quickbooks connected solution – Cooper Mann Consulting

Simultaneous Syncing Sinks Solution: Extend Access but Control Integrations

Accounts and ProAdvisors: Make sure you “enable” only those who need it

In this wonderfully interconnected world of hosted and online applications and the integrations which complement them, it is important to not let the excitement of connectivity and collaboration replace reasonable control. While there is much conversation on this topic when it involves file sharing and similar services, the discussion of data synchronization and data integration doesn’t often come up. However, it has been my experience that there is usually a misunderstanding in how, exactly, a particular sync or integration should be applied and who should have access to the functionality when it is deployed as an extension of the QuickBooks desktop financial software.

An example of the problem might be seen when QuickBooks desktop editions are set to integrate or sync data with a web-based solution such as Method Integration or Santrio Open for Business Order Bridge. Solutions like these, which extend the functionality of QuickBooks through extending access and integrating data, rely upon QuickBooks integration functionality move data between their solutions and the QuickBooks database. These solutions are quite beneficial for businesses because they can affordably deliver support for various business functions via a true web application and incorporate QuickBooks data in those application views. Additionally, this type of solution is able to push information from the web application to QuickBooks, allowing for complete integration of financial and other relevant data.

While having this type of integrated service is beneficial, there are a lot of businesses who don’t fully understand how to appropriately implement the solution and end up creating a great deal of difficulty for themselves. One of the most frequent failures I have seen when implementing this type of solution is where the customer doesn’t really understand who should or should not have the integration.

When a web-based solution exchanges data or syncs with QuickBooks, a path is created to communicate between the two systems – the web solution and the QuickBooks application and data file. This path must be open, and both sides of the communication identified, in order for data to sync. The most important thing to remember is that there should be only one controlling entity on each side handling the integration. What this means for QuickBooks users is that only one installation – one PC accessing QuickBooks – should be configured to facilitate the primary integration with the QuickBooks company file.

To illustrate, consider an implementation of Method Integration and QuickBooks that was done for a business some time ago. This business used Method-based applications for a variety of business functions, and those applications used data sync’d from QuickBooks desktop. Just after implementation, it was discovered that system sync’s were not happening as they should, and sometimes when they went to sync data, it would take a huge amount of time (which was not supposed to be normal behavior). In short, the system proved to be problematic and, at times, unusable. But the problem didn’t have anything to do with the Method Integration system, nor the technology.

The problem was that all workstations in the office were set up to sync data between QuickBooks and Method. QuickBooks was installed on all the PC’s, even though most of the users did not use QuickBooks (they used the Method Integration system to do their jobs), and each PC had the Method Integration sync engine installed and set up to run. This caused the system to be frequently overloaded with sync requests and caused QuickBooks to behave erratically or crash. In addition, users who did not need (and should not have had) access to QuickBooks financial information were starting up QuickBooks and opening the company file every day because they thought it was required to allow them to access or use QuickBooks data in the Method Integration system.

The benefits of using web applications which can connect to and integrate data with QuickBooks is that a business can give users functionality and data access required to get the job done, but not expose those users to more software or data than they need. In most cases, if not all, QuickBooks is not necessary for users of the web application (saving you the cost of purchasing and installing QuickBooks for these users). Further, to ensure proper functionality and to remove any possible conflict or confusion in the sync process, only one workstation with QuickBooks should be set up to sync data to/from the web solution. While it makes sense to have a “backup” PC setup with the ability, syncing should remain inactive on this machine unless the primary “sync machine” is out of service. The key element to remember here is that the data coming from the web application is being added to the QuickBooks company file. Once the data is in QuickBooks, QuickBooks users may access the data from QuickBooks and do not need the connection to the web application.

When deploying this combination of solutions with a hosting service provider, the same rules will apply. Only users who need the sync capability require service with both QuickBooks and the integration installed. In some cases, this may make selection of host services more affordable, as only those who need the “additional application” (being the sync solution or integration tool) require customized service, and the rest of the QuickBooks-only users need standard QuickBooks service. *It might also be worth noting that many hosting providers do not support “persistent” connections – sync connections which continue to run even when you are not logged in), so syncing of data would only be able to occur if the primary user was logged in to QuickBooks and had the sync integration active on the host solution.

Accounting professionals, QuickBooks ProAdvisors, and small business consultants can help their clients understand the value and potential of extending QuickBooks desktop editions with connected web-based solutions. The additional value these professionals bring to the conversation is the understanding of the need for structure and control of the data flowing into and out of the financial systems, offering their expertise to ensure that the accountability and appropriate treatment of the information exists throughout the business.

Make Sense?

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Compliance in the Cloud – their system, your responsibility

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https://coopermann.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/beyond-bookkeeping-to-total-business/

Getting in Front of the Ball

There’s a lot more to accountability in a manufacturing or inventory-based business than simply keeping track of money in and money out. Particularly in an economy when nobody can afford to build or stock products too far ahead of demand, it is essential that these businesses have a means to not only track and manage purchasing, manufacturing, distribution and stocking activities, but to understand conditions or trends which impact the flow of materials and cash through the business. Further, this understanding must come in a timely manner in order for the business owner to make decisions and take action when it matters most. Unfortunately, many business owners find themselves “behind the ball”, constantly pushing to make forward strides, and often due to not having the information they need to make business decisions that matter now, today.

Why is it so critical for these businesses to have more and better information to help them make strategic decisions and answer daily operational questions? In a word: connectedness. The Internet has truly made the world smaller when it comes to participation with even the smallest of local businesses. Globalization of markets has impacted manufacturers in significant ways, and these businesses (like so many others) must now be prepared to address the realities of global supply chains, outsourcing, and a remote or mobile workforce and market. While many of the software solutions addressing the functional business requirements of manufacturing and inventory or warehouse management are “locally implemented” solutions, extending and integrating these solutions to address the new global and mobile paradigm may represent a significant expenditure in time and resources for the small enterprise.

Application hosting and web-based solutions have emerged to help businesses address the need to “modernize” legacy applications and enable greater levels of system management and access. Introducing the applications into a centralized and remotely accessible environment allows the business to immediately deliver the necessary support for remote work and mobile access, and positions the system to facilitate collaboration within the business and with outside participants, such as outsourced bookkeepers, accounting and finance professionals.

These professionals can be instrumental in assisting their clients manage the change to new collaborative computing paradigms. Where accounting was previously viewed as an after-the-fact process, accountability through detailed activity tracking and reporting is now a focus which begins at the front end of the business, and accounting professionals are finding far greater value in helping structure and manage this daily activity in order to deliver greater operational information and insight. Rather than being the last people to know what is happening in the business, accounting professionals are recognizing that their ability to positively impact business performance requires getting “in front of the ball”, initiating process structure, data control and collection which ultimately results in better and more informed decision-making through better and more timely access to more meaningful information.

Businesses at all levels are realizing that new computing paradigms can ease the burdens of collecting and sharing information, yet most small companies need help in determining exactly how to approach this “enabling” of the business and systems. While accountants are also experiencing dramatic change in how they do business, it makes sense for them to embrace the opportunity and recognize that enabling client systems will ultimately allow the accounting professional to work more closely and to deliver more tangible value to their client on an ongoing basis. Online accounting approaches are no longer a fad but are the new reality supporting how many bookkeepers and accountants work with their business clients. Extending access beyond accounting and bookkeeping systems, and incorporating support for operational and line-of-business solutions, is the next step which will bring the accountant closer to the client business, and position both to benefit from deeper collaboration and useful insight.