Accounting
Cross-Platform Synchronization
We worked with a design company to solve compatibility issues between an ERP and project management platform and ensure the quick and easy synchronization of projects and time entries.
We worked with a design company to solve compatibility issues between an ERP and project management platform and ensure the quick and easy synchronization of projects and time entries.
The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.
A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!
Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!
Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
A company specializing in UX, interface, and industrial design was facing challenges managing projects, time tracking, and invoicing across different systems and plugins, creating inefficiencies in their workflows. Specifically, the client relied on Troi, an ERP system for invoicing, Jira for project management, and Tempo, a time-tracking plugin of Jira. However, these tools didn't communicate effectively, so they reached out to us for an automated solution.
The client's goal was to be able to:
Our main challenge was how to resolve incompatibilities between Troi and Jira, as their schemas for project management were not aligned, making direct synchronization impossible. This required building automated workflows that bridged these incompatible systems. The automation platform n8n, with its open-source nature, provided us with an excellent tool to build custom nodes to assist in connecting the platforms. Furthermore, we incorporated Airtable to use as a matching table and control hub to trigger and monitor automations.
The first task focused on synchronizing calculation positions from Troi to Jira. To overcome the platforms' structural incompatibilities, we introduced Airtable as an intermediate step. This allowed data from both platforms to be matched and synchronized effectively.
We used n8n to create a custom workflow that periodically checked and compared the projects in Troi with those in Airtable. New calculation positions in Troi were automatically added as entries in Airtable, while existing projects were updated accordingly.
This solution offered the client complete control, as Airtable provided an intuitive interface with buttons that allowed the client to manually trigger the synchronization of specific projects when needed. Given the client's large volume of projects, this feature ensured they could selectively choose which projects to synchronize based on priority. It also included a field that let the client choose from a list of project templates for new entries in Jira, adding another layer of customization to the process.
Once an issue was successfully created in Jira, the necessary project data was automatically saved in both platforms for reference. This was also necessary to ensure time-tracking data could later be matched and synced to the correct Troi calculation position.
The workflow also proactively identified any errors and logged them in Airtable, and automated email notifications were sent to the client, allowing them to address the issues promptly. Old and outdated errors were automatically deleted to maintain a clean and efficient system.
The project also involved synchronizing time entries recorded in Tempo with calculation positions in Troi for accurate invoicing. Using n8n, we developed an automated workflow that regularly retrieved all time entries from Tempo, alongside their corresponding Jira issue. Once again, Airtable was used as an intermediary matching table to facilitate data alignment among Tempo, Jira, and Troi.
The workflow began by verifying whether the Jira issue was originally linked to a calculation position in Troi. It also checked whether time entries already existed and if they had already been invoiced. If not, the corresponding Troi project was retrieved via Airtable and a billing entry was automatically created in Troi.
Due to the substantial volume of time entries being processed, the automation tool n8n proved invaluable once again. Its ability to handle massive amounts of data efficiently while remaining cost-effective made it the ideal choice for the job, compared to alternative tools that lacked scalability.
By the end of the project, we were able to deliver a robust, scalable, and cost-efficient solution that allowed the client to achieve seamless synchronization between Troi, Jira, and Tempo. The combination of n8n for automation and custom nodes, and Airtable as an intermediary solved the incompatibilities between the platforms, which enabled the client to focus on their core work instead of managing disconnected tools.
Through bridging the gaps between software and incorporating user-friendly controls, the client was able to manage their projects, time-tracking, and invoicing in a faster and more accurate way. This project shows how we were able to design and implement creative integrations for even the most complex system workflows.
