How we use Sequence at Sequence

Here at Sequence we “dogfood” our own product. What is dogfooding? Simply: using our own product for our own needs. (The phrase apparently stems from dog food companies eating their own product).

We experienced first-hand how existing tools failed to automate revenue collection for our custom contracts and pricing strategies, whether usage-based, seat-based, or involving custom trials and ramps.

We're building Sequence to empower B2B finance and commercial teams to automate and scale revenue workflows. In this post, we’re sharing our story and how we handle our month-end billing using our own product in just 15 minutes.

Our pricing model

As we've grown, our pricing has evolved to include:

• Multi-year contracts with pricing ramps
• Usage fees based on invoice volume
• Fixed subscription fees
• Discounts for longer commitments
• Seat-based pricing for specific modules

This mix gives us flexibility, while ensuring predictable revenue. Without the right tools, managing this complexity would be a nightmare of spreadsheets and manual calculations. This complexity also matches what we’re seeing with many of our customers.

Our monthly process

Here's how we've streamlined our month-end:

1. Create quotes for prospects

We use Sequence CPQ to create quotes which cover all the flexible pricing we offer for new prospects. After a few rounds of back-and-forth and iterations, we finalize the terms. Once the prospect is ready to move forward, they sign the quote electronically via our native e-Signature integration with Dropbox Sign (no third party account required) and we receive a notification for it.

2. Execute the quote

After all parties have signed, we convert the quote to a draft billing schedule with one click. Prior to launching Sequence CPQ, we would manually key in the deal terms into billing. Now it’s a seamless process that takes a few seconds.

3. Collect usage data automatically

For usage-based pricing components, we've had an API integration for a while, which automatically pushes usage data for all our customers into our own Sequence instance. We automatically send different usage data streams (such as issued invoices) into Sequence, so we can track usage across all customers. Once a customer’s pricing is set up on a billing schedule, we simply map their customer alias so that usage events are correctly attributed.

4. Run month-end billing

To make our month-end process smooth:

• We shipped the ability to save a view in Sequence, and we use a saved view that shows all relevant invoices for the last month.
• We recalculate all invoices in this view with just a few clicks. This now takes a few seconds thanks to a few recent improvements we shipped.
• We do a final check using the invoices grid view, comparing figures with last month to identify any significant changes.
• Once verified, we bulk send all invoices to customers.

5. Sync with accounting

Because our customers are automatically linked with our accounting system (Xero), all invoices sync automatically once they're issued.

The value of using your own product

Being our own customer has shown us exactly where the pain points are. When we develop new features like billing schedule phases or usage minimums, we're solving problems we've experienced firsthand alongside our customers.

Our journey from spreadsheets to plan what we’d like to charge for, to full automation mirrors what many of our customers experience. We've cut our billing time dramatically while eliminating errors and gaining better visibility into our revenue.

By eating our own dog food, we ensure Sequence delivers on its promise of streamline complex billing into a simple, automated process that takes minutes, not days.