Accounting Software Integration - QuickBooks Online

Integrating DecoNetwork with accounting software is a great way to leverage your technology investments. Integration with QuickBooks Online (QBO) will reduce costs by eliminating time spent on the double-entry of financial data, and the additional cost of resolving errors introduced into QBO during that manual process. Integrate DecoNetwork with QuickBooks Online (QBO) to easily sync your customer, invoice, product, and transaction data. Once the integration is configured, customer records, orders, sales transactions, and purchase orders from DecoNetwork will be imported automatically into QBO.

Prerequisites

• You must have administrator access to use this feature
• You must have a QBO account
• An understanding of your business' accounting procedures is strongly advised

This guide will take you through the integration configuration process. Before commencing it is advised that you become familiar with QBO's audit feature. This will help you roll back any errors introduced into QBO by a misconfiguration - just in case - especially when connecting to your live company data. We also recommend that you read the Accounting Integration Overview so that you understand how the accounting integration feature works, what benefits it provides, and what is supported by this setup.

In this article...

• Setting up the DecoNetwork to QBO Connection
• Configure QuickBooks Online to work with DecoNetwork
• Configure Integration Options in DecoNetwork
• Complete and Test the Configuration
• Take the Integration Out of Test Mode
• Syncing your data
• Accounting Sync Queue
• Sync History

Setting up the DecoNetwork to QBO Connection

1. Login to your DecoNetwork Website.
2. Browse to Admin > Manage Site > Reports >Accounting Software Integration and click the QuickBooks Online button.
   
3. Click Integrate with QuickBooks Online.
   
4. Click the CONNECT TO QuickBooks button.
   
5. Enter your QBO login credentials in the QBO Sign in dialog.
   
6. Authorize the sharing of data between QuickBooks and DecoNetwork by clicking Authorize.
   
   • QBO and DecoNetwork will now set up the connection.
   • The connection now has to be configured and tailored to suit your business.
   • Refresh Lists will populate many of the DecoNetwork configuration drop-down boxes with the latest data from QBO.
   • QBO may need certain configuration options modified to allow DecoNetwork configuration fields to populate correctly.

Configure QuickBooks Online to work with DecoNetwork

Before connecting DecoNetwork to QBO, you need to configure QBO with the appropriate mappings to allow for seamless integration. The following settings in QBO are recommended to ensure that DecoNetwork is able to synchronize your data. It is likely that your business will already have at least some of these settings configured if you are already using QBO. As always, give careful consideration to any configuration items that you may need to change and seek advice from your QBO professional if you are unsure.

Turn on Custom Transaction Numbers

Turning on Custom Transaction Numbers prevents duplication of invoice numbers.

To Turn on Custom Transaction Numbers

1. From the top menu bar, click on the gear icon, then select Company Settings.
   
2. From the left menu, click on the Sales tab.
   
3. In the Sales tab, click within the Sales form content section to edit the settings.
   
4. Tick the Custom transaction numbers check box.
   
5. Click Save.

Enable Purchase Orders

Turn on Use purchase orders to enable purchase order data to be synced.

1. From the top menu bar, click on the gear icon, then select Company Settings.
   
2. From the left menu, click on the Expenses tab.
   
3. In the Expenses tab, click within the Purchase Orders section to edit the settings.
   
4. Tick the Use purchase orders checkbox (to enable to purchase order integration) and tick the Custom transaction numbers checkbox (to prevent purchase order number duplication).
   
5. Click Save.

Enable Track Classes and Make a DecoNetwork Class

In QBO, you can create classes that you assign to transactions. This lets you track account balances by business segments.

This is optional, but if configured, classes will tag transactions as coming from DecoNetwork which may better suit your reporting purposes.

To Enable Track Classes

1. From the top menu bar, click on the gear icon, then select Company Settings.
   
2. From the left menu, click on the Company tab.
   
3. In the Company tab, click within the Categories section to edit the settings.
   
4. Enable the Track classes toggle.
5. Select One to entire transaction from the Assign classes dropdown.
   
6. Click Save.

To Create a Class

1. From the top menu bar, click on the gear icon, then select All Lists.
2. Click Classes.
   
3. Click New.
   
4. Give the Class a name such as "DecoNetwork".
5. Click Save.

Set up Order Line item mappings

Each order line item in DecoNetwork needs to be mapped to an item in QBO. You need to create mappings for products that you sell and also for all services, extra charges, and credit items that you offer in DecoNetwork.

Products can be set to use the same item from QBO. If you choose to use the same item, you need to manually create an inventory or non-inventory item in QBO. This item will be used to map all products sold in DecoNetwork. If you choose not to use the same item to record your product sales, the system will automatically sync each individual product from DecoNetwork into QBO.

Services and other non-product items can also be mapped to a generic item or mapped into different line item types for a finer-grained view of your sales.

You can use the same item as you use for products if you choose. Otherwise, create items in QBO that will be used to map the following:

• Shipping Item
• Gift Certificate Item
• Rush Order Fee Item
• Digitizing Fee Item
• Artwork Fee Item
• Screen Setup Fee Item
• Extra Charge Item
• Freeform Item
• Order Discount Item
• Coupon Discount Item
• Order Credit Item
• Tax Adjustment Item

To Create an Item

1. From the top menu bar, click on the gear icon, then select Products and Services.
   
2. Click New.
   
3. Select the appropriate type from the Product/Service information box:
   • Inventory
   • Non-inventory
   • Service
   • Bundle
4. Enter the necessary information for the item.
5. Click Save and close.

Configure Taxes

In order to connect DecoNetwork with QBO, you will need to define a matching tax rate for each tax rate present in your DecoNetwork configuration.

To define your own taxes, you will need to access the Manual Tax Center, newer signups of QuickBooks Online (2018 and beyond) or accounts that have upgraded to Automatic Tax Settings will need to access the Manual Tax Center by vising the following URL: https://qbo.intuit.com/app/salestax?showExistingUI=true

Once in the Manual Tax Center, click Add/edit tax rates and agencies on the right-hand side Related Tasks section to start defining the necessary tax rates.

Configure Payment Methods

The payment methods that are configured in DecoNetwork must have a corresponding method in QBO. Go to Admin > Settings >Payment Methods to view the payment methods in DecoNetwork.

To Create a Payment Method

1. From the top menu bar, click on the gear icon, then select All Lists.
2. Click Payment Methods.
   
3. Click New.
   
4. Enter the Name of the payment method in the New Payment Method popup.

   The default payment methods are In Person (or cash if you like), Bank Transfer, Telephone (which is a credit card), and Check.

   
5. Optionally, click the This is a credit card checkbox, if appropriate.
6. Click Save.

Configure Payment Terms

1. Browse to Setup Gear icon > All Lists > Terms.
2. Ensure the terms in QBO match those in DecoNetwork under Admin > Settings > Customer Settings > Account Terms.
3. If the terms page has not been modified in DecoNetwork, you will need to add Cash On Delivery into QBO. Add a period of time equal to your minimum production time as the due period in QBO.

Set up Suppliers

1. Set up your supplier's details in QBO by clicking Expenses > Suppliers > New Supplier.
   
2. Fill in your supplier's details and click Save.

Configure Integration Options in DecoNetwork

The configurable items in DecoNetwork are each described briefly below with considerations and advice on the option used in most cases. Remember to click Refresh Lists to pull down the configuration information each time you make changes in QBO to any of the configuration items described in the previous section:

1. Under Admin > Reports > Accounting Software Integration, click Configure.
2. Click Refresh Lists.
   
3. Configure mappings:

   Order/Invoice Options

   • Automatically Recalculate Pending Items - Choose whether you want DecoNetwork to recalculate items that need syncing, each time you apply the Sync Now command.
     • If you choose ‘Yes’, DecoNetwork will automatically calculate items that need syncing and sync them.
     • If you choose ‘No’, you will need to first view the sync queue to manually update the queue before you can sync the new pending items.

     Typically choose Yes, unless you want to manually recalculate items affected by a QBO change.

   • Order Syncing - Choose the stage at which you want order data in DecoNetwork to sync with order data in QBO:
     • Sync orders when they are invoiced: will sync orders once they are marked as invoiced (occurs when an order is marked as shipped, or manually marked as invoiced).
     • Sync orders when they are placed: will sync orders as soon as they are placed.
     • Sync orders when they are awaiting shipping: will sync orders when they are marked as production complete and have the Awaiting Shipping status.
     • Sync orders when they are shipped: will sync orders when they are marked as shipped.
   • Exclude Orders Before - Transactions from DecoNetwork will not be synced if they occurred before this date. Leave blank to include all orders. However, if there is a cutover between which system is handling orders, you may consider using that date as the exclusion date. Typically left blank to include all orders.
   • Include Test Orders - Choose whether you want test orders to be sent to QBO while your site is in testing mode.
     • Choosing ‘Yes’ will allow you to test syncing before you go live.
     • If you choose, ‘No’ no data will be sent to QBO until you go live.

     Typically set to No, unless you want orders from your site while not live or in testing to be sent to QBO.

   • Test Mode - While set to 'Yes' DecoNetwork will only send 1 order and 1 purchase order to QBO at a time. Once you are happy that the transactions are being handled properly, set it to 'No' so QBO becomes live-updated by DecoNetwork. Start with this set to Yes and change to No when you are confident in the system.
   • Match Existing Orders - If set to 'Yes', will check QBO for existing matches of the order number on the same date and with the same customer. If a match is found, DecoNetwork will update the existing QBO invoice instead of creating a new invoice. Typically set this to Yes.
   • Deposit Into Separate Accounts - The default setting of 'No' will place all funds received by DecoNetwork into a single account called Undeposited Funds. Changing this to 'Yes' requires the definition of accounts to receive funds for each payment type which may better suit your accounting requirements.
   • Quickbooks Class - OPTIONAL - If you have classes enabled, and have a class in QBO against which all DecoNetwork orders will be stored, select it here. This can be used for easier reporting and tracking of DecoNetwork orders.
   • Customer Syncing - Choose how you want customer data to be synced into QBO:
     • Create a Quickbooks customer account for all account holders, but use the same Quickbooks customer for all other Internet orders: choose this option if you want DecoNetwork to automatically create a customer account for each customer who is an account holder and use a single customer account to record orders for customers who are not account holders.
     • Create a Quickbooks customer account for all orders: choose this option if you want DecoNetwork to automatically create a customer account for all orders
     • Use the same Quickbooks customer for all orders: choose this option if you want to use a single customer account to record orders for all customers

     The default option of creating a QBO customer account for all orders gives the best detail. The other option is using a single customer account for either all orders or just for internet orders both reduce the number of QBO accounts, but at the cost of detail. Typically, this is set to create a customer account for all orders.

   • Single Customer - If, for the customer syncing option, you choose to use the same customer account for all orders or for customers who are not account holders (option 3 or option 1), this generic customer will be used for syncing.
   • Customer Name - Set to show either the person or the company name when displaying the account in QBO.
   • Use Same Item? - Choose whether you want to map all DecoNetwork products to the same single item in QuickBooks:
     • If you choose ‘Yes’, DecoNetwork will sync all order line items to a single item in QBO (i.e. Use the same product in each order line in QBO).
     • If you choose ‘No’, DecoNetwork will record all order line items as separate products in QBO (i.e. Import the product specifics with each order from DecoNetwork).

     This is typically set to No so DecoNetwork items are imported into QBO.

   • Use Same Item for Extra Charge? - Choose whether you want to use the same item to record all extra charges configured in DecoNetwork:
     • If you choose ‘Yes’, DecoNetwork will sync all extra charges to a single item in QBO (i.e. Use the same extra charge in QBO for all extra charges in DecoNetwork).
     • If you choose ‘No’, DecoNetwork will record all extra charges as separate extra charges in QBO.
   • Item Account If you selected No for Use Same Item, DecoNetwork will import all your (blank) products into an item account of your choice in QBD. Choose an item account from the drop-down list. Typically, this is set to Sales.
   • Item Expense Account If you selected No for Use Same Item, you will also need to select an expense account for the purchase of blank products to be resold. The expense account is used when purchasing.
   • Sync Purchase Orders - If enabled, purchase orders are sent to QBO. If purchase orders are being used in DecoNetwork, set to Yes.
   • Purchase Orders Account - If Sync Purchase Orders is set to Yes, then this field is used to define which account is making the purchase orders in QBO. This account needs to be an Accounts Payable account.

   Order Line Item Mappings

   If you have chosen to set up separate line items in QBO for additional service items, (i.e. fees, charges, credits, and discounts), that you have configured in DecoNetwork, these are configured here. Items can include:

   • Gift Certificate Item
   • Rush Order Fee Item
   • Digitizing Fee Item
   • Artwork Fee Item
   • Screen Setup Fee Item
   • Extra Charge Item
   • Freeform Item
   • Order Discount Item
   • Coupon Discount Item
   • Order Credit Item

   Select the account you have designated in QBO for each of the fees from the drop-down list. If the drop-down list is empty or incomplete, ensure you have created these accounts in QBO and clicked Refresh Lists in DecoNetwork.

   Extra Charges

   Select the item in QBO you want to be mapped to each of the extra charges you have configured in DecoNetwork.

   Shipping Methods

   Select the corresponding shipping methods you have configured in QBO for each of the suppliers you use in DecoNetwork.

   Taxes

   The different taxes that you support should have corresponding accounts configured in QBD. A Tax Exempt/No Tax mapping field will be included for applying the tax exemption code when tax is not applicable.

   Payment Methods

   The different payment methods that you support should have corresponding accounts configured in QBO. Select them here from the drop-down boxes.

   Payment Method Deposit Accounts

   Select the accounts that each payment method will deposit money into from the drop-down boxes. This should be an account such as "Undeposited Funds" or another current asset.

   Payment Terms

   Set Default Terms for new transactions and the corresponding additional terms you have configured in QBO. They should match what payment terms DecoNetwork already has configured.

   Vendors/Suppliers

   If you chose 'Yes' for Sync Purchase Orders, you will need to select the corresponding supplier accounts you have configured in QBO for each of the suppliers you use in DecoNetwork.

4. Click Save.

Complete and Test the Configuration

The final steps are to make sure the configuration is correct and that QBO is receiving data from DecoNetwork in the expected fashion. Initially, this is in test mode where only a single order, purchase order, and payment are synced with every push. Once you are satisfied the systems are working together correctly, put DecoNetwork into Live mode.

1. At the QBO Integration page, click Sync Now (Test Mode).
   
   • Once syncing is complete, you will be notified of any errors encountered.
   • Check the status by clicking View Sync > View Sync History.
     

     This outlines the sync that took place. View the details by clicking View Log. Any errors will be revealed, which should be rectified.

     Sync logs that are more than eight weeks old will be removed to clear up storage space.

2. Once any errors have been fixed, click Sync Now (Test Mode) again.

   DecoNetwork will re-attempt to sync transactions that had errors the next time you click Sync Now. If the error does not reappear after a subsequent sync, you know if the condition that caused it has been rectified.

   If a transaction will not sync and the cause is not fixable, the transaction must be manually added to QBO. You should stop the transaction with the unfixable error from attempting to sync. Go to View Sync > View Sync Queue, and disable the transaction you no longer want to sync.

3. Repeat the process until no more errors are appearing.
4. Once testing is complete, take integration out of Test Mode.

Take the Integration Out of Test Mode

1. Click Configure.
2. Set Test Mode to No.
   
3. Click Save.
4. In the Breadcrumb, click Accounting Software Integration.
5. Click Sync Now to run a full sync.

Syncing your data

Syncing to QBO does not occur automatically. However, you can run a sync whenever you like. To initiate a sync:

1. Browse to Admin > Reports > Accounting Software Integration.
   
2. Click the Sync Now button at the top right.
   

Accounting Sync Queue

The Sync Queue shows the entries of pending sync requests that are waiting to be synchronized into QuickBooks Online the next time a sync is initialized. When there are any updates to your customer, invoice, product, order, and transaction data in DecoNetwork, a record will be added to the sync queue. During the next synchronization, successful syncs will be removed from the queue and any failed sync attempts will be added back to the queue with an error message detailing the reason why the sync failed.

1. Browse to Admin > Reports > Accounting Software Integration.
   
2. Click the View Sync button at the top right toolbar and select View Sync Queue.
   

   The sync queue is displayed in the work area.

   
   • Type: You can filter the search queue by the following types; order, customer, product, payment, refund, credit, and purchase order.
   • Name: You can search for records by name. Enter the name in the search field and click Search.
     

     You need to enter the name exactly as it is stored in the system. Copy it from your sync log to make sure you have entered it correctly.

   • Status: You can filter the search queue by the following statuses; Not synced, Waiting, Blocked, Error, and Synced.
   • Last Result: Shows the outcome of the last sync.
   • Last Error: Shows the error message of the entry resulting from the last sync. In order for the next sync to be successful, you need to rectify an error, then tell DecoNetwork that the record needs to be synced again so it can be recreated. To do this, click the Actions button next to the record and select Unmap from the dropdown. Performing these steps will put the record back into the sync queue to be sent over to the accounting software on the next sync attempt.
   • Block: You can choose records to be omitted from the next sync by ticking the Block checkbox corresponding to the record.

Sync History

The Sync History page shows a report of past sync attempts. For each sync attempt, the date, state, and result are shown. The sync history page is a valuable tool to monitor and troubleshoot integration issues.

1. Browse to Admin > Reports > Accounting Software Integration.
   
2. Click the View Sync button at the top right toolbar and select Sync History.
   

   The Sync History page is displayed in the work area.