QuickBooks Setup and Configuration (Desktop and Online)

 

When integrating DSM to QuickBooks, DSM is used as the front end to initiate orders and generate invoices.  They are then transferred QuickBooks which becomes the Financial System of Record.  Payments are entered in QuickBooks and then transfers back to DSM.

Advantages

·       DSM’s billing mechanism is much more efficient than QuickBooks.

·       The general office does not need access to QuickBooks so data is more secure.

·       Business from the financial standpoint runs like it does now.

·       DSM knows account balances so it can warn staff in the case of an overdue account.

·       Clear lines of responsibility, DSM generates invoices and transfers them to QuickBooks.  Any payment activity occurs in QuickBooks.  DSM does not write payments to QuickBooks.

 

Pitfalls

·       DSM and QuickBooks works on a transfer basis.  Once an invoice is transferred to QuickBooks, if you change it in QuickBooks, you must manually change it in DSM or remove it in QuickBooks and resend it from DSM.

·       Common payment types are handled but some payment transactions are too transfer back to DSM.  In those cases you must make the entries manually in DSM.

 

Note that unapplied payments are not allowed in DSM and must be represented as Credit Memos which is different than Quickbooks and can account for some differences in balances.

 

Additional Resources:

QuickBooks Initial Data Load

QuickBooks Invoice Transfer

QuickBooks Accounts Receivable Sync

 

 

This document will cover:

ü QuickBooks Setup Strategy

o  New DSM User

o  Existing DSM User

o  Quickbooks Configuration

ü QuickBooks Pairing your Company

o  Desktop

o  Online

 

QuickBooks Setup Strategy

Scenario 1:       New User To DSM

In this case you want to start with a clean DSM database and use the QuickBooks Initial Data Load.  This option is found under File / Utilities / QuickBooks Initial Data Load.  This option allows you to import customer lists, line item type, payment terms and tax codes.  Using this option you save on a lot of time in DSM setup items and all your data is linked internally to the QuickBooks equivalents.  It is also possible to import balances from QuickBooks so DSM is immediately aware of customer balances.

 

Scenario 2:       Existing DSM User

If you’re currently using DSM, you have to migrate slower and more gradually.  Going through the invoice process, you will be prompted to map your DSM item codes and customers to their QuickBooks equivalent.  Although it takes some effort at first, it quickly gets much easier with most commonly used items and customers being identified.

If you have been invoicing in DSM, you will need to have Peak Software excluded invoices which have already been accounted for in QuickBooks.  There is a manual process for this but is not ideal for large quantities.

To get started you simply configure the site information.

QuickBooks Configuration

You configure QuickBooks the same whether using the Desktop program or QuickBooks Online.  However, if using the Desktop version, any access to QuickBooks will need to be made on a computer with a licensed version of QuickBooks on it as well as the QB 13.0 SDK.  There are no additional licensing costs to run the SDK.

Set your configuration in File / Company Configuration on the Financial tab.

QuickBooks Platform - Select Desktop if a physical program is used or Online if QuickBooks Online is used

QB Company - For the integration to work, you must pair your company with QuickBooks.  In this process you identify the QuickBooks data set for DSM to talk to.  This assures DSM always writes to the correct QuickBooks data set if you work with multiple accounting sets.  You will be prompted to grant permissions from QuickBooks during this process.

Single QB Company File Contains Data for All DSM Companies – For companies using a multi company configuration in DSM, check this box if they all map to a single QuickBooks file.  If each company has its own QuickBooks file, then leave it unchecked.  If you do not have multiple sites in DSM leave the setting unchecked.  Configuration where some sites go to their own QuickBooks data set and others go to a single QuickBooks data set (mix and match) is not supported.

 DSM Billing Address1 is QB Billing Address Line 2 – QuickBooks Desktop typically puts the customer name in its 1^st billing address line.  The second line is usually the real address however in some configurations it can be the 3^rd (customer name, job name, address 1).  Leave this at Address 2 unless otherwise directed by Peak Software staff.  If you are using QuickBooks online, set this value to 1 as the billing address data in the online version contains just address information.

Send DSM Salesman To QuickBooks – If you pay commissions to salesman indicated on the QuickBooks invoices, select this option.  In QuickBooks Desktop, the invoice transfer process will reconcile the salesman list for you.  In the Online version, they changed it and Salesman is now a custom field you must add to your QuickBooks system.  You then tell DSM whether it is the 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd custom field on the invoice.

Link DSM Jobsite To QB Customer Jobs – QuickBooks can configure sub jobs a for customer.  If you check this box, jobs with a DSM jobsite will transfer over to QuickBooks as a sub customer.  This is useful for larger jobs where you may be using some of QuickBooks project management accounting.

Use Canadian Tax Model – Taxes are tricky in QuickBooks.  If you are Canadian or any Foreign (non US) entity, check this box.  The reconciliation process for the tax codes is different in the two scenarios.  New with QB Online is automatic tax calculation for all US customers which you can’t turn it off for taxable customers with taxable line items.  In this case, DSM reads the value of QuickBooks tax amount and adjusts DSM to that amount to compensate for any rounding error.  If you are using QB Online, consider using the option below.

Launch Invoice Transfer After Invoice Generation – This option launches the transfer to QuickBooks screen after you generate your invoices and before you are prompted to print or email them.  This is very useful if you charge tax on invoices and use QuickBooks Online.  Since QuickBooks ignores DSM’s tax calculations, it could calculate a slightly different amount.  If that happens, the transfer program adjusts DSM’s tax amount for you, but you will want to do that before you print or send the invoices from DSM.  This option can also be useful if you just want to increase the timeliness of the sync between the two systems.

QuickBooks Online Custom Field Mappings

                   In QuickBooks online, they changed two important fields to many DSM users.  In the Desktop version, the PO and Salesman fields exist natively, and we can easily transfer our data to them.  However, in QuickBooks online, they become customizable optional fields.  Consult with the QuickBooks documentation to add this field to your invoices.  Be sure to mark those fields as printable.  You only get 3 custom fields so map them below as 1, 2 or 3.  There is no simple way to know which is 1, 2 or 3 so use trial and error.  You can send an invoice, remove it in QuickBooks, then mark it to resend in DSM and resend the same one.

PO Mapping On Invoice – Options are 1, 2 or 3

Salesman Mapping On Invoice - Options are 1, 2 or 3

 

QuickBooks Pairing Your Company

Pairing your companies is required to activate QuickBooks communication with DSM.  It assures that in every session, DSM is talking to the right dataset.  The behavior is slightly different in the Online version vs the Desktop

 

Desktop

Make sure you have QuickBooks open with the right company file open.  You need to have QuickBooks open as an administrator for security reasons.

Press the pair button.  Then switch over to the QuickBooks app where you should be presented with the following dialog.

 

 

Pressing the continue button grants the permission for DSM to Transfer Invoices to QuickBooks and query its data.

When completed, Press OK in DSM

Troubleshooting:

Do you have the QuickBooks 13.0 SDK Installed?

Do you have the correct Company file open?

Is there a modal dialog (it’s asking you something) open in QuickBooks?

Are you logged in as an Administrator?

Online

To use QuickBooks online, you must be using DSM’s cloud hosting.

Press the Pair Now button, and then the Connect button.

DSM will launch a web browser for you to login to your QuickBooks Online account

 

Once logged in QuickBooks will ask you for permission for the DSM Online Application.  You may also need to select the correct company if your QuickBooks login is linked to multiple data sets.  In some cases, it may take a few seconds for that company list to populate.  Confirm your acceptance by pressing Next.

The browser session will now display the message below indicating successful permission authentication.  You may now close this browser or that active tab and go back to DSM.

 

 

DSM should show the correct company name?  If so, answer yes and the pairing is complete.  In general, this authorization is good for 100 days.  At that time, you will simply be prompted to login again to renew your security authorization.

 

DSM:QB:I:OCT20