevent duplicates. |
| Outlook | Tells you which drafts are ready and which jobs need a decision. |
The technology
I’d use Power Automate for the completion workflow and a small custom connection to the Xero Accounting API. A ready-made connector could be used if its capabilities and costs suit the job.
Where it runs
The workflow would run in your Microsoft cloud environment; a custom Xero connection could run on Azure Functions. Invoices stay in Xero. Hosting, account ownership, Xero access and connector charges would be agreed.
Platform details, if you’d like to go deeper
A SENSIBLE FIRST PROJECT
Start small. Check it helps.
How we’d judge it
Count completed jobs awaiting an invoice and compare the time spent preparing each draft.
What stays under control
Drafts need your review. Each job is linked to at most one draft; mismatches and failed connections appear in an exception list.
Still turning job sheets into invoices by hand?
Tell me how it works today. If we agree a suitable first automation, I’ll build it for free and give you 30 days to try it. We agree the ongoing monthly price and any software costs before starting.