# Why we are building one back office > Hours, invoices and receipts usually live in three places. Why we bring them into one back office, what we leave out and who Backbone is for. Source: https://back-bone.io/en/blog/warum-ein-backoffice Published: 2026-10-22 · Updated: 2026-10-22 Category: Product > Invoices in one app, bookkeeping in folders on my computer, no time tracking, no overview, and company knowledge scattered everywhere. That was my everyday life before I started building Backbone. > > I wanted a back office, but I didn't want to use one of the outdated tools. My goal was a back office that's simple to use, looks modern and can do everything through an AI chat that I can otherwise do in the app itself. That's how Backbone came about! > > — Luca, founder of Backbone We build Backbone because hours, invoices and receipts belong together, and for most freelancers and agencies they still live in three places. Backbone is one back office for all of it: a light interface, AI almost everywhere, and you stay in control. ## Why should hours, invoices and receipts live in one place? A typical month: you track hours in a timer. For the invoice you retype the total into an invoicing tool. Receipts end up in a folder or an inbox. At month end you hunt everything down so your bookkeeper knows where things stand. The real time sink is the handover between tools. Every handover means retyping, and every time you retype, an hour, an amount or a receipt can get lost. So Backbone brings time tracking, invoices with quotes and reminders, and receipts with bank statements into one workspace. Client, project and amount exist once and show up everywhere. How Backbone grew out of Billy and Sort Invoices is in the [announcement](https://back-bone.io/en/blog/billy-and-sort-invoices-are-now-part-of-backbone). ## How Backbone does it Your back office in the chat. In the app, or in a chat with ChatGPT, Claude and many more. 1. **Track your time** One sentence in the chat. The hours are in your week. 2. **Bill your hours** What you tracked goes on the invoice. 3. **Receipts matched automatically** Upload the statement. Clear matches assign themselves. 4. **Off to your bookkeeper** Month complete. One link, done. 5. **Review, then approve** The AI drafts. You check it and issue it. 6. **Who's overdue?** One question, every open invoice. ## What do we leave out? Our rule: **the best part is no part.** Before we build a new page, we try a filter, a menu item or one line of text on an existing screen. What that means in practice: - **Fewer screens.** Open, overdue and paid invoices are one list with a filter. - **A calm app for your team.** Someone who only logs hours sees no revenue and no bank transactions. By default, members only see what they need. - **A home screen that gets to the point.** It tells you in one sentence what needs your attention, like overdue invoices or missing receipts. ## How does AI work in Backbone? You can use almost every function in the app, in the chat or through MCP, so from ChatGPT, Claude or your coding environment. Just ask: "Who hasn't paid yet?" or "Invoice September's hours." Billy, our AI assistant, always shows you what he wants to do and asks before he changes anything. Your AI agents prepare, you review and approve. As owner, you can switch off AI connections for your workspace in the settings. Security-critical things like passwords, payments or deleting your account always stay in the app. More: [AI connector](https://back-bone.io/en/features/ai-connector). ## Who is Backbone for? **Backbone is for all modern founders and companies** that want to streamline, modernise and future-proof their back-office work. Right now we focus on the German-speaking market, especially Germany and Austria. **Backbone is the wrong tool** if you are looking for: - **Payroll.** Backbone does not run salaries. - **Full double-entry bookkeeping or a tax return.** Backbone prepares everything: it matches receipts and hands your bookkeeper a clean export. The booking and filing happen elsewhere. - **E-commerce.** E-commerce isn't supported yet, but we're working on it. The vision is to replace old dinosaurs like Odoo. ## What are we working on? Coming sooner or later: - **Connected bank accounts.** Today you add accounts by hand. Automatic retrieval is coming soon. - **E-commerce.** Shop, stock and orders right in Backbone. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does Backbone replace my bookkeeper? No. Backbone gives no tax advice and doesn't keep the books. It collects and sorts everything so your bookkeeper has less to chase. ### Do I need AI to use Backbone? No. Everything also works by hand in the app. ### What does it cost? Solo € 19, Growth € 29 and Agency € 49 per month, with a 7-day trial. Details on the [pricing page](https://back-bone.io/en/pricing). **Try it** 7-day trial. - [Start 7-day trial](https://back-bone.io/en/sign-up) --- Product article, not legal or tax advice and no review of your case. Checked on 22/10/2026