Automation - working with invoices and data

What is automation? 

Nowadays we try to reduce human work as much as possible. We want our employees, or ourselves, not to have to pay attention to smaller and simpler things, but to focus on more engaging tasks. This is exactly where automation comes in: a process in which we arrange for a simple task to be handled by, for example, our computer instead of us.

Why do we need it?

We can see the need for automation at every turn. Just imagine a situation in which, instead of downloading an app to your phone with two quick clicks, you had to search for it online, move it to the right place and configure it. That is far too many things to do when a device can do them for us. These are exactly the situations in which we need automation. We started from the same premise ourselves. We decided that manually checking and sending invoices, paying them and keeping track of all charges was too time-consuming, so we automated the process.

What is the purpose of our automation script?

The purpose of our script is to make work as easy as possible and to automate it. Our workbook has three sheets, each with a different task. The first sheet stores domain data, which is then automatically added to the second sheet once the name is entered. The second sheet contains information on recurring charges. This is where we can see which clients are behind with their payments. We can also offer a domain renewal, send an invoice or a payment reminder, and check whether an invoice has already been paid. In the third and final sheet, we add a CSV file from our bank; there is also a button to clear the statement currently displayed. Invoice checking works by matching the invoice number together with the amount. We compare two cells containing the amount with the statement entries in the third sheet, and then make sure the payment is correct by checking whether the transaction description contains the corresponding invoice number.

How we can achieve this

The software we used for this task is Apps Script working together with Google Sheets. It is a simple and intuitive program that enabled us to accomplish this task. An additional advantage is that it is already used by many companies, so they are already familiar with it and there is no problem adding it to a company's existing system.

What our software looks like

Because it is built on spreadsheets, our software has a clear and legible layout. No one will have any trouble using it.

Advantages of our solution

The undoubted advantages of our solution are its speed and clarity.