Walker Hill automates Dext disbursements and recovers $5.82K in missed software costs with Rechargly

Before Rechargly, Walker Hill managed software disbursements manually across several systems. As the firm grew to support 300+ clients, tracking and billing software such as Dext, Xero and ApprovalMax became increasingly complex. Subscription charges had to be reviewed manually, invoices updated frequently, and usage tracked through CSV files and spreadsheets.

After implementing Rechargly, Walker Hill automated its disbursement process, reduced monthly admin work, and recovered software costs that had previously gone unbilled. The firm now saves 3.2 hours of admin time every month, while ensuring software charges are billed accurately and consistently across its client base.

At-a-glance stats

• Team size: 50
• Admin time saved each month: 3.2 hours
• Software costs recovered: $5.82K
• Clients billed accurately and transparently: 300+
• Key integrations: Xero, Dext, ApprovalMax

Before: What life looked like pre-change

Context

Walker Hill is a Brisbane-based accounting firm servicing hundreds of businesses across Australia.

To support client operations, the firm relies on several software tools including Xero for accounting, Dext for receipt capture and ApprovalMax for approvals workflows.

As the number of clients using these tools increased, the process of billing those subscriptions back to clients became increasingly difficult to manage.

Old workflow

Software costs were passed on to clients through manual line items in Ignition proposals and Xero invoices. Each month the team needed to:

• Review Dext vendor invoices
• Analyse usage CSV files
• Match subscriptions to the correct clients
• Update repeating invoices in Xero
• Adjust invoices when clients upgraded plans, changed usage, joined, or left the firm

These adjustments were handled manually and required regular oversight.

Where the process broke down

Time-consuming administration

The monthly reconciliation process involved reviewing vendor invoices and comparing them against usage data before updating client invoices. Because this was done manually, it required several hours of administrative work each month.

Recoverability risks

Reconciling vendor charges against client invoices was difficult. Without a reliable system to track disbursements, there was always a risk that software costs might not be fully recovered.

Limited scalability

Only one person managed software disbursements within the firm. If that person was unavailable, the process could easily stall. As the client base continued to grow, the system became increasingly difficult to maintain.

The trigger

The issue wasn’t that the process failed completely. It worked, but it required ongoing manual effort. As Walker Hill’s client base expanded, the team recognised that the existing system would not scale. The firm needed a way to:

• Automate the billing of software subscriptions
• Ensure every vendor charge was correctly passed on to clients
• Reduce the time spent updating invoices each month

During: How the firm made the change

Implementation

Director Ashleigh Turner led the rollout of Rechargly to automate software disbursements. The system was integrated with Walker Hill’s existing technology stack, including Xero, Dext and ApprovalMax.This allowed subscription billing and reconciliation to run automatically through the firm’s existing financial systems.

The new playbook

Instead of tracking individual usage and updating invoices every month, Walker Hill adopted a more predictable billing structure. The new workflow includes:

• Automated subscription tracking through Rechargly
• Fixed pricing for Dext subscriptions
• Automatic adjustments when clients join or leave the firm
• Direct billing through Xero

This approach eliminated the need to manually analyse vendor invoices and update recurring invoices.

After: Results + proof

What changed (Before → After)

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Day-to-day impact

The most immediate improvement has been the reduction in administrative work. Tasks that previously required manual reconciliation now run automatically in the background. By automating disbursements, Walker Hill has reduced the time spent managing subscription billing by 3.2 hours each month.

Business impact

One of the biggest benefits was improved visibility into subscription costs. During implementation, the firm discovered $5.82K in software costs that had not been billed correctly to clients. With Rechargly in place, 100% of software charges are now tracked and passed on accurately, protecting the firm’s margins. Clients also benefit from a clearer pricing structure and more predictable billing.

Team impact

The improved system has removed a recurring operational burden from the team. As Ashleigh Turner explains:

“Since implementing Rechargly, we have full confidence that our clients are being invoiced accurately. This has freed up valuable time, allowing us to focus on higher-impact projects.”— Ashleigh Turner, Director, Walker Hill

Advice for firms considering Rechargly

Migrate direct debits early

If clients are already paying through another platform, moving them onto Rechargly early can avoid the need to reissue direct debit agreements later.

Communicate the change clearly

Walker Hill notified clients about the transition roughly two weeks before implementation, which helped ensure a smooth rollout.

Audit your disbursements

Firms often underestimate how difficult it is to track software disbursements manually. Automating the process ensures that subscription costs are recovered accurately and removes the risk of missed charges.

Bottom line

Walker Hill replaced a manual disbursement process with a system that scales as the firm grows. By introducing automated subscription tracking and predictable pricing, the firm reduced admin work, recovered previously missed software costs, and created a billing structure that supports 300+ clients without increasing operational complexity.