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WorkGuru is an in-depth project management platform designed to centralise job costing, time tracking, quoting, and invoicing for project-based businesses. Unlike basic project apps that simply sync invoices to Xero, WorkGuru handles the complete job lifecycle from initial quote through to final cost analysis, making it one of the more sophisticated project management solutions in the Xero App Marketplace.
The Real-World Problem it Solves
Most Construction, Fabrication and Engineering businesses run their projects through a patchwork of systems: estimates in Excel, timesheets on paper or basic apps, materials tracked on a whiteboard or within another system, and invoicing handled separately in Xero. This creates a fundamental problem: it’s virtually impossible to have real-time visibility into whether a project is profitable until it’s too late to course-correct.
WorkGuru addresses this by creating a single source of truth for project data that flows seamlessly into your Xero account. When a carpenter logs 6 hours on the Johnson kitchen renovation, that time automatically becomes a cost against the project budget, updates the job’s profitability in real-time, and feeds into your next invoice cycle.
Who’s WorkGuru for?
WorkGuru serves construction companies, engineering firms, and fabrication businesses that manage multiple concurrent projects. The platform is commonly used by:
- Construction companies handling residential and commercial projects
- Engineering consultancies managing client engagements and projects
- Fabrication shops with custom manufacturing orders
- Trade contractors coordinating multiple job sites
- Project-based businesses with teams of 5 or more employees
The software truly comes into its own when a business needs to track inventory movements and timesheets against a job. With a solid foundation embedded into the platform of forecast vs actuals, businesses can really get into the granular level of project costing.
How WorkGuru Flows Through a Typical Project
Here’s how an installation project moves through WorkGuru from start to finish:
Quote Stage: You build an estimate using WorkGuru’s quoting tools, breaking down labour, materials, and overhead. The quote automatically creates a project budget when accepted.
Project Execution: Your team use a mobile app or desktop to log time against specific project phases. Material purchases flow in through purchase orders that tie directly to job costs. You can see the project profitability update in real-time as costs accumulate.
Billing Cycle: WorkGuru generates progress invoices based on completed milestones (Percentage of forecast, Actuals to date, Completed tasks, Remaining balance), sending them directly to Xero with proper job coding. Your client gets professional invoices while your books automatically reflect the project’s financial position.
Project Closeout: Final cost analysis shows actual vs. forecast performance, feeding insights back into future estimates.
Workguru Pricing and Implementation Costs
WorkGuru costs £20 + VAT per user per month with a minimum of five users (£100 + VAT /month base cost). This positions it as a mid-market solution. It’s more expensive than basic project apps like Harvest or Tradify, but significantly less than enterprise platforms like Procore.
The Inventory Management module is an additional extra, if required. With a monthly fee of £200 + VAT, it’s one of the lower-priced Inventory Management platforms within the Xero Ecosystem.
There is no fixed contract, simply a 30-day recurring payment.
You are offered 3 options when considering Implementation:
*Prices correct as of July 2025*
Guided Self-Onboarding: Utilising WorkGuru’s knowledge base and templates, you can opt for a guided self-onboarding option. Included in this is a 1 x 2-hour training session. Cost: £0
WorkGuru Assisted: A member of the WorkGuru team will provide guidance on data configuration and how to load your data into the platform. Included within this package is: 4 x 2-hour training sessions, access to onboarding resources and the creation of up to 7 document templates (Job brief template, Purchase Order template etc). Cost: £1500 + VAT
Partner Implementation: A WorkGuru partner will complete a total implementation of the platform, including full data migration from your existing tool, user training and support. (Hyphen Digital are an approved WorkGuru partner, and to date have completed 15+ implementations). Cost: £POA
Implementation can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months, depending on access to existing data, data formatting and access to key stakeholders.
Key Features and Xero Integration Deep-Dive
WorkGuru occupies a unique position in the Xero App Marketplace. While apps like Harvest handle basic time tracking and Tradify serve smaller trade businesses, WorkGuru bridges the gap to enterprise-level project management without the complexity of platforms like Procore.
Project Management: Comprehensive job tracking that goes beyond Xero’s project module, with detailed phase management, resource scheduling, and milestone tracking.
Advanced Job Costing: Real-time profitability tracking across your project. You’ll see labour, materials, and overhead costs accumulating against budgets as they happen.
User Permissions: With up to 140 different user permissions available, you can heavily customise the level of access each user can receive within the platform, what they can and (more importantly) what they can’t see.
Seamless Xero Sync: WorkGuru’s integration ensures all your financial information syncs to Xero. It syncs:
- Sales invoices with proper project coding
- Bills to pay from purchase orders with job allocation
- Cost of goods sold journals for accurate project P&L
- Detailed WIP reporting with customisable reporting fields
- Sales and Expense Account Code mapping for products
Mobile Workflow: Field teams can log time, update project status, and capture photos directly from job sites. This data flows immediately into job costing, giving you real-time project visibility.
Kiosk App: Designed specifically for Workshops, WorkGuru’s Kiosk app allows multiple users to capture time and stock usage from a tablet or computer, with the simple input of a PIN.
Integrations: With collaboration being key across multiple sites, WorkGuru’s native integrations focus on Document Management with the likes of SuiteFiles, GoogleDrive and Dropbox all supported. For Australian customers, the platform also supports the Invoice scanning app Ezzybills and HR platform Tanda.
Summary
WorkGuru functions as a sophisticated project management hub for construction, engineering, and fabrication businesses that have outgrown basic project tracking and don’t require enterprise-level ERP solutions. Its strength lies in real-time job costing capabilities that integrate seamlessly with Xero’s accounting functions, giving project-based businesses the financial visibility they need to improve profitability.
Want to learn more about WorkGuru?
Read more about our Advisory, Implementation, Support, Training and Migration services, or book a free consultation
