Case studies
How accounting firm Project Alfred saved 40 hours monthly on reporting
Industry
Accounting
What we did
Automated client reporting, empowered cash flow forecasting model
Outcomes
Saved 20–40 hours per month on reporting, improved data reliability, and reduced manual errors
Industry
Accounting
What we did
Automated client reporting, empowered cash flow forecasting model
Outcomes
Saved 20–40 hours per month on reporting, improved data reliability, and reduced manual errors
Intro
Project Alfred is an Australian outsourced finance function and accounting firm. The company serves as a comprehensive finance department for technology companies and non-profit organizations. It handles everything from basic bookkeeping and accounts payable to management reporting and end-of-year compliance, including financial statements and tax returns.
Problem
As a modern accounting firm using Xero as a primary accounting software alongside Google Sheets, Project Alfred faced several challenges:
• A need for custom reports that would go beyond standard Xero capabilities.
• Complex cash flow forecasting requirements not directly supported by Xero.
• Managing data from multiple sources, including Xero and HubSpot, for larger clients.
• Time-intensive manual data transfer processes.
• A demand for flexible team collaboration on data management tasks.
Before implementing Coupler.io, Project Alfred relied on multiple tools for connecting Xero and HubSpot to Google Sheets. While these tools addressed specific needs, none provided a unified solution to seamlessly manage data from both Xero and HubSpot.
“I was looking to build custom reports that go beyond solutions natively linked to Xero. Some clients needed more intricate reports, and we also handle cash flow forecasting, which isn’t directly linked to Xero. We manage all of this in Google Sheets, and Coupler.io provided an excellent connection to seamlessly combine these two systems.
Solution
Project Alfred evaluated several tools and chose Coupler.io for its reliability, flexibility, and comprehensive capabilities. Coupler.io’s unified solution enabled seamless integration of Xero and HubSpot data, eliminating the need for multiple tools. Its features also enhanced team collaboration, providing access for multiple members to manage integrations effectively without incurring additional costs.
Implementation
The implementation process was led by Liam and then transitioned to a team member. Key milestones included:
• Initial setup and testing completed in a few days, including rebuilding Google Sheets formulas.
• For a client with the most importers, the setup included 15 importers across three entities and five tracking categories, which took just 2-3 hours.
“You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. I’m fairly familiar with tech and APIs, and many connectors can be challenging to use due to poor documentation or unclear workflows. However, Coupler.io’s documentation stands out—it’s clear, with well-crafted examples that make it easy to determine which filters to use and how to extract specific data. While working with Xero’s API limits full control over how information is received, Coupler.io’s helpful documentation makes the process much smoother and more efficient.
Result
Integrating Coupler.io delivered significant benefits to Project Alfred:
• Time Savings: Total monthly savings: 20–40 hours (equivalent to a full-time workweek).
• Efficiency Gains: Improved data reliability with reduced manual errors.
• Enhanced Cash Flow Forecasting: Combined HubSpot and Xero data enabled accurate forecasting with scenario analyses and 12–24 months of visibility.
“For clients with weekly reports, I’d estimate that we save about 2 hours per week per client, sometimes even more. Over a month, that's approximately 5 to 10 hours saved per client. For example, for 4 clients, this adds up to around 20 to 40 hours a month - roughly the equivalent of a full-time person's workload for a week.
Project Alfred Notable Use Case: Cash Flow Forecasting
One notable implementation involved sophisticated cash flow forecasting. By integrating HubSpot deal flow data (including estimated deal sizes and probabilities) with Xero’s invoice data, Project Alfred provided clients with:
• Confirmed cash balance predictions.
• Potential cash positions based on pipeline probabilities.
• Various scenario analyses (e.g., 50% performance, 125% performance).
• Forecasting visibility over 12–24 months.
Tools & technologies
Data sources
