Design and creative production: Invoicing software for product design studios
Invoicing software for product design studios that puts completed design stages, recharged prototype costs and extra work from the trajectory on a verifiable invoice with a payment link.
Where invoices stall for product design studios.
Product design studios usually invoice per stage, but what happened in a stage often differs from the quote. An extra concept was added, a prototype had to be remade because the first material fell short, or the client asked for an additional variant halfway through. Design hours are in the timesheets, prototype costs in supplier invoices and extra work in emails. Whoever drafts the invoice has to pull those sources together. A recharged supplier invoice is easily forgotten, or a stage the client has not formally closed ends up on the invoice. That leads to questions, late payment and sometimes lost revenue.
Invoicing software for product design studios
Example- 1
Start from the closed stage
DoneOnce a stage is closed with a client decision, the software holds what belongs to it: the agreed stage fee or hours spent, the prototypes made and any extra work requested.
- 2
Compare costs and extra work
In progressThe invoice sets actual costs against the quote.
- 3
Send, then follow late items
NextAfter review, the invoice goes to the client with a payment link and lines per stage, prototype and extra work.
From finished work to paid invoice.
Start from the closed stage
Once a stage is closed with a client decision, the software holds what belongs to it: the agreed stage fee or hours spent, the prototypes made and any extra work requested. A stage without a decision is not eligible for invoicing.
Compare costs and extra work
The invoice sets actual costs against the quote. Recharged prototype costs are tied to the supplier's invoice. Extra work is listed separately with a date and a reference to the request. The project lead sees what differs and decides per line whether to recharge, adjust or drop it.
Send, then follow late items
After review, the invoice goes to the client with a payment link and lines per stage, prototype and extra work. Reminders go out automatically and payment status sits with the trajectory. If a supplier invoice for a prototype from a closed stage arrives later, it appears as an item still to be invoiced.
Invoicing from the same software.
Product design studios usually work with an accounting package, timesheets and supplier invoices arriving by email. Here hours, stage decisions, prototypes, extra work and the invoice live in the same software. The project lead owns the invoice and sees per stage what has been paid. Supplier invoices from prototype makers are attached to the right prototype, so recharging does not depend on someone remembering what an invoice was for. The bookkeeper looks along or receives an export.
Invoice on stage decision or at fixed intervals
Invoicing at each stage decision tracks the work but makes cash flow irregular when a client takes a long time to decide. Fixed monthly instalments are more predictable but let the work and the invoice drift apart. Some studios combine the two: hours monthly, with a closing settlement at the stage decision.
Recharge prototype costs now or at stage close
Recharging prototype costs straight away stops the studio from pre-financing for long, especially with expensive cast parts or a small pilot run. Bundling at stage close means fewer invoices and a clearer picture. Many studios recharge large outside costs immediately and include smaller items with the stage. That is agreed per client.
Extra work separate or within the stage
Invoicing extra work separately makes it visible that work went beyond the original brief, which helps with the next quote. Folding it into the stage keeps the relationship smooth but hides scope growth. A separate block within the same invoice often gives the best of both.
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Read the storyWhat we set up for your invoicing.
At the start your stages with stage fees or hourly rates are ready, with the rule that only a closed stage can be invoiced and a place per prototype for the supplier invoice. Stage, recharged costs and extra work thus come together on the invoice, next to the quote. Together we invoice a stage that went to plan and one where a prototype had to be remade. Instalment invoicing and alerts for late supplier invoices are switched on when needed.
View pricingSupport and updatesGood to know.
Explore pricing and optionsCan we only send invoices after a formal stage decision?
Yes, that is the starting point. A stage only becomes eligible for invoicing once the client has recorded a decision. If you want to invoice earlier, for example a deposit, you set that up separately from the stage decision.
How do we link supplier invoices to the right prototype?
When a supplier invoice arrives you pick the prototype it belongs to, or the software suggests one based on supplier and order. It then appears as a line on the invoice for the matching stage. No recharge gets lost.
What if a prototype fails because of a studio error?
You mark the costs as not rechargeable with a short reason. They stay visible in the project, so you can see afterwards what the mistake cost. They do not appear on the client's invoice. The project still keeps an honest record of them.
How do we know which stage invoices are still open?
Every invoice has a payment link and a payment status, visible per stage and per client. If a payment doesn't arrive, reminders go out automatically. The bookkeeper can look along or receive an export with the tax overview, so very little changes for them.
What often connects to this.
- Quotation software for product design studiosQuotation software for product design studios that budgets design stages, decision points and prototype costs separately, so a client can decide at each stage whether to continue.
- Digital job cards for product design studiosDigital job cards for product design studios in the form of a prototype card with a change log, so every adjustment made to a prototype finds its way back into the specification and design file.
- Website for product design studiosA website for product design studios that explains which design services and prototype types exist, when each one makes sense and what a client should know before the first meeting.
Invoicing without chasing details.
Start with a short intake. Then we schedule a call to show the software with your services, team and way of working.
WhatsAppinfo@vorlyo.com Invoicing software for product design studios: completed stages, prototype costs and extra work from the trajectory on one invoice with a payment link.
- Start from the closed stage
- Compare costs and extra work
- Send, then follow late items