Once your rates are configured and your time has been authorised, the final stage of Profit Precision is converting completed work into invoices and profitability insights.
This is where DataGrows begins delivering its greatest value by transforming completed work into recovered revenue.
The objective is simple: bill consistently, recover every legitimate charge, and gain visibility into the profitability of your firm.
From Authorised Time to Invoices
Once time has been marked as Invoice Pending, DataGrows can generate billing automatically.
This includes:
✅ Retainers
✅ Hourly work
✅ Fixed-fee work
✅ Recoverable expenses
✅ Disbursements
The result is a streamlined billing workflow that dramatically reduces month-end administration.
Understanding Billing Run Types
Understanding Billing Run Types
DataGrows supports two primary billing runs.
Ad Hoc Invoices
Ad Hoc Invoices allow you to invoice work before month-end.
Examples include:
Annual Financial Statements billed on completion and sign-off
CIPC Annual Return Fees billed in advance of submission
Once-off Consulting
Clean-up Work
Catch-up Accounting
Rather than waiting until month-end, work can be billed immediately upon completion.
This improves:
Cash flow
Client communication
Recovery rates
Month-End & Retainer Invoices
The Month-End Billing process generates:
Retainer invoices
Recoverable expenses
Recurring charges
Invoice Pending work
This is the main billing run performed each month.
Generate Invoices
Generate Invoices
Navigate to Approvals & Billing → Billing → Process
Choose the Process you want to run (Adhoc / Month-End) and open the record.
Change the action dropdown (inside the record, not on top) to Process
Click Save & Close
DataGrows will immediately start creating your invoices according to your Firm Settings (invoice date, due date, VAT) and the Billing Report for your clients.
The Last Run Date will populate so you know it has processed.
The invoices will be available in Approvals & Billing → Billing → Invoice
with the Status “Processed”
Reviewing Generated Invoices
Reviewing Generated Invoices
Before posting invoices, DataGrows creates draft invoices for review.
This provides an opportunity to:
Check values
Verify descriptions
Make adjustments
Confirm invoice totals
Draft invoices reduce the risk of errors reaching clients.
Navigate to Approvals & Billing → Billing → Invoice
Filter on your current billing date on the Invoice Date Column or Status “Processed”
Note: The invoice numbers in this table are only for internal use. When you post to Sage or Xero, DataGrows automatically gets the next available invoice number on your accounting sequence. This means that you don’t need to keep track of your next invoice number, and you can still raise invoices manually if you need to and not throw off the integration in DataGrows.
Pro Tip: Keep all your invoices in DataGrows.
If you do need to raise a manual invoice for a quick fee or pre-billed service, click Add Record in the invoice table, complete all the details,
Then click Save & View to see the invoice lines table. You can add the detailed lines and values. From here you can post to Sage or Xero. This keeps the revenue and profit for all your clients as accurate as possible.
Using the Invoice Lines Table
Using the Invoice Lines Table
One of the most useful billing tools is the Invoice Lines table.
Many firms use this table for bulk adjustments.
Examples include:
Tax season fee adjustments
Additional complexity charges
Project-based pricing updates
Special client arrangements
Open an invoice to see the invoice lines that show the breakdown of services billed. You can edit any Description, Qty or Price if you need to.
Click Save & Close when you are done.
Bulk Adjusting Invoice Values
Bulk Adjusting Invoice Values
To make adjustments:
Open any Invoice,
Click on the Invoice Lines Tab at the top next to Details
Jump to the Invoice Line Table by using the Diagonal Arrow next to the table heading.
Clear the active filter.
Then you can filter by:
Client
Task
Invoice Date
Service Type
You can then update multiple invoice values efficiently.
This is especially useful during busy periods where many similar invoices need adjustment.
Recovering More Revenue
Recovering More Revenue
One of the biggest benefits of Profit Precision is visibility.
When firms track:
Time
Tasks
Notes
Expenses
they often discover work that was previously never billed.
Common examples include:
Client correspondence
Compliance follow-ups
Additional advisory work
Special requests
The result is stronger revenue recovery without increasing workload.
Posting to Sage or Xero
Posting to Sage or Xero
Once invoices have been reviewed & edited:
Select the invoices by checking the checkboxes on the left.
Click the appropriate posting action
Use Post Invoice to Sage, if your firm is integrated with Sage.
Use Post Invoice to Xero, if your firm is integrated with Xero.
Pro tip: Filter per firm if you have more than one, and use both accounting platforms. But don’t panic. DataGrows can’t raise an invoice to a system your firm or client isn’t linked to. So, DataGrows will just throw an error if you click the wrong button.
DataGrows transfers the invoice to Sage or Xero.
Once successful, DataGrows will populate the next available invoice number in your accounting system in the column “Accounting System Invoice Number” to create an audit trail of what posted.
The process is largely automated and supports bulk processing.
Understanding Posting Errors
Understanding Posting Errors
Occasionally an invoice may fail to post.
Common reasons include:
Missing item codes
Missing GL accounts
Client not synced to Sage
Client not synced to Xero
Accounting System Issues Column
Failed postings appear in the:
Accounting System Issues Column
This column helps identify:
Which invoice failed
Why it failed
What needs correcting
Follow the note given, and Save & Close the Invoice. After correcting the issue, the invoice can simply be posted again.
Sage & Xero Audit Reports
Sage & Xero Audit Reports
DataGrows includes audit reports that help identify issues before posting.
These reports highlight:
Missing integrations
Coding issues
Product mapping errors
Unlinked clients
Using these reports reduces month-end surprises.
Click on the Reports tab in the Invoice table and use – Sage Invoice Audit Report / Xero Invoice Audit Report
The Goal: An empty report means there are no issues that could prevent an invoice from posting to your accounting system
Understanding the report:
Understanding the report:
Client Issues – follow the guide in the Issue column, navigate to the Clients Table and integrate the client.
Pro Tip: Sometimes a client is created manually in Sage or Xero (we discourage this for this reason) and is not integrated with DataGrows. Trying to post them in the Clients table will fail because they already exist.
To fix this, Navigate to Setup & Integrations → Setup → Firm Settings
Check the checkboxes of your firms (Select all if using the same Accounting System) and use the Action “Import Clients from Xero” / “Import Clients from Sage” to resync any new clients.
Then, Navigate to Setup & Integrations → Integration → Accounting System Clients
Filter for the newly imported client and MATCH them to their DataGrows client by opening the record and choosing their name from the DataGrows client dropdown. Click Save & Close. This action syncs the accounting system client to the DataGrows client and will remove them automatically from the Invoice Audit report as an issue.
Best Practice: Exclusively load new clients to DataGrows and post to Sage / Xero from the Clients table using the action “Post Client to Xero” or “Post Client to Sage”. This creates the new customer with all their contact and invoice information AND integrates DataGrows and your accounting system, avoiding delays that occur when trying to raise your invoices. Review the clients table “Integrated” column regularly (save a filter) to maintain your clients and make the invoice posting process as quick as possible.
Invoice Issues – follow the guide in the Issue column, navigate to the Invoice Table and correct the line that has an issue.
These generally refer to item code or GL Account issues, like missing from invoice lines
Or a firm-code mismatch (if you have more than one firm in DataGrows)
Use the invoice number shown on the report to filter and correct the missing codes.
Pro Tip: Rearrange or pin the Invoice Lines table to have the “Invoice Code” or “Accounting System Account” column shown first when you open an invoice to immediately spot gaps.
If this is your first time billing or been a while since you maintained your Rates setup, you could have a few invoice issues – remember to jump to Invoice Lines to make bulk edits.
Understanding Invoice Numbers
Understanding Invoice Numbers
DataGrows maintains its own internal invoice reference numbers.
These are used to:
Link time records
Link tasks
Create an audit trail
When invoices are posted:
Sage generates its own invoice number and DataGrows captures it in the Accounting System Invoice Number Column.
Xero generates its own invoice number and DataGrows captures it in the Accounting System Invoice Number Column.
Both references remain available for traceability.
Measuring Profitability
Measuring Profitability
The real power of Profit Precision lies beyond invoicing.
Once accurate data exists, DataGrows can help answer important questions.
Which Clients Are Profitable?
Identify:
High-value clients
Underperforming clients
Clients requiring retainer reviews
Which Services Are Profitable?
Understand:
Recovery levels
Service margins
Resource consumption
Which Staff Members Are Most Profitable?
Review:
Productivity
Utilisation
Recovery rates
This helps make informed staffing decisions.
Use key reports to determine profitability of retainers, efficiency of staff and their training/resources and profitability of Adhoc services:
· Profitability-Retainers
· Accountant Hours
· Revenue & Profit (From Invoice Table)
Preventing Revenue Leakage
Preventing Revenue Leakage
Most firms don't lose money because they don't work hard.
They lose money because:
Work isn't tracked
Time isn't reviewed
Rates aren't maintained
Invoices aren't raised promptly
Profit Precision addresses these problems by creating visibility across the entire billing cycle.
The Firm Health Guardianship System
The Firm Health Guardianship System
When fully implemented, Profit Precision becomes more than a billing tool.
It becomes a system for protecting:
Revenue
Margins
Productivity
Pricing discipline
Long-term sustainability
Visibility creates accountability.
Accountability creates control.
Control protects profitability.
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
✅ Ad Hoc Invoices support immediate billing of once-off work.
✅ Month-End Billing generates retainers, expenses, and recurring invoices.
✅ Invoice Lines enable efficient bulk adjustments.
✅ Posting to Sage and Xero is automated.
✅ Accounting System Issues help identify posting problems quickly.
✅ Audit Reports improve billing accuracy.
✅ Profitability insights help identify valuable clients and services.
✅ Revenue leakage decreases when billing becomes disciplined and data-driven.
✅ Profit Precision provides ongoing visibility into your firm's financial health.
Remember: The goal isn't simply to raise invoices faster. The goal is to understand the true value of your firm's work and ensure that value is consistently recovered. When implemented properly, Profit Precision turns billing into a strategic profitability tool rather than an administrative burden.