Timesheet billing software for professional firms

Your team logs time, managers approve it and approved hours become accurate invoices in minutes. Built for accounting, legal, advisory and architecture firms.

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hidma is a timesheet and billing system for professional firms. Your team logs time against clients and projects, managers approve it and approved hours turn into accurate invoices in minutes. No spreadsheets, no copying numbers between systems and no billable time left behind.

Why timesheets and billing belong in one system

In most firms, time is recorded in one place and invoices are prepared in another. Someone exports the timesheets, cleans them up in a spreadsheet, works out the rates and then types the totals into the accounting system. Every step is a chance to lose hours, apply the wrong rate or send the bill late.

When timesheets and billing live in the same system, the hours your team approves are the hours you bill. The rate is already attached, the client is already known and the invoice is built from the work that was actually done.

How it works in hidma

1. Log time quickly

Your team records time in a weekly timesheet or with a running timer, against the client, project and type of work. Most weeks look like the last one, so they can copy last week’s structure in one click and just adjust the hours. On a phone, every active project is listed ready for a quick entry between meetings.

2. Approve before anything is billed

Managers review and approve timesheets before the hours reach billing. Billable and non-billable work are kept apart from the start, so internal meetings, training and admin never end up on a client’s invoice by mistake.

3. The right rate, applied automatically

Charge-out rates can be set by person, by type of work, by client or by project. hidma applies the right one to every hour, so nobody has to look up rates or work them out by hand.

4. Turn approved time into an invoice

Pick the client, choose the approved hours you want to bill and hidma builds the bill. You can combine time with fixed fees and other charges on one invoice, add recurring charges such as monthly or annual fees and check every line before it goes out.

5. Track payment and sync to Xero

Every bill moves from draft to outstanding to settled, including part-payments. hidma connects with Xero, so your accounts stay where your accountants already work.

See unbilled work before it goes stale

Time that has been worked but not yet billed is money sitting on the table. hidma’s work in progress (WIP) report shows unbilled time by client, project and age, so you can bill it while the client still remembers the work. Budget alerts warn the team at whatever points you choose, such as 50%, 80% and 100% of the budget, before overruns eat into the margin.

Common billing mistakes timesheets fix

Most firms lose money at one of five points between the hour worked and the invoice paid:

• Billing from memory instead of approved timesheets.
• Applying the wrong rate because rates live in a separate spreadsheet.
• Letting WIP build up for months before billing.
• Copying figures between systems by hand.
• Vague invoice lines that invite questions.

Agreeing how you will bill before the work starts, recording time against the right client and job, approving it, and billing from the approved record fixes all five. Our guide to client matter codes explains how to organise jobs so time always lands in the right place.

Built for firms that bill for their time

• Accounting and audit firms – recurring engagements, budgets per job and WIP across the practice.
• Law firms – time recorded against matters, fee earner rates and clear, defensible bills.
• Advisory firms – hourly, fixed-fee and retainer work, with margins visible while the work is happening.
• Architecture practices – time tracked by project stage and fees kept under control.

What firms say

“The simplicity of use and the accurate data it provides have made payroll and project management more efficient than ever.”

James Piccinino, Director, JPAudit

“hidma proved to be a powerful tool in helping our firm to monitor on a timely basis the work in progress for engagements.”

Deborah Garnisi, Partner, Horwath Malta

Questions firms ask

What is timesheet billing software?

It is software that records the time your team spends on client work and turns that time into invoices. Instead of keeping timesheets in one tool and billing in another, both happen in one place, so approved hours flow straight onto the bill with the right rate.

Can we bill fixed fees as well as hourly work?

Yes. You can bill by the hour, by fixed fee, by retainer or a mix of these and combine them on a single invoice. Recurring fees can be created automatically on a schedule.

Does hidma work with Xero?

Yes. hidma connects with Xero, and firms with more than one company can link each one to its own Xero organisation.

How long does it take to get started?

We set up your account with you, including your clients, team and rates, so your team can start logging time straight away. The first two months are free and no credit card is needed.

Is our data secure?

Your data is encrypted in transit and at rest, hosted in the EU and independently audited. Read more on our security page.

Further reading: billable vs non-billable hours, WIP in accounting, client matter codes and how timesheets work in an accounting firm.

Comparing tools? See hidma vs Harvest and hidma vs Clockify.