# Exact Online Bouw MCP MCP

> Exact Online Bouw MCP manages Dutch construction accounting directly from your AI client. You track project budgets, log labor hours, and register expenses without logging into the ERP system. This MCP gives you natural language control over core financial data, allowing managers to monitor job costs and project status on the fly.

## Overview
- **Category:** erp-operations
- **Price:** Free
- **Tags:** project-budgeting, cost-tracking, time-tracking, construction-management, financial-reporting, business-software

## Description

Need to manage site financials while running around? This connector links your AI agent directly to your Exact Online Bouw account, letting you handle complex construction accounting through simple conversation. Forget logging into multiple tabs or manually entering spreadsheet data. You can ask your agent things like, 'How much did the City Tower Renovation cost last month?' and get an immediate, accurate answer based on recorded expenses. It’s about taking full control of project budgets and time tracking using only natural language commands. By connecting it through Vinkius, you give your AI client access to a centralized catalog of tools, making this MCP just one part of a much bigger workflow puzzle.

## Tools

### create_cost_transaction
Adds a new expense or cost entry, requiring the project ID, item, date, and amount.

### create_project
Initializes a brand new construction project within your Exact Online account.

### create_time_transaction
Registers employee work hours for a specific job, requiring the project ID, employee ID, activity, date, and total hours.

### get_me
Retrieves basic details about your current authenticated user and division information.

### get_project
Pulls detailed records for a specific construction project, including its status and parameters.

### list_accounts
Retrieves a complete list of all associated client or vendor accounts from the system.

### list_cost_transactions
Lists all past cost transactions that have been registered in Exact Online for review.

### list_employees
Provides a directory listing of every employee currently associated with your organization.

### list_project_hour_budgets
Retrieves the predefined hour budgets set for specific projects, helping track capacity limits.

### list_project_wbs
Displays the full Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), showing all hierarchical deliverables and activities for a project.

### list_projects
Generates a list of every active or past construction project in your records.

### list_time_transactions
Lists all recorded time entries (hours) for different employees and projects, making it easy to audit labor costs.

## Prompt Examples

**Prompt:** 
```
List all active construction projects in Exact Online.
```

**Response:** 
```
I've retrieved your projects. You have 3 active works: 'City Tower Renovation' (ID: guid_1), 'Bridge Maintenance' (ID: guid_2), and 'Park Housing'. Which one should I provide the WBS for?
```

**Prompt:** 
```
Register 8 hours for employee ID 'emp_123' on 'guid_1' for today.
```

**Response:** 
```
Time entry created! I've registered 8 hours for employee emp_123 on the 'City Tower Renovation' project. The entry is now logged in your Exact Online account for payroll and cost tracking.
```

**Prompt:** 
```
How much have we spent on 'City Tower Renovation' so far?
```

**Response:** 
```
Scanning costs... For the 'City Tower Renovation' (ID: guid_1), total expenses logged so far amount to €15,400.00. This includes materials and labor costs. Would you like a detailed breakdown of these transactions?
```

## Capabilities

### Project Lifecycle Management
Create new projects in the system and retrieve detailed information about any existing job site.

### Labor & Time Logging
Register employee work hours for specific jobs, maintaining an accurate record of labor costs over time.

### Cost & Expense Tracking
Programmatically add material and operational expenses to a project's ledger for real-time budget monitoring.

### Financial Reporting & Auditing
List all cost transactions or time entries across multiple projects to generate financial reports instantly.

### Resource Discovery
Retrieve complete directories of accounts, employees, and the project's structural breakdown (WBS).

## Use Cases

### Closing out site hours after a meeting
A supervisor needs to log 6 hours for three different workers on three different tasks across one project. Instead of logging into the system and running multiple transactions, they just tell their agent: 'Log 2 hours for employee A, 3 hours for B, and 1 hour for C today.' The agent uses `create_time_transaction` repeatedly to complete the task.

### Budget check before buying materials
The PM knows a material purchase is needed but needs to confirm funds. They ask, 'What's the budget remaining for Project X?' The agent uses `list_project_hour_budgets` and cross-references costs via `list_cost_transactions` to give a quick answer.

### Starting a new contract
A sales lead signs a client agreement. Instead of having the administrator manually create the project, the PM tells their agent: 'Start a new project for ABC Corp.' The agent calls `create_project` and returns the ID so the work can begin.

### Audit trail cleanup
The finance team needs to verify if all labor costs were properly attached. They ask the agent to 'Show me all hours logged for last quarter.' The agent uses `list_time_transactions` and provides an immediate, searchable list.

## Benefits

- Stop manually tracking hours. Use `create_time_transaction` to log labor directly from your conversation, instantly updating payroll and cost records.
- Never lose track of spending again. By using `create_cost_transaction`, you register expenses against a project right when they happen, keeping budgets accurate.
- Get the full picture immediately. Running `list_project_wbs` shows you every deliverable required for a job, keeping the scope clear for everyone.
- Speed up reporting. Instead of running complex queries, simply ask to `list_cost_transactions` or `list_time_transactions` and get an auditable list.
- Save time on setup. You can use `create_project` with a single prompt instead of navigating through the initial project creation forms.

## How It Works

The bottom line is you treat complex accounting tasks like chatting with an expert assistant, letting the AI handle all the backend database calls.

1. Subscribe to this MCP and retrieve your Access Token, Division ID, and Region from the Exact Online App Center.
2. Connect these credentials to your preferred AI client or agent through the Vinkius platform.
3. Ask your agent a question (e.g., 'Log 4 hours for John on Project X') and the MCP handles the transaction in the background.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**How do I find my Division ID?**
Use the `get_me` tool to retrieve your current authenticated user profile and the active Division ID associated with your account.

**Can I register hours for a specific date?**
Yes! The `create_time_transaction` tool requires a `Date` parameter in YYYY-MM-DD format to log work entries accurately.

**Which regions are supported for Exact Online?**
Common regions include 'nl', 'be', 'com', 'co.uk'. Check your login URL (e.g., start.exactonline.nl) to confirm your specific region code.

**Before I run `list_projects`, what permissions do I need for my AI client?**
You must grant read and write access to project data in your Exact Online App Center. This MCP needs these specific scopes to function, allowing your agent to not only list projects but also create new ones using the `create_project` tool.

**If I use `list_accounts`, how do I ensure the CRM account is active for billing?**
The listing provides a complete directory of your accounts, showing their current status. Always cross-reference the returned data with your internal records to confirm if an account has been flagged as inactive or archived before attempting any transactions.

**When running `create_cost_transaction`, what happens if I forget a required Project ID?**
The system throws a validation error, requiring you to include a valid project identifier. Your agent will flag this specific missing data point and prompt you to retrieve the correct ID using the `list_projects` tool before retrying.

**What information does `list_project_wbs` provide beyond just task names?**
It returns a full, hierarchical structure of your deliverables. This allows you to see which activities roll up into larger project phases and gives you the necessary context for accurate cost tracking.

**After I run `get_project`, what steps should I take if I need to add employee hours?**
The detailed project data provides all necessary IDs. You then pass the Project ID, along with the employee and activity details, directly into the `create_time_transaction` tool. This logs the time against the specific project record.