Bookkeeper + AI Agents

Bookkeeper: how this role changes when agents handle part of the workflow

What this role really is

This is not just bookkeeping.

It’s a mix of:

• financial record keeping
• project cost tracking
• payroll coordination
• and constant follow-ups

In a construction business, the role sits between operations, finance, and the director.

A large part of the job is chasing, updating, and reconciling.

What parts of the role are workflow work

Roughly 45% of this role is repeatable coordination:

• invoicing and progress billing
• accounts payable and receivable follow-ups
• payroll data preparation from timesheets
• supplier invoice capture and processing
• bank reconciliation matching
• subcontractor document collection
• email sorting, filing, and basic responses
• monthly report preparation

This is structured, rules-based work. Ideal for agents.

What should stay human

The valuable parts of the role are:

• reviewing financial accuracy
• handling exceptions in job costing
• communicating with clients on sensitive payment issues
• advising the director on cash flow
• prioritising payments and risk

This is judgment, not workflow.

How much of the role could be automated

Estimated automatable workload: ~45%

Realistic range: 35–55%

This aligns with admin-heavy bookkeeping roles where:

• systems exist (MYOB, DEXT)
• tasks are repeatable
• coordination load is high

The savings breakdown

• Annual role value: ~$32,600 (assumption based on hours)
• Automatable portion: ~$14,700
• Tooling cost: ~$2,500/year (assumed SMB stack)

Net gain: ~$12,200

After upgrading the role:

• Salary increase: ~$5,400
• Remaining gain: ~$6,800

Environmental allocation (1% of savings): ~$147/year

The upgraded version of the role

New title: Client & Finance Coordinator

Shift the role away from:

• data entry
• chasing
• manual reconciliation

Toward:

• client payment experience
• proactive cash flow coordination
• project financial visibility
• director support and insights

This makes the role more valuable and more interesting.

How to automate this role using Relay

You can set this up in Relay, though most agent tools can handle similar workflows. For the latest options, see our Tools page.

Workflow 1: Invoice + payment follow-up automation

Goal
Reduce time spent chasing payments

Trigger
Invoice created in MYOB or marked as sent

Steps

• Wait 7 days
• Check payment status
• Send reminder if unpaid
• Repeat with escalation logic

AI steps

• Draft friendly reminder emails
• Adjust tone based on client type

Human checkpoint

• Escalation before final notice

Apps involved
MYOB, Gmail/Outlook

Why this works well in Relay
Clear trigger + wait + status check pattern

Relay fit: Ready to build in Relay

Workflow 2: Supplier invoice capture and processing

Goal
Remove manual data entry from accounts payable

Trigger
Invoice received via email or upload

Steps

• Extract invoice data
• Categorise expense
• Push to MYOB
• Notify for approval

AI steps

• Data extraction
• Category suggestion

Human checkpoint

• Approval before payment

Apps involved
Email, DEXT (or similar), MYOB

Why this works well in Relay
Structured extraction + approval flow

Relay fit: Likely buildable in Relay but needs connector verification

Workflow 3: Timesheet → payroll prep workflow

Goal
Reduce manual payroll preparation

Trigger
Timesheet submission (weekly)

Steps

• Collect timesheet data
• Validate completeness
• Format for payroll
• Flag anomalies

AI steps

• Check missing fields
• Summarise hours

Human checkpoint

• Final payroll approval

Apps involved
Forms, MYOB, Google Sheets

Why this works well in Relay
Strong fit for structured data + validation

Relay fit: Ready to build in Relay

Other tools can also be used

Relay is a strong default for this type of operational workflow.

Other agent tools can also work depending on your stack. See the Tools page for current options.

How businesses can reinvest the gain

Instead of removing the role:

• improve client payment experience
• tighten cash flow management
• increase project-level visibility
• support faster quoting and job turnaround
• reduce financial errors and rework

Or simply free up the director’s time.