Kanban to Invoice Flow — From Task Board to Client Bill Seamlessly
Learn how Refront connects your kanban board directly to invoicing — completed tasks automatically feed into billable line items with zero manual data entry.
Introduction
The gap between "task completed" and "hour billed" is where agencies lose money. Refront eliminates this gap by connecting your kanban board directly to your invoicing pipeline. When a task is done and time is tracked, the billable hours flow automatically into the next invoice — no copy-pasting from timesheets to spreadsheets.
Real-World Examples
Done Column Triggers Billing
A developer drags a ticket to the "Done" column on the kanban board. Refront automatically marks all tracked time on that ticket as "ready to bill" and adds it to the client's billing queue. At invoice time, every completed task appears as a line item with description, hours, and rate pre-filled.
Why this works:
Connecting task completion to billing ensures 100% of completed work is captured for invoicing. The automatic queuing eliminates the manual process of compiling billable hours from task boards.
T&M and Fixed-Price Hybrid Billing
An agency runs some tickets on time-and-materials and others on fixed-price. The kanban board colour-codes tickets by billing type. T&M tickets feed tracked hours into the invoice; fixed-price tickets trigger milestone payments when their column reaches "Done." Both types are handled on the same board.
Why this works:
Supporting hybrid billing on a single board means the team works one way regardless of the billing model. The financial complexity is handled by the system, not by the developers tracking their time.
Real-Time Billable Hours Dashboard
The finance lead opens a real-time view of billable hours across all kanban boards: hours in progress (being worked on), hours completed (ready to bill), and hours invoiced (already sent). A €12,000 gap between completed and invoiced hours reveals that three clients haven't been billed yet — the finance lead generates the invoices immediately.
Why this works:
Visibility into the billing pipeline prevents revenue from sitting unbilled. The real-time view makes it impossible for completed work to be "forgotten" at invoicing time.
Key Takeaways
- Task completion automatically queues billable hours for invoicing.
- Hybrid T&M and fixed-price billing works on the same kanban board.
- Real-time billing pipeline visibility prevents unbilled revenue gaps.
- Zero manual data entry between task tracking and invoice generation.
How Refront Can Help
Refront connects every kanban column to your billing pipeline. Track time on tasks, complete them, and watch the hours flow into your invoices automatically. The gap between delivery and billing drops to zero.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I exclude certain tasks from billing?
Yes. Tickets can be marked as "non-billable" (internal tasks, meetings, admin). These are tracked for project cost analysis but never appear on client invoices.
Does this work with sprint boards too?
Yes. Whether you use kanban, scrum sprints, or a hybrid, the billing integration works the same way. Completed work in any board type feeds into the billing pipeline.
Can I review before invoicing?
Absolutely. Billable hours queue in a "ready to bill" state. Your finance team reviews, adjusts if needed, and then generates the invoice. Nothing is sent to clients without explicit approval.
Ready to get started?
Try Refront for free and discover how AI automates your workflow.