QuickBooks Integration

The initial integration of QuickBooks and Acctivate requires granting permissions for Acctivate to access your QuickBooks file. Once permission has been granted, Acctivate will do an initial import of data that you will review and map prior to the import of data.

  1. Launch Acctivate on a computer with QuickBooks installed, preferably the server where the Acctivate database and QuickBooks company file reside.
  2. In the Company menu, choose New company... and click Create
  3. Select the QuickBooks company type, QuickBooks Desktop, in the popup window and click Start.
  4. The Acctivate Migration Wizard will appear. Follow the on-screen guide (see below) to complete the initial integration.
Note

The creation company process includes mapping and configuration options, outlined below.

Once you have reviewed the integration process in its entirety and are ready to proceed, contact your Onboarding Specialist to schedule the creation of your model or live company.

Welcome

This wizard will help you migrate your QuickBooks company to work with Acctivate. Log into your company file in QuickBooks as Administrator in Single User mode. All transactions will be access, therefore please run "Verify and Rebuild" in QuickBooks before continuing.

Before proceeding, you must be logged in as the QuickBooks Administrator user. It's strongly recommended that you run a full Verify and Rebuild in QuickBooks. If any errors are found during the Verify and Rebuild you should resolve those before continuing.

Once you've completed the Verify and Rebuild, click Next.

Open Company in QuickBooks

Please backup your QuickBooks company before continuing. All inventory, non-inventory and service items in QuickBooks will be marked as inactive and inventory will be adjusted to $0.00 during the import. Close any open windows within QuickBooks to improve the performance of the next steps. QuickBooks will prompt you to allow Acctivate to access your QuickBooks company file if this is the first time Acctivate has tried to access it. You must allow Acctivate to access the company file to continue.

If you didn't back up QuickBooks as part of the Verify and Rebuild step, make a backup of your QuickBooks file. Click Next.

Important

A backup should be made before proceeding. The create company process will make changes to the item list and item quantities in QuickBooks during the initial import.

Continue reading below for more information on the initial import.

The QuickBooks - Application Certificate window will appear. The Application Certificate grants Acctivate access to your QuickBooks file. Choose the following options:

  • Do you want to allow this application to read and modify this company file?
    Choose Yes, always; allow access even if QuickBooks is not running to allow Acctivate to synchronize with QuickBooks when QuickBooks isn't open and logged in. When you select this option, you will be prompted to confirm you wish to give Acctivate access even when QuickBooks isn't running. Choose Yes.
  • Login As
    When you run a synchronization with Acctivate closed, Acctivate will login to the QuickBooks file as the user you select here (you will only see this option if you have more than one QuickBooks user setup). This user is typically the Admin user; however you can use any user that has Full Access rights in QuickBooks.
  • Allow this application to access personal data such as Social Security Numbers and customer credit card information.
    This must be checked for Acctivate to write credit card information from Acctivate to QuickBooks. Acctivate does not access Social Security Numbers from QuickBooks and customer credit card information is not accessible via the QuickBooks SDK (software development kit).

Once you've selected the above options, click Continue... and then click Done when asked to confirm.

Create Acctivate Company

The Create Acctivate Company screen allows you to enter the Company name. This Company name is limited to 118 characters and should not include spaces. The text entered in the Company field will appear as the Company name in the login screen of Acctivate; the name will also be used for the SQL Database name with the prefix "Acctivate$" added (e.g., Acctivate$MyCompany). This is not the name that will appear on reports generated from Acctivate.

Database Source
If multiple Data Sources have been previously configured for Acctivate, you will see an option to select which database sources should be used, the authentication type (Windows Authentication or SQL Authentication) and the connection credentials (if using SQL Authentication). If you do not see this option, the then default Acctivate Data Source is being used. Setting up multiple data sources is advanced and would be likely handled by your IT team; check with them if you have any questions.

When finished, click Next. You will be prompted with Have you backed up your QuickBooks company file? Type 'YES' to confirm. Type in NO if you haven't made a QuickBooks backup do not proceed until you have, otherwise type YES and click OK.

Acctivate will begin creating the database structure and import in some initial information that will be used on the following screens.

Product Import Options

If your items in QuickBooks have a hierarchy structure, also known as a parent / child relationship or sub-items, you have options on how the parent item is handled during the import:

  • Categorize subitems by importing parent items as:
    If this option is selected and a parent item exists for a product, the top-most level of the item will get stripped from the item and moved into either the Product Type or Sales Category field, depending on the selection. For example, if your item "Child" in QuickBooks is a sub-item of the item "Parent", the full item name in QuickBooks is listed as "Parent:Child". If this option is selected, the item would be imported into Acctivate with the Product ID of "Child" and "Parent" would be moved to either the Product Type or Sales Category field. If there are multiple levels, for example "Parent:Child:ThirdLevel", only the top level gets moved, leaving the Acctivate Product ID as "Child:ThirdLevel".
Note

The Product Type is a required field for all products. The Product Type is typically used to filter products and reports, however there are no reports built around the Product Type. Sales Categories are not required for products, however there are two reports built around them.

Note

Since a Product ID in Acctivate must be unique, if removing the top level would result in a duplicate Product ID then the Parent Item is left intact.

  • Preserve Item Hierarchy when generating Acctivate Product IDs
    When this option is selected, Acctivate will not move the top-most level into another field. Instead, the Product ID will use the full QuickBooks item name. For example, the QuickBooks item "Parent:Child" would be brought into Acctivate with the Product ID of "Parent:Child".

Once you've made your selection, click Next.

Product Types

The Product Type screen will populate with the Product Types generated from the previous screen (if you have an item hierarchy in QuickBooks and you chose to import the parent item as a Product Type) or you can enter in any Product Types you'd like to add. Product Types can be added in the Configuration Manager later after the initial company creation as well.

Click Next to move to the next screen.

Sales Categories

The Sales Category screen will populate with the Sales Categories generated from the Product Import Options screen (if you have an item hierarchy in QuickBooks and you chose to import the parent item as a Sales Category) or you can enter in any Sales Categories you'd like to add. Sales Categories can be added in the Configuration Manager later after the initial company creation as well.

Click Next to move to the next screen.

Units of Measure

The Unit of Measure screen will show the Full Name and Abbreviation of the units of measure that are setup in QuickBooks. Acctivate has a 5-character maximum length for units of measure names (no unit of measure description is used by Acctivate). The unit's abbreviation from QuickBooks will be trimmed down to five characters where necessary. The To column shows what the unit's abbreviation will be converted to. The To field can be edited to what you would like it to appear as in Acctivate.

Click Next to move to the next screen.

Product Classes from QuickBooks Sales Accounts

Before we can import your products from QuickBooks, you must create Acctivate product classes. Rather than associating a COGS and Sales account to each product like QuickBooks, Acctivate assigns each product a product class, and each product class is assigned a COGS and Sales account. In the below grid, there is one line for each COGS and Sales account combination in your QuickBooks Item List. Please enter in a Product Class ID and Product Class Description for each line.

Normally, you would create one Product Class per COGS and Sales account combination. However, if you have any accounts you no longer wish to use for future transactions, you may choose to enter identical Product Class IDs on multiple lines. In that case, select which account combination you wish to use for future transactions for each Product Class by checking the Primary Account Combination box on one of the lines for each of the unique product classes to be created. This action will not immediately affect account balances but will affect future inventory transactions.

As the informational message indicates, each combination of income and COGS accounts in QuickBooks is converted into a unique Product Class given an arbitrary Product Class ID (e.g. PC0, PC1, PC2, etc.).

In QuickBooks, only Inventoried products have both an income and COGS account associated with them, however other item types such as Non-inventoried, Service and Other Charge only have an income account associated with them. For those, you either need to select a COGS Account or combine that Product Class with another that has the (presumably) same income account by giving them the same ProductClassID and checking the Primary For checkbox on the row you want to keep.

In this screen you can only edit the Product Classes generated based on the income and COGS combinations found in QuickBooks. The next screen will allow you to add additional Product Classes. Click Next to move to the next screen.

Additional Product Classes

Any additional Product Classes can be added here. Or, you can add them in the Product Class section of the Configuration Manager at any time.

After you've added any additional Product Classes, click Next to move to the next screen.

Warehouse from QuickBooks

Each Inventory Asset account in QuickBooks will be automatically converted to a Warehouse. If more than one warehouse is created automatically, you can choose to Keep this warehouse, or you can select the Move inventory to warehouse... option and select which warehouse the inventory quantities and values should be moved to in Acctivate.

Later in this process when Acctivate begins the import, the inventoried items will be zeroed out in QuickBooks using a Balance Adjustment. The inventory is removed (Credited) from the Inventory GL Acct and added (Debited) to the Gain/Loss GL Acct for each warehouse. The inventory will be added into Acctivate via a Balance Adjustment to match what it was in QuickBooks. The first sync run in Acctivate after the create company process will synchronize the value of the Acctivate Balance Adjustment back to the Inventory Asset account (Debited) and Gain/Loss GL Acct (Credited) for the warehouse. It's recommended you have the correct Gain/Loss GL account selected before proceeding.

Additional Warehouses can be setup in the next screen, click Next.

Additional Warehouses

Additional Warehouses can be added in this screen. Simply click New and fill in the information. These can also be added later in the Warehouse section of the Configuration Manager.

Click Next.

Branches from QuickBooks

Each Accounts Receivable account in QuickBooks will be automatically converted to a Branch. If more than one Branch is created automatically, you can choose to Create a branch for this A/R account, or you can select the Move transactions for this A/R account to branch... option and select which branch this one should be merged into.

Branches only need to exist for Accounts Receivable accounts used for customer Sales Invoices. If a Branch is created for an Accounts Receivable account that is being used for some other purpose, you can safely move it into a branch that has an A/R account used for customers. The merging of Branches does not affect the GL accounts in QuickBooks.

Additional Branches can be setup in the next screen, click Next.

Additional Branches

Additional Branches can be added in this screen. Simply click New and fill in the information. These can also be added later in the Branch section of the Configuration Manager.

Click Next.

Sales Orders

The initial company import gives you three options regarding importing Sales Orders:

  • Do not Import: With this option, no sales orders will be imported from QuickBooks into Acctivate.
  • Import Open Orders: When this option is selected, only open sales orders will be imported in. Any completed sales orders in QuickBooks will not be imported into Acctivate.
  • Import All Orders: With this option, all sales orders, whether open or completed, will be imported into Acctivate.
Warning

Once the initial import is started, you will no long have an option to sync Sales Orders from QuickBooks.

Note

Estimates and Pending Invoices are not imported into Acctivate.

After making your selection, click Next.

Defaults

The Default screen is used to set default configuration values.

  • Default Warehouse for Purchase Orders
    The Warehouse selected here will be used as the default warehouse for Purchase Orders created in Acctivate. A value must be set here, but this default can be changed later in the Purchasing section of the Configuration Manager.
Note

Purchase Orders are not imported from QuickBooks into Acctivate.

  • Default Terms Code for POs
    This is the Default Terms code used for a Purchase Order if the vendor isn't assigned a terms code. This default can be changed later in the Purchasing section of the Configuration Manager.

  • Default branch for customers
    New customers created in Acctivate will default to the Branch selected. This default can be changed later in the Customer section of the Configuration Manager.

  • Import Products as Type
    All Products are required to have a Product Type assigned to them. If a Product Type isn't assigned based on the Product Import Options step, then this Product Type will be assigned during the import.

  • Default product class for non-standard items
    Non-standard (see "Type" field in the "Detail Grid" section) products will use the Product Class selected here. This default can be changed later in the Inventory Options section of the Configuration Manager.

  • Shipping/Freight Product ID
    Acctivate will automatically creating a Product in Acctivate assigned the Shipping Item Type. The name entered here will be used. However, if the name entered here, for example "Shipping" already exists in QuickBooks, then Acctivate will not create a new product since the product by the same name will be imported from QuickBooks.

  • Shipping Class
    The Product Class that is to be linked to the shipping/freight Product ID is assigned here. You can edit the Product's Product Class later within Acctivate if necessary.

  • Cost Method
    Inventoried Products will be imported in with the cost method selected here. Lot and Serial numbered items are eligible to use "Actual" cost method, but after the initial import from QuickBooks you must identify which products are lot or serial numbered.

  • Import inventory quantities and amounts from QuickBooks or Create spreadsheet for importing inventory counts and amounts.

    • If the Import inventory quantities and amounts from QuickBooks option is selected, Acctivate will import in the Products and their inventory quantities.
    • If the Create spreadsheet for importing inventory counts and amounts option is selected, Acctivate will import in the Products, however their on hand quantities and amounts will be saved to an .xls spreadsheet. A corresponding import template (a Product import template named Initial Inventory) will be created. This allows you to modify the product information and quantities, then use the Acctivate import to update the information.
Warning

Certain product attributes cannot be changed for a product once there have been transactions or the product has been used. If you choose to import in the inventory quantities from QuickBooks and the product is inventoried, you will not be able to change certain attributes, such as the stocking unit, Control Type, Item Type or Cost Method. If you think you will need to make changes to these fields after the initial import, then it's suggested that you use the "Create spreadsheet for importing inventory counts and amounts" option to export the inventory quantities and do not import in Sales Orders. After making changes to the product attributes in Acctivate you can import in the inventory quantities.

  • Import inactive items with no stock on hand
    If checked, Acctivate will import in all active and inactive items from QuickBooks. If unchecked, Acctivate will only import in active items and inactive items that have quantity on hand.

  • Deactivate the following item types in QuickBooks after import
    Inventoried items in QuickBooks are made inactive to ensure that inventory related transactions only occur in Acctivate. The other item types will be made inactive unless you uncheck them.

  • Advanced Configuration...
    This opens the Configuration Manager where you can set other configuration options not required for the import step.

Once you've set the defaults, click Next.

Import

When you click Next on the defaults screen, you will be asked if you are Ready to Import, click Yes to begin. It's recommended that all windows within QuickBooks are closed.

Warning

There is no way to determine exactly how long the import will take. The numbers of transactions and computer performance will have an impact. The import process should not be stopped once started; therefore you should ensure you are prepared and take measures to prevent any interruptions (such as scheduled restarts or log offs).

Note

If you have any future dated transactions in QuickBooks, you may receive one or more informational messages which indicates that these transactions will be included in the Acctivate beginning balances and adjusted in QuickBooks. You can choose to proceed, or you can click cancel to review these transactions in QuickBooks using the Register.

Once the import is started, the data below will be imported in the following sequence (some steps have multiple sub-steps):

  • Import Products
  • Terms Codes
  • Payment Methods
  • Vendor Types
  • Employees
  • Salespersons
  • Tax Tables
  • Customers
  • Invoices
  • Sales Orders (If you've chosen to import sales orders in)
  • Payments
  • Payment Applications to Invoices

When the import is completed, you will receive a message stating All QuickBooks data has been imported. You can now Login to Acctivate.