Case Study
GIC Holdings
Connecting invoice requests and reconciliation with AI
How Black Dog Labs connected Xero, KarbonHQ and Dext through a multi-agent solution running on GIC infrastructure.
Tech stack
Black Dog Labs worked with GIC Holdings and its accountancy partner to connect Xero, KarbonHQ and Dext through a multi-agent solution running on GIC infrastructure. The workflow links an uncategorised invoice to a request for supporting information, an accounting update and a final acknowledgement to the business owner.
The challenge
Accounting work often stalls between systems. Accountants chase business owners for invoices, reconcile reports against supporting documents, and transfer data between accounting software, document tools and the practice CRM. Each missing invoice can create another email, another status check and another manual handoff.
For GIC, Black Dog Labs focused on this coordination burden: keeping the request, the supporting invoice and the accounting record moving through one connected process.
The solution
We integrated Xero with a multi-agent model that coordinates actions across the existing accounting workflow. One agent identifies uncategorised invoices and initiates outreach in KarbonHQ. Once the correct invoices have been received and Dext has updated Xero, an agent updates KarbonHQ and thanks the business owner.
The operational value
The design targets repetitive chasing and status updates, giving the accountancy partner more room to focus on reconciliation and exceptions. It also completes the client communication loop, so supplying the right information is followed by an acknowledgement.
0 hrs/week
Saved per accountant
0 /week
Invoices processed
0 %
Fewer manual chase emails
Evidence status: The figures above are estimates from the Black Dog Labs project team, projected from the workflow design rather than a measured before-and-after study. No independently verified GIC time savings, cost savings, accuracy figures or ROI are claimed.
How the invoice workflow works
The multi-agent solution runs on GIC infrastructure and connects the accounting platform to the practice’s communication and document workflow.
Xero
Agent scans for uncategorised invoices
KarbonHQ
Agent creates outbound contacts or tasks
Email request
KarbonHQ asks the owner for invoices
Dext
Correct invoices received for reconciliation
Xero update
Dext updates the accounting platform
Close the loop
Agent updates KarbonHQ and thanks the owner
Process diagram based on the supplied implementation brief. Steps are sequential; elapsed times and automation coverage have not been measured here.
A connected process across existing tools
Xero provides the accounting starting point. KarbonHQ manages the request to the business owner. Dext supports document processing and reconciliation before updating Xero. The agents coordinate the handoffs and the final acknowledgement.
Hosting scope: “Runs on GIC infrastructure” refers to the Black Dog Labs solution. It does not imply that Xero, KarbonHQ or Dext are hosted by GIC, or establish where every connected service processes data.
External accounting benchmarks
Public customer stories and vendor surveys show why this type of work is a useful automation target. These examples concern other organisations and different implementations. They are not GIC results or forecasts.
Dext at OnPoint Accounting Group
External benchmark
- 67% auto published to QuickBooks Online
- 33% not auto published
OnPoint Accounting Group · Dext case study · not GIC results
External benchmark 1. Share of 3,323 documents in the reported 30-day period. The 33% remainder is calculated as 100% minus 67%; it does not specify how much manual work remained.
Dext’s OnPoint case study also estimates 276 hours saved on manual processing, using an assumed five minutes per document. This is a calculation-based estimate, not a timed before-and-after study. The donut shows automation coverage, not a 67% reduction in processing time. 1
20 to 30 minutes per client per week
YetiBooks reported this saving on receipt management after adopting Double’s Receipts, with roughly 50 hours saved weekly across its client base. This is a vendor-published customer report about a different platform and workflow. 2
3 hours per employee per week
Karbon reports this average saving on chasing clients in its 2024 Firm Usage Survey. Responses represented 15% of its customer base. The figure is self-reported and may reflect respondent selection; it is not an independently verified GIC estimate. 3
Interpretation: These benchmarks support the relevance of automating document collection and coordination. Do not add them together or apply them directly to GIC; scope, volumes, baselines and methods differ.
Measuring the value at GIC
The estimates above give a sense of the workflow’s intended impact, but they are projections, not a measured result. Confirming them needs a comparable baseline and a post-deployment measurement period.
A practical measurement approach
Compare representative periods with similar invoice volumes and complexity. Track staff handling minutes per invoice, manual follow-ups per request, time from first request to the correct invoice, and the share of cases completed without manual intervention. Record exceptions and rework alongside speed.
Calculate net staff hours saved as comparable baseline handling hours minus post-deployment handling hours, including review, exception handling and workflow administration. Keep time spent waiting for a business owner separate from staff working time. Deduct operating costs before presenting financial ROI.
About Black Dog Labs
Black Dog Labs designs AI solutions for finance teams. For GIC Holdings, we worked with its accountancy partner to connect the tools already supporting the business and automate the coordination around missing invoices.
Discuss your accounting workflow with Black Dog Labs
Sources and evidence notes
GIC implementation: Black Dog Labs project brief supplied for this case study. No independent validation or measured performance dataset supplied. Public sources accessed 9 September 2026.
Editorial reference 4: evidence-led structure, prominent metrics and methodology notes informed the presentation. No Legora performance data is used as an accounting benchmark; case-study wording and visuals are original.