QuickBooks Link
Using the Commit-QuickBooks Link you can run your computer services business more efficiently. It was designed to simplify routine business, accounting and financial management tasks. With the Commit-QuickBooks Link, you only need to enter data once and it will appear in both Commit and QuickBooks. This feature not only saves you the time of manually entering data, but it also minimizes the problems of duplicate, redundant and wrong data common to manual data entry. Now you can synchronize your data between Commit and QuickBooks and ensure data accuracy, enhance your flexibility, and increase your control over your bottom line.
This user manual will help you use the features included in the Commit-QuickBooks Link module.
The Commit-QuickBooks Link includes the following features:
Customers
- Import all your QuickBooks Customers into Commit
- Changes made to QuickBooks Customers can be synchronized with Commit
- Create a new Customer in QuickBooks based on a selected Commit Account
- Create links between existing Commit Accounts and QuickBooks Customers to automate synchronization between them
- Send and receive updates for selected Accounts/Customers
Vendors
- Import all your QuickBooks Vendors into Commit
- Changes made to QuickBooks Vendors can be synchronized with Commit
- Create a new Account in Commit based on a selected QuickBooks Vendor
- Create a new Vendor in QuickBooks based on a selected Commit Account
- Create links between existing Commit Accounts and QuickBooks Vendors to automate synchronization between them
- Send and receive updates for selected Accounts/Vendors
Items
- Import any/all of the following QuickBooks Items into Commit:
- Service Items => Labor Items in Commit
- Inventory Parts => Products/Parts in Commit
- Non-Inventory Parts => Products/Parts in Commit
- Inventory Assembly Items => Products/Parts in Commit
- Other Charge Items => Expenses in Commit
- Changes made to QuickBooks Items can be synchronized with Commit
- Create a new Item in Commit based on a selected QuickBooks Item
- Create a new Item in QuickBooks based on a selected Commit Item
- Create links between existing Commit Items and QuickBooks Items to automate synchronization between them
- Send and receive updates for selected Items
Invoices
- Generate QuickBooks invoices based on charges entered in Commit
- Generate invoices at different levels:
- Account - Invoices generated at the Account level may include any charges linked to this account, its contracts and tickets.
- Contract - Generating an invoice at the Contract level may include only charges which are linked to this specific contract
- Ticket - Generating an invoice at the Ticket level may include only charges which are linked to this specific ticket
- See total unbilled pending charges according to Account, Contract and Ticket
- Select which charges to include in the invoice
- Create a QuickBooks invoice directly from the Account, Contract, or Ticket windows
- View all charges included in a QuickBooks invoice by filtering charges by the invoice reference value
Getting Started
To enjoy the benefits of the Commit-QuickBooks Link you first need to set it up. The setup is a user-friendly process that walks you through all the necessary steps to completion.
Please note that currently Commit synchronizes with the following versions and editions of QuickBooks:
The following US versions of QuickBooks are supported:
- QuickBooks Pro 2009
- QuickBooks Premier 2009
- QuickBooks Enterprise 2009
- QuickBooks Pro 2008
- QuickBooks Premier 2008
- QuickBooks Enterprise 2008
- QuickBooks Pro 2007
- QuickBooks Premier 2007
- QuickBooks Enterprise 2007
- QuickBooks Pro 2006
- QuickBooks Premier 2006
- QuickBooks Enterprise 2006
- QuickBooks Pro 2005 - QuickBooks Premier 2005
- QuickBooks Enterprise 2005 - QuickBooks Pro 2004
- QuickBooks Premier 2004
Note for QuickBooks 2009 users:
CommitCRM 4.5, or above, is required to integrate with QuickBooks 2009.
Commit-QuickBooks Link uses a single currency. Multi-currency is not supported.
The following Canadian versions of QuickBooks are supported:
- QuickBooks Canada Pro 2008
- QuickBooks Canada Premier 2008
- QuickBooks Canada Pro 2007
- QuickBooks Canada Premier 2007
- QuickBooks Canada Pro 2006
- QuickBooks Canada Premier 2006
- QuickBooks Canada Pro 2005
- QuickBooks Canada Premier 2005
- QuickBooks Canada Pro 2004
- QuickBooks Canada Premier 2004
The following UK versions of QuickBooks are supported:
- QuickBooks UK Pro 2008
- QuickBooks UK Pro 2006
- QuickBooks UK Pro 2005
- QuickBooks UK Pro 2004
The following Australian versions of QuickBooks are supported (*):
- QuickBooks Pro 2008/09
- QuickBooks Premier 2008/09
The integration with QuickBooks Australia was tested and works in US compatibility mode.
[multi user mode is supported]
Installation Instructions
The Commit-QuickBooks Link setup uses a step-by-step wizard. In the installation instructions below, only the main steps of the installation process are covered. You can find complete installation instructions in Appendix of this document.
The Commit-QuickBooks Link needs to be set up once, after the initial setup you simply use the various options available to you from the QuickBooks menus.
Depending on your current system installation you may be asked to download an Intuit setup file. If you are asked to download the Intuit file, follow the download instructions that will be displayed.
Before running the setup make sure QuickBooks is installed on your computer, it is working properly and includes the latest patches and updates, and that you are logged in as a Windows Administrator.
Installing the Commit-QuickBooks Link
From the Main menu, select Tools > Options... and then navigate to the QuickBooks tab.
The Options dialog box appears.
Select the country your edition of QuickBooks belongs to, and click on Run Setup Wizard.
To integrate with QuickBooks, Commit uses the latest direct API technologies offered by Intuit/QuickBooks, known as QBFC. QBFC should be installed on every PC on your network which will be using the Commit-QuickBooks Link.
If QBFC is not installed on your PC, you will be asked to install it.
Click 'Yes'. QBFC must be installed in order to use Commit-QuickBooks Link.
If you do not have the QBFC installation file, you may download it from the Commit web site. Instructions for downloading the file from the Commit site will appear. Follow these instructions, and then continue with the setup process.
The entire synchronization process takes place between Commit and a QuickBooks company file which you select.
Continue with the wizard until you are asked to select the QuickBooks company file you wish to synchronize with Commit.
Click on 'Click to Select' button to select your QuickBooks company file.
After selecting the company file continue with the setup process.
In the following screen, you will be asked to run QuickBooks and open the selected QuickBooks company file as a QuickBooks Administrator user and in Single User mode. Follow these instructions carefully to ensure a smooth installation of the Commit-QuickBooks Link.
Please follow the instructions in the screen shot above.
After logging into QuickBooks as an Administrator and in a single user mode, click 'Next'
Commit will now try to access the selected QuickBooks company file. QuickBooks will display a window requesting permission to allow access to the file. Grant Commit all the relevant permissions.
Make sure you select the following settings as illustrated above:
- Always allow access even if QuickBooks is not running
- Login as user with Admin privileges.
Note: The dialog box you see may slightly differ from the one above depending on your version/edition of QuickBooks.
Click Continue. QuickBooks will then ask you to confirm that you grant the permissions to Commit. Click Yes.
When the permissions are granted to Commit the setup is complete.
You will be returned to the Options window. Confirm by clicking OK.
Done! The Commit-QuickBooks Link setup is now complete.
(To view complete installation instructions including all the steps, click here or see Appendix A at the end of this document.)
Importing Customers/Vendors from QuickBooks into Commit for the First Time
his section will show you how to import your Customers into Commit.
Important note: If all your Customers are already in Commit, do not use this import feature until you have created links between existing records in Commit and their related records in QuickBooks. To learn more about how to create these links, click here.
Note that before performing a batch import, it is recommended that you first back up all your Commit data. The Commit data is stored in <server>Commit\DB.
After backing up your data, follow the instructions below to import Customers/Vendors from QuickBooks into Commit:
In the Accounts window, go to the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu and select Import New Records/Update Linked Records from QuickBooks.
If you have backed up your Commit Data, click OK to continue with the import process.
The import wizard will ask you to select the QuickBooks records you would like to import into Commit. By default, only active Customers are imported. If you want to import your vendors as well, follow the import wizard again once you have completed importing your Customers, and select Vendors.
Select the type of QuickBooks records you want to import, and click Next.
Click Finish.
Click Yes to begin importing the data.
The import process will begin.
Wait till the records are imported from QuickBooks to Commit
Click OK.
The import has finished. You can now see all the imported records in Commit in the Accounts window:
Please note that QuickBooks Jobs are not imported in batch imports from QuickBooks. You can import jobs on one by one basis using the 'New Account in Commit Based on QuickBooks' menu option.
Importing Items from QuickBooks into Commit
This section will show you how to import your QuickBooks Items into Commit.
Important Note: If all your Items are already in Commit, do not use this import feature until you have created links between existing records in Commit and their related records in QuickBooks. To learn more about how to create these links, click here.
Every Labor/Parts/Expense Charge in Commit is based on a selected Item. This is why Items are important to the entire billing process. The Commit-QuickBooks Link enables you to import all your Items from QuickBooks, saving you from retyping Item details in Commit.
Note that before performing a batch import, it is recommended that you first back up all your Commit data. The Commit data is stored in <server>Commit\DB.
After backing up your data follow the instructions below to import Items from QuickBooks into Commit:
In the Items window, go to the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu and select Import New Records/Update Linked Records from QuickBooks.
If you have backed up your Commit Data, click OK to continue with the import process.
The import wizard will ask you to select the QuickBooks records you would like to import into Commit. By default, all active Items are imported.
Select the types of Items you want to import from QuickBooks and click Next.
Click Finish.
Click Yes to begin importing the data.
The import process will begin.
Wait untill the record are imported from QuickBooks to Commit
Click OK.
The import has finished. You can now see all the imported records in Commit, in the Items window.
Using the Commit-QuickBooks Link
At this stage, where the Commit-QuickBooks Link installation setup is complete, you can start using it.
A few clicks will allow you to sync information between the two programs. Thus saving a lot of time and increasing productivity.
The first stage after the installation is to import Customers, Vendors and Items from QuickBooks into Commit.
Please note that you can easily perform the imports (as explained below).
However, we strongly recommend to backup Commit data prior to the imports.
You should backup <server>\Commit\DB folder including all files while no one is using Commit.
Note: If you are already using Commit for a while and already have all your customers and items record in Commit you should match Commit records with QuickBooks records instead of importing the records (importing the records in this case will only create duplicates in your database and therefore it should be avoided). To learn more about how to link existing records between the two systems see 'Link Account to QuickBooks Customer/Job/Vendor Record' or click here
Accounts
Your company has ongoing interactions with customers, vendors, business partners, friends, leads, and so on. In Commit, each of these types of contacts is called an Account. You can manage your Account contact data and all other related data in the Accounts window.
In Accounts, related data is any information related to the Account that is presently being managed in Commit, such as scheduled Appointments, open Tasks, Phone Call monitoring, Ticket/incident history, Assets (customer equipment and software licenses), Charges, linked Documents (MS-Word, emails, Excel etc.), Sales Opportunities and so on.
Account information is organized in separate information tabs that display different types of data.
To view all information related to an Account, open the Accounts window, locate the required Account, and browse through its data by clicking on the information tabs.
Accounts can be easily imported from QuickBooks, and changes can be synchronized between both systems.
Actions in Commit-QuickBooks Link
Aside from importing your Customers into Commit, the Commit-QuickBooks Link includes many other useful functions.
You can view all of the synchronization options that are available between Account records in Commit and Customers/Vendors in QuickBooks in the Accounts window under the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu.
There you will see one of the following two menus:
The first menu is displayed when a selected Account is not linked to the parallel Customer/Vendor in QuickBooks.
The second menu is displayed when a selected Account is already linked to the parallel Customer/Vendor record in QuickBooks.
All the options are accessible from the Accounts window, so it is not necessary to open the QuickBooks Company while those actions are being performed (although if QuickBooks is open you may notice performance improvements).
Create Invoice
This option enables you to create a QuickBooks invoice from Commit for the selected Account, based on billable charges entered in Commit that haven't been billed yet. You can also include not-billable charge in the invoice, without it affecting the invoice total amount.
Click Here for a detailed step–by-step guide on how to manage invoices.
Link Account To QuickBooks Customer/Job/Vendor Record
This option enables you to link between an existing record in Commit and an existing record in QuickBooks.
This option is very useful when the same customer already exist in Commit and also exist in QuickBooks. It tells the system that both these records are actually the same contact and there should be a link between them when synchronizing data. Also, when generating QuickBooks invoices from Commit the link tells Commit to which customer to link the invoice to.
To link between an existing Account record in Commit and an existing Customer/Job/Vendor in QuickBooks, go to the Accounts window and select Link Account To QuickBooks Customer/Job/Vendor Record on the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu.
The QuickBooks Customer/Job Selection dialog box will appear:
Type the name of the QuickBooks Customer/Job/Vendor in the Name field in QuickBooks, and click Find. The relevant records in QuickBooks will be displayed. Select the record that matches the record in Commit and click OK.
Create New Record in QuickBooks Based on Commit Account
This option allows you to create a new Customer/Vendor in QuickBooks based on the existing Account in Commit, instead of retyping all the information again in QuickBooks. It also creates a link between the record in Commit and the newly created corresponding record in QuickBooks.
This option is useful when a new Account record was created in Commit and you want to add it to QuickBooks, without having to type the Account details again in QuickBooks.
To create a new Customer/Vendor in QuickBooks based on an existing Commit Account, select the relevant record in the Accounts window in Commit and then select Create New Record in QuickBooks Based on Commit Account in the QuickBooks menu.
The Account record will now be transferred to QuickBooks as a Customer/Vendor. You can open QuickBooks and view the newly created record.
Update Linked QuickBooks Record with Commit Account Data
You can update a linked QuickBooks Customer/Job/Vendor with Commit Account data. This option is useful when you've updated an Account in Commit and want to automatically transfer these updates to the corresponding linked Customer/Job/Vendor in QuickBooks.
To update a linked Customer/Job/Vendor in QuickBooks with Commit Account data, select the relevant Account in the Accounts window in Commit and then select Update Linked QuickBooks Record with Commit Account Data on the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu.
The relevant Customer/Job/Vendor will be automatically updated in QuickBooks. You can open QuickBooks and view the updated information.
The two images above, show that a 'Fax' number that was added in to the record in Commit and how it has been updated in the parallel record in QuickBooks after activating this option.
Note: If the linked Customer/Job/Vendor in QuickBooks was also updated since the last synchronization took place, you will receive a system warning.
Update Account Data from the Linked QuickBooks Record
You can update a linked Commit Account with QuickBooks Customer/Job/Vendor data. This option is useful when you've updated a Customer/Job/Vendor in QuickBooks and want to automatically transfer the changes to Commit.
In the following example, the E-mail field was updated in QuickBooks:
To update the linked Commit Account with the changed data from the parallel record in QuickBooks, select the relevant Account in Commit and then select Update Account Data from the Linked QuickBooks Record on the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu.
The selected record in Commit will be updated with the changes made in QuickBooks.
In the example above, you can see that the E-mail field in Commit has been updated with the new information from the linked QuickBooks record.
Note: If the linked Account in Commit was also updated since the last synchronization took place, you will receive a system warning.
Remove Link Between the Account and QuickBooks Record
You can remove the link between a Commit Account and QuickBooks Customer/Job/Vendor. This feature is useful for removing links that were created by mistake, removing links to QuickBooks records that were deleted, or when you don't want to continue synchronizing data between records.
When you remove a link between records, you will no longer be able to synchronize changes between them. You can always link the records again in the future with the Link Account To QuickBooks Customer/Job/Vendor Record option on the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu as described above.
To remove the link between the records, select the relevant Account in Commit and then select Remove Link Between the Account and QuickBooks Record on the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu.
New Account in Commit Based on a QuickBooks Record
This option allows you to create a new Account record in Commit based on an existing Customer/Job/Vendor in QuickBooks. It also creates a link between the record in QuickBooks and the newly created corresponding record in Commit.
This option is useful when a new Customer/Job/Vendor record was created in QuickBooks and you want to add it to Commit, without typing the details again in Commit.
To create a new Account in Commit based on a Customer/Job/Vendor in QuickBooks, select New Account in Commit Based on QuickBooks from the Accounts window in Commit.
The QuickBooks Selection dialog box will appear.
Search for the Customer/Job/Vendor in QuickBooks that you want to use to create the new Account in Commit.
Enter the name of the Customer/Job/Vendor in the Name field in QuickBooks, and click Find. Any related QuickBooks Customers/Jobs/Vendor will be displayed. Select the relevant record and click OK.
Done! The new Account will now be created in Commit.
Import New Records / Update Linked Records from QuickBooks
If you have added or updated any Customers/Vendors/Jobs in QuickBooks, you can import these changes into Commit using the same function as the one you used initially to import all the records from QuickBooks into Commit.
Using this option after the initial import enables you to import all the QuickBooks records that have been added to QuickBooks after the initial import. It also syncs all updates performed to records in QuickBooks and applies them to the corresponding linked records in Commit.
During the first import, all the relevant Account records from QuickBooks will be imported into Commit.
From the second import and on:
- All the new records in QuickBooks that were created during the period between the last import and the current import, will be imported to Commit as new records.
- All the records in QuickBooks that were updated during the period between the last import and the current import, will be updated in Commit as well.
Please note, that Jobs are not imported in the batch import from QuickBooks to Commit. You can import the jobs on one by one basis using the 'New Account in Commit Based on QuickBooks' option. However, updates to Jobs that have been are already linked to Commit Accounts will be synchronized and will update the corresponding record in Commit.
To sync/import all the records, go to Accounts window > QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu and select the option 'Import New Records / Update Linked Records from QuickBooks...'
Items
Items in Commit are a catalog of all the services and products you offer. The Items list in Commit acts as your price list.
Each Item has a unique Code, Name, Description and Pricing Setting.
There are three types of Items in Commit:
Parts Items are hardware, software, or any other items you ship to your customer. These items have fixed prices.
Labor Items are services you provide to your customers, such as server installation, network installation, on-site technician visits, etc. Each Labor item can have a fixed price, a fixed hourly rate, or a dynamic hourly rate that varies depending upon the employee who performs the service.
Expense Items are used to charge expenses, such as travel and special deliveries. Expense Items can have a fixed price per unit or a fixed hourly rate.
For each new Charge record, an Item is selected and the relevant Item data is automatically copied to the new charge. This streamlines your data entry process. Also, the selected Item for a Charge in Commit will be the Item that appears on the QuickBooks invoice line when the Charge is transferred to a QuickBooks invoice.
Items can be Active or Suspended. A suspended Item cannot be selected when adding new charges.
Items can be easily imported from QuickBooks, and changes can be synchronized between QuickBooks and Commit.
Actions in Commit QuickBooks
Aside from the ability to import Items into Commit, there are many other useful functions in the Commit-QuickBooks Link.
You can see all the synchronization options for Item records in Commit and QuickBooks in the Items window on the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu in Commit.
You will see one of the two following menus.
The first menu is displayed when a selected Item record is not linked to an Item record in QuickBooks.
The second menu is displayed when a selected Item record is linked to an Item record in QuickBooks.
All the options are initiated from the Items window in Commit, and therefore the QuickBooks company file does not have to be open when you choose to select any of the above actions. (If QuickBooks is open you may notice performance improvements.)
General
Commit syncs with the following item types in QuickBooks:
- Labor Items in Commit are parallel to Service Items in QuickBooks
- Products/Parts Items in Commit are parallel to the following Items in QuickBooks:
- Inventory Parts
- Non-Inventory Parts
- Inventory Assembly Items
- Expense Items in Commit are parallel to Other Charge Items in QuickBooks.
Link Item To QuickBooks Service / Part/Assembly / Other Charge Item
You can create a link between an existing Item in Commit with an existing Item in QuickBooks.
This option is useful when the same Item already exists in both Commit and QuickBooks. The linking function tells the system that these records are the same Item and they should e synchronized with each other.
To link between an existing Item record in Commit and an existing Item in QuickBooks, select Link Item To QuickBooks Service/Part/Assembly/Other Charge Item on the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu.
The QuickBooks Item Selection window will appear:
Type the name of the Item in the Name field in QuickBooks, and click Find. The relevant Items in QuickBooks will be displayed. Select the Item that matches the Item in Commit and click OK.
Done! You have created the link between the two records.
In the example above, we have created a link between an Expense Item in Commit and an Other Part Item in QuickBooks. Updates in Commit to this Item can now be synchronized with to QuickBooks, and vice versa.
Create New Item In QuickBooks Based on Commit Item
This option enables you to create a new Item in QuickBooks based on an existing Item in Commit. It also creates a link between the record in Commit and the newly created corresponding record in QuickBooks.
This option is useful when a new Item record was created in Commit and you want to add it to the QuickBooks, without having to type the Item details again in QuickBooks.
To create a new Item in QuickBooks based on an already existing Commit Item, select the relevant Item in the Items window in Commit and then select the Create New Item In QuickBooks Based on Commit Item on the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu.
The following types of Commit Items will be created as the following QuickBooks Items:
Labor items in Commit will be created as Service Items in QuickBooks.
Expense Items in Commit will be created as Other Items in QuickBooks.
Products/Parts Items in Commit will be created as Inventory Parts or Inventory Assembly or Non Inventory Parts in QuickBooks.
The Item record will now be transferred to QuickBooks. You can open QuickBooks and view the newly created record.