Know where the production stands, while it runs
The production is running and the costs come in. Invoices have to be checked, approved and booked. Tubes keeps that in one place, and you see where the budget stands.
Cost control is part of the full Tubes platform, from Producer Pro upwards.
From an invoice to where the production stands
The production is running. Invoices come in, things are bought on set, and suppliers have been promised work that is not invoiced yet.
In Tubes that all lands in one place. You upload an invoice and Tubes reads it for you. The right people on the production approve it, and finance passes it on to your accounting system, such as Xero. What you agreed with a supplier already counts before the invoice arrives.
All along, Tubes gives you insight and a clear overview of both the costs and the budget.
What it solves
All costs in one place
Invoices, receipts and card payments land in Tubes, with the production they belong to.
Invoices without retyping
Upload an invoice and Tubes reads the supplier, the amounts and the VAT. You check instead of type.
Cost approval built in
Every invoice is approved before it goes to your accounting system. The production approves first, then finance, and you set the rules for what needs a second look.
Overview of costs and budget
Budget, committed costs and cost to date side by side, so you see where the production stands.
What is in it
- Three ways in. Upload invoices yourself, let suppliers submit them through a portal, or send crew a personal link for their receipts.
- Read automatically. Supplier, invoice number, date, amounts, VAT and lines are filled in for you to check.
- Matched to what you agreed. An invoice is matched to its supplier and to the open commitment with the same PO number.
- Checked before anyone approves. A missing supplier, totals that do not add up or an implausible date show up as issues.
- Your own approval rules. For duplicates, a missing cost type or a high amount. Per rule you decide whether it is a note, a warning or a block.
- Approval per production, then finance. Required reviewers approve in order. Finance can approve many invoices at once.
- Commitments. Record what you agreed with a supplier. It counts in the forecast straight away, and the invoice draws it down when it comes in.
- Into your accounting system. Approved invoices go to Xero with the supplier and the invoice document attached. Exact Online (Netherlands) is connected too, and there is an Excel export for everything else.
- Forecast per cost type. Budget, committed, cost to date, EFC (estimated final cost) and variance, always current.
- Snapshots. Freeze the forecast, compare two snapshots with today and print the comparison.
- AI analysis. Once you have a few finished productions in Tubes, it points out which cost categories run ahead or behind.
- Financing and cashflow. A financing plan with tranches, and a monthly view of money in against costs going out.
- Payment cards. Import card statements from Excel or CSV.
- A record of every change. See who changed what on an invoice, and when.
Part of the full platform
Cost control is not available as a separate plan. It comes with Producer Pro and Enterprise, together with budgeting, planning and forecasting.
Prefer to take one step at a time? Start with budgeting only and move on to cost control when you are ready, in the same account, with the budgets you already made.
How a first conversation goes
- Thirty minutes, online. Bring a production that is running now, or the cost report of your last one.
- We look at how costs reach you today. Who receives the invoices, who approves them, and how you know what is still coming.
- We show the same flow in Tubes, from an uploaded invoice to approval, the forecast and the export to your accounting system.
- You decide whether it is worth trying on your next production. No obligation.
Cost control comes with the full platform
Producer Pro
The full platform, with budgeting, planning, cost control and forecasting.
From€ 49 per month, includes 2 users
Includes up to 3 active projects. € 25 per month for each additional user, up to 10 users.
- Budgeting, planning, cost control and forecasting
- Invoice processing and approvals
- Xero connection
(optional) - Cancel anytime
Enterprise
For teams of more than 10 users, with unlimited projects and cost control across the whole organisation.
- Unlimited projects
- Budgeting, planning & cost control across the organisation
- Advanced permissions, roles, and approval flows
- Dedicated onboarding & Customer Success Manager
Only need budgets for now? Start with Budgeting, from € 29 per month. See all plans.
Questions about cost control in Tubes
Can we use cost control on its own?
No. Cost control is part of the full platform (Producer Pro and Enterprise) and is not sold separately. What you can do is start with budgeting only and expand to the full platform later, in the same account.
Does Tubes replace our accounting system?
No. Your bookkeeping stays where it is. Tubes is the production layer in front of it. Costs are checked, approved and followed against the budget in Tubes, and the approved invoices are passed on to your accounting system.
Which accounting systems does it connect to?
Xero and Exact Online (the Dutch edition) have a direct connection. Approved purchase invoices are sent across with their supplier. For every other system, Tubes exports approved costs as an Excel batch. Using something else and want a connection? Get in touch.
Do suppliers and crew need an account?
Suppliers sign in to the portal with a link they receive by email, without a password. Crew get a personal link for their receipts that works without logging in.
How is the forecast calculated?
Per cost type, the estimated final cost (EFC) is what has been committed plus the cost to date, and the variance is the budget minus that figure. It is calculated from the commitments and invoices in Tubes, not typed in by hand.
What does it cost?
Cost control is included in Producer Pro, from € 49 per month including two users and up to three active projects, and in Enterprise. See plans and pricing.
Show us a production that is running
Thirty minutes on how costs reach you today, and what that same production looks like in Tubes.