An invoice workflow is the set of automatic steps that run around an invoice: when it is sent, when it falls overdue, and when it is paid. Built once, it means nobody has to remember to chase a late payer or tell delivery that a client has paid and work can start. This article covers one job: wiring the invoice events on the levelpartner.ai platform to reminders, pipeline updates and internal alerts, so cash collection runs on rules instead of memory.
What the workflow does for a firm with flat revenue
When growth stalls, cash timing matters more. A 60-person firm can be profitable on paper and still tight every month because invoices sit unpaid for weeks while nobody owns the chase. Account managers do not want to nag clients. Finance does not know which clients are sensitive. So the chase happens late, or not at all.
An invoice workflow takes the awkwardness out. Reminders go at fixed points in a fixed tone, the same for every client. When money arrives, the deal moves to won, the onboarding message goes out and the delivery lead gets a task. People only step in when a rule says a human is needed.
Before you start
- Invoicing already working: a connected processor, a default template and at least one paid test invoice.
- Clients saved as contacts with correct email addresses and, ideally, mobile numbers with consent to text.
- A pipeline in Opportunities whose final stages reflect payment, for example "invoice sent" and "paid".
- Your chase policy written down: how many reminders, at what intervals, and when a person takes over.
- Reminder wording approved by whoever owns client relationships.
The three events worth automating
Most of the value sits in three moments.
Sent. The client receives the invoice. The workflow can log it, move the opportunity to an "invoice sent" stage and start the reminder clock.
Overdue. The due date passes without payment. The workflow sends a polite reminder, then a firmer one, then creates a task for a named person to call.
Paid. The money arrives. The workflow stops any remaining reminders, marks the opportunity won, sends a thank-you or onboarding message and alerts delivery.
You do not need more than this to start. Add complexity only once these three run cleanly for a month.
How to set up the invoice workflow
- Open Automation, select Workflows and click + Create Workflow, then start from scratch.
- Click + Add New Trigger, select Invoice and set the Invoice Status filter to Paid.
- Add a Create/Update Opportunity action that moves the client's opportunity to your won stage.
- Add a Send Internal Notification action to the delivery lead with the client name and amount.
- Add a Send Email action that confirms receipt and sets out the next step.
- Click Save, then switch the workflow from Draft to Publish.
- Go to Payments, then Invoices & Estimates, click Settings and open Reminder Settings.
- Enter a Reminder Name and choose the Email and SMS Reminder Template.
- Set Frequency to a few days After the Invoice Due date.
- Set Maximum reminders, then click Add New Reminder for a firmer second one.
- Create a second workflow with the Invoice trigger and Invoice Status set to Sent.
- Add a Wait action using the Invoice Due Date option under upcoming appointment or booking.
- Add an Add Task action for a named person to phone the client if still unpaid.
- Send a small invoice to an internal contact and confirm each step runs.
Splitting the job this way is deliberate. The reminder schedule lives in the invoice settings, so it stops once the invoice is paid, while the workflows handle what the settings cannot: moving the deal, telling delivery and putting a call in someone's diary.
Writing reminders that get paid
The first reminder should assume an oversight. Give the amount, the original due date and the pay link, nothing else. The second should be shorter and state plainly that the invoice is overdue. Neither should threaten anything you would not actually do.
Send the second reminder by text if you have consent. Many owner-managed clients ignore email from suppliers but read texts the same hour. The guide to sending a pay link by text covers wording and consent.
Say the brokerage raises about 60 fee invoices a month, and someone spends half a day each week checking which are late and emailing clients one by one. A workflow sending reminders on day 3 and day 10 after the due date, with a call task on day 14, would leave only the calls for a person. If those took about 40 minutes a week, the rest of the half day would be free. Days to payment should shorten too, because no reminder waits for someone to find time. Numbers are illustrative.
What it replaces and the time it takes
The workflow replaces the aged debtors spreadsheet reviewed on a Friday, the "has X paid yet" message to finance, and the delivery lead waiting for someone to tell them a project can start. Building the two workflows takes an afternoon. Running them takes only the calls the workflow assigns.
The mistake most people make
Reminding clients who have already paid. It happens when a homemade reminder workflow runs alongside the built-in reminder settings, or when someone records a bank transfer outside the platform. Keep reminders in one place, the invoice settings, and record manual payments on the invoice the day they arrive.
When not to automate the chase
Do not run automatic reminders on your largest accounts without the account lead's agreement. A single relationship worth a large share of revenue deserves a personal call, and an automated nudge in the middle of a delicate renewal can do damage. Exclude those contacts with a tag and give them a manual task instead. Also hold off if your invoices are frequently disputed: fix the cause of disputes first, or the workflow will simply annoy people faster.
Troubleshooting
The workflow never fires. It is saved as a draft, or the trigger filter excludes the invoice. Publish it and remove filters, then add them back one at a time.
The wrong opportunity moves to won. The contact has several open opportunities. Add a condition that matches the pipeline or the opportunity name before the stage change.
Clients receive two reminders on the same day. A workflow is chasing as well as the reminder settings. Pause the workflow's messages and let the reminder settings do the chasing.
Invoices that were already overdue get no reminder. Reminders only cover invoices that fall due after you switch them on. Chase the older ones by hand once.
Related setup
If you send most invoices from a standard template, the guide to simple invoicing for a growing team explains products and recurring billing. If you also invoice from accounting software, read the guide on deciding which system issues invoices before you automate, or clients may be chased by both.
Frequently asked questions
Can the workflow charge a saved card automatically?
For recurring billing set up with the client's consent, the platform can collect on schedule. A reminder workflow itself does not take money. It sends messages and tasks around the invoice.
How many reminders should we send?
Two automatic reminders followed by a phone call suits most service firms. More than that tends to be ignored and can irritate good clients who simply forgot.
Will the workflow work for invoices paid by bank transfer?
Only if someone records the payment on the invoice. The platform cannot see your bank account, so manual payments must be marked as paid for the paid event to fire.
Can different clients get different reminder schedules?
Yes. Use tags or a custom field on the contact, and add a condition near the start of the workflow that sends each group down its own branch.