Implement Custom Voice AI in Your Accounting Department
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Implementing voice AI in accounting means building a pipeline that transcribes audio and then extracts structured data like invoice numbers, amounts, and vendor names. The project scope depends on the number of distinct audio sources, like vendor voicemails or employee expense dictations, and the complexity of the data your ERP requires.
We built a system for a 15-person construction firm's accounting department. They processed vendor invoice details from voicemails, a task that took their two-person AP team over 6 minutes per entry. The new system processes each voicemail in 8 seconds and was deployed in 3 weeks.
What Problem Does This Solve?
Teams often start with a transcription service like Otter.ai. This provides a text file, but an employee still has to manually read it, find the key details like invoice numbers and due dates, and type them into QuickBooks. This approach just shifts the bottleneck from listening to reading; it does not remove the manual data entry step.
Next, they might look at an “AI for AP” SaaS platform. These tools typically demand a 12-month contract, a lengthy onboarding process, and force you to change your internal workflow to fit their software. For a 25-person business, paying for an enterprise-grade system to handle 300 vendor voicemails a month is financial overkill. The platform cannot adapt when a new vendor uses a different invoice format.
A regional logistics company with 40 employees learned this firsthand. Their AP clerk spent two hours a day processing voicemails from drivers about fuel expenses. They signed up for a SaaS platform that promised AI extraction, but the tool was trained on standard invoices, not dictated expenses. It failed on 70% of the voicemails, creating more correction work than the original manual process.
How Does It Work?
We start by collecting 20-30 sample audio files of your accounting tasks, such as vendor invoice voicemails or dictated employee expense reports. We analyze the audio quality and the structure of the spoken information to define a clear JSON schema for the data your ERP needs, for instance: { "vendor_name": "...", "invoice_id": "...", "amount": 0.00, "due_date": "YYYY-MM-DD" }.
We build a Python application using FastAPI to create an API endpoint that accepts audio files. When a file is received, it's transcribed. The transcript is then sent to the Claude API with a specific prompt to extract the data according to the predefined JSON schema. This entire process, from audio file to structured JSON, completes in under 8 seconds. We use structlog for detailed, machine-readable logs of every transaction.
The FastAPI application is packaged into a container and deployed on AWS Lambda, which keeps hosting costs under $50 per month for processing up to 1,000 files. We use Supabase for persistent storage of transaction logs and error tracking. We then write an integration script that connects this API to your existing systems, pushing the extracted JSON directly into custom fields in NetSuite or QuickBooks.
Before deployment, the system achieves over 98% extraction accuracy on in-sample data. For a two-person accounting team, this reduced manual entry and correction time from 10 hours per week to less than one hour. The final deliverable is the complete source code in your GitHub repository, plus a runbook for maintenance and monitoring.
What Are the Key Benefits?
Deployed in 3 Weeks, Not 3 Quarters
We move from initial call to a live production system in 15 business days. Your accounting team sees the benefits immediately, without a long implementation cycle.
One Scoped Price, Zero Per-Call Fees
You pay a fixed price for the build. After launch, you only pay for the raw AWS Lambda usage, which is typically pennies per transaction, not a recurring subscription.
You Own the System and the Code
We deliver the full Python source code to your company's GitHub account. There is no vendor lock-in; you are free to modify or extend the system yourself.
Logs Every Success and Failure
Unlike a black-box SaaS, our system uses structlog to create detailed, queryable logs for every transaction. If an extraction fails, you know exactly why.
Connects Directly to Your ERP
We build direct API integrations to your existing accounting software, like QuickBooks, Xero, or NetSuite. No manual CSV uploads or data re-entry required.
What Does the Process Look Like?
Workflow Discovery (Week 1)
You provide sample audio files and access to your ERP's sandbox environment. We deliver a technical specification document outlining the exact data fields to be extracted.
Core Engine Build (Week 2)
We build the core transcription and data extraction pipeline. You receive access to a private API endpoint for you to test with your own audio files.
Integration and Deployment (Week 3)
We connect the API to your ERP and deploy the system in your AWS account. You receive credentials and confirm data is flowing correctly into your accounting software.
Monitoring and Handoff (Week 4)
We monitor the live system for one week to resolve any issues. You receive the complete source code, deployment scripts, and a runbook for future maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does a custom voice AI system for accounting cost?
- Pricing is a fixed, one-time fee based on scope. Key factors include the number of unique audio workflows, audio quality, and ERP integration complexity. Engagements are scoped for a 2-4 week build cycle. Book a discovery call at cal.com/syntora/discover to get a precise quote based on your specific needs.
- What happens if the Claude API fails or the system misinterprets an audio file?
- The system has built-in retry logic for transient API errors. If a file cannot be processed after three attempts or if the AI returns incomplete data, it is flagged for manual review in a simple dashboard. An email or Slack alert is sent to your accounting team, ensuring no transaction is ever lost.
- How is this better than hiring a virtual assistant or BPO firm for data entry?
- A human data entry clerk has a recurring monthly cost, limited throughput, and a higher risk of manual error. This automated system works 24/7 with a 98% accuracy rate for a one-time build cost. It processes a voicemail in 8 seconds, a task that takes a human several minutes, delivering significant ROI.
- Can the system handle poor audio quality or strong accents?
- We use your sample audio during discovery to determine a baseline accuracy. While modern transcription models are very robust, extremely noisy environments can be challenging. If we determine your audio quality is too low for reliable automation, we will inform you before the project begins and advise against moving forward.
- What specific accounting platforms have you integrated with?
- We have built direct API integrations for QuickBooks Online, Xero, and NetSuite. Because we write custom Python code, we can connect to any platform that offers an API, including industry-specific ERPs. The integration is scoped as part of the initial discovery process, ensuring it writes data to the exact fields you use.
- How is our financial data kept secure during this process?
- The entire system is deployed within your own cloud infrastructure, such as your AWS account. Syntora only requires temporary access during the build. Audio files and extracted data are processed in memory and are not stored long-term by our systems. You maintain full control over your data and infrastructure from day one.
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