Admin automation for trades, civil and construction
Written by Autonome. Updated 5 November 2026.
Where does a trades business lose money in the office?
In the gap between site and office. Extra work gets agreed with a client on site or by email and never makes it onto the invoice. A subbie's bill arrives charging GST they aren't registered for, and it gets paid because nobody had time to check. Autonome's ready-made Gadgets catch both, and nothing goes to Xero, MYOB or a client until you approve it.
The problem is rarely that nobody cares. It's that the person doing the books is also answering the phone, chasing tickets and booking the next job. So we built these Gadgets to do the checking in the background and only interrupt you with the ones that need a decision.
- Variations agreed by email make it onto the invoice.
- Every subbie's ABN and GST checked before their bill is drafted.
| Job | Gadget | What waits for you |
|---|---|---|
| Extra work agreed on site | Unbilled Variation Catcher | The new invoice line, before it goes on |
| Subcontractor bills | Supplier Invoice & ABN Triage | The draft bill, with problems held back |
| Delivery dockets | Delivery Docket & POD Verifier | Only the dockets with a problem |
| Dispatching crews | Job Card & Ops Dispatcher | The job card, sent from your mailbox |
Where to start
Start with variations. It's where money is most obviously left on the table, and you'll know within a week whether it's earning its keep. The Unbilled Variation Catcher reads the last week of project emails and HubSpot notes, finds the extra work someone agreed to, and checks it against your open invoices. Anything missing shows up with the client's own words beside it.
Once that's running, add the subcontractor bill checks, then the docket and compliance chasers. Your crew doesn't need to learn anything new: job cards arrive from your normal mailbox, and only the office runs Gadgets.
Questions
Does the crew need to learn new software?
No. Job cards arrive by email from your normal mailbox. Only the office runs Gadgets, and that's one button.
Can it chase tickets, insurances and timesheets?
Yes. The Compliance Document & Timesheet Chaser reads your tracker file each Monday and drafts a reminder for each person, ready for you to send.
Does it work with Xero or MYOB?
Both. Variations and bills are drafted in whichever one you use.
Do we pay for every person on the crew?
No. One flat A$193.50 a month ex GST covers up to 50 staff.
Find this month's unbilled variations.
14-day free trial. Your card is checked and nothing is charged for 14 days. Then A$193.50/mo ex GST for up to 50 people.
Look around first, no card