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
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.
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.
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.
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 insteadof 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Update Linked QuickBooks Record with Commit Item Data
You can update a linked QuickBooks Item with Commit Item data. This option is useful you've updated an Item in Commit and want to automatically transfer these updates to the corresponding linked Item in QuickBooks.
To update a linked Item in QuickBooks with Commit Item data, select the relevant Item in the Items window in Commit and then select Update Linked QuickBooks Record with Commit Item Data on the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu.
You can see in the images above how the updated 'Price' field in Commit was updated in the parallel record in QuickBooks after selecting this option.
Note: If the linked Item in QuickBooks was also updated since the last synchronization took place, you will receive a system warning.
Update Item Data from the Linked QuickBooks Record
You can update a linked Commit Item with QuickBooks Item data. This option is useful when you've updated an Item in QuickBooks and want to automatically transfer the changes to Commit.
In the following example, the Item Description field was updated in QuickBooks:
To update the linked Commit Item with the changed data from the parallel QuickBooks Item, select the relevant Item in Commit and then select the option: Update Item Data from the Linked QuickBooks Record on the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu.
In the example above, you can see that the Description field in Commit has been updated with the new information from the linked QuickBooks record.
Note: If the linked Item in Commit was also updated since the last synchronization took place, you will receive a system warning.
Remove Link Between the Item and QuickBooks Record
You can remove the link between a Commit Item and a QuickBooks Item. 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 them. You can always link the records again in the future with the Link Item To QuickBooks Item Record on the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu as described above.
To remove the link between the records, select the relevant Item in Commit and then select Remove Link Between the Item and QuickBooks Record on the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu.
This option allows you to create a new Item in Commit based on an existing Item 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 Item was created in QuickBooks and you want to add it to Commit, without typing the details again in Commit.
To create a new Item in Commit based on an Item in QuickBooks, select New Item in Commit Based on QuickBooks Item from the Items window in Commit, and then select the type of item you want to import: Service/Inventory Part/Inventory Assembly/Non Inventory Part/Other Charge.
Search for the Item in QuickBooks that you want to use to create the new Item in Commit.
Enter the name of the Item in the Name field in QuickBooks and click Find. Any related Items will be displayed. Select the relevant record and click OK.
Import New Records / Update Linked Records from QuickBooks
his option is the same one that may have been used to initially 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 Items 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 a 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.
To sync/import all the records, go to Items window > QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu and select the option 'Import New Records / Update Linked Records from QuickBooks...':
With the Commit-QuickBooks Link you can create invoices in QuickBooks based on charges entered in Commit.
This feature allows you to manage all the aspects of your service in one program: CommitCRM. You can manage Tickets, enter Charges, etc. in CommitCRM, while all billing is managed in QuickBooks.
QuickBooks invoices can easily be created from CommitCRM at the customer level, the service contract level and the ticket level.
All invoices created from CommitCRM are based on Charge records added in CommitCRM. Each Charge record is either a labor charge for work performed, a parts charge describing a part that has been used, or an expense charge for expenses spent on behalf of the customer, i.e. for special deliveries.
It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the following terms in CommitCRM:
CommitCRM lets you create QuickBooks Invoices at the Account/Ticket/Contract levels.
If you create an invoice at the Account level, all Billable charges related to the Account that haven't been billed yet will be included in the invoice, including charges related to Tickets and Contracts.
If you create an invoice at the Contract level, only Billable charges that haven't been billed yet which are related to the selected Contract will be included in the invoice, including all Ticket-related charges.
If you create an invoice at the Ticket level, only Billable charges that haven't been billed yet which are related to the selected Ticket will be included in the invoice.
In all cases, you can also include not-billable charges in the invoice, which will be displayed in the invoice with a zero billable total amount. This way you can include all the charges without actually billing for not-billable charges.
There are two ways to create an invoice. The first option is creating an invoice for a specific Account, Ticket or Contract, and the second option is creating invoices for open balances in general.
Option 1: Go to the Accounts/Tickets/Contracts window, and select Create Invoice... on the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu.
In the example above, the Ticket level was selected. All the Tickets with open Billable charges are displayed. Select the Ticket for which you want to create an invoice and click Select Ticket and Continue.
After selecting the Account/Contract/Ticket record for which you want to create an invoice, the following window is displayed (this window is also displayed when the Create Invoice... option has been selected from the Account/Contact/Ticket window in Option 1 above):
All Billable charges that haven't been billed yet and are related to the selected Account, Contract or Ticket record (Ticket in the example above) are displayed and by default are selected (using the check mark) to be included in the invoice. In addition, you can include Not-billable charges in the invoice. Not-Billable charges are displayed in the invoice, however, they do not affect the invoice total.
To include or exclude the not-billable charges click the Include Not-Billable Charge/Exclude Not-Billable Charges button. Note that Administrators can set the system to always include the Not-Billable charges from Tools > Options > QuickBooks.
In the charge list you can select which charges will be included in the invoice by selecting or unselecting them by clicking on the checkbox to the left of the record.
Tip
You can use the Quick Select and/or Quick Unselect and/or Advanced Sort buttons to more easily select the Charges to be billed (this is usually required when a lot of charges are displayed).
At this stage you can also set different parameters for the invoice itself. The following options are located at the top of the Generate QuickBooks Invoice window:
Bill To - This is the invoice billing address. By default it is taken from the Bill To data defined for the customer in QuickBooks. You can enter a different address in this box if necessary. If you have modified this information by mistake and want to use the QuickBooks defaults, right-click above the field and select Set by QuickBooks.
Ship To - This is the invoice shipping address. By default it is taken from the Ship To data set defined for the customer in QuickBooks. You can enter a different address in this box if necessary. If you have modified this information by mistake and want to use the QuickBooks defaults, right-click above the field and select Set by QuickBooks.
Date - This is the invoice date. By default, the date used is today's date. You can modify the date if necessary by typing an alternate date in this field.
Reference - This is the invoice Reference number. This number is set by default by QuickBooks. You can modify this number if necessary by typing an alternate Reference number in the field.
Due Date - This is the invoice Due Date. By default, the date is one month from today's date. You can modify this date if necessary by entering an alternate due date in the field.
Memo - This field is for invoice memo/notes. If necessary, enter a memo that will appear as part of the QuickBooks invoice.
After entering the invoice details and selecting the relevant Charges, click Next.
The lines of the invoice are now displayed as they will appear in the QuickBooks invoice.
In this step you can modify the text which will be displayed on the invoice lines. Note that all modifications made to the invoice lines here are not applied to Charges in Commit, and only apply to the QuickBooks invoice lines.
Move Line Up/Down
You can use the Move Line Up/Move Line Down buttons or the Advanced Sort button to modify the order of the invoice lines.
Insert Line/s
You can also use the Add Blank Line button to include blank lines between the invoice lines in order to space the invoice up and make it more readable
Incl. in Description
You can also use the "Incl. in Description" button to include additional information to all invoice line simultaneously, such as:
Click on Incl. in Description and select the data you wish to be added to the description for every invoice line. To add this information to all invoices by default go to Tools > Options > QuickBooks and select the information you want to include in invoice lines.
You can double-click on each invoice line to add or edit the text/description of the selected line.
As mentioned above, these changes will take affect only on the invoice lines in QuickBooks. The original charges will not be affected by these changes.
When the invoice information is complete, click Generate QuickBooks Invoice.
Commit will now verify all the settings with QuickBooks and will add the QuickBooks invoice. Once an invoice has been created, the following unofficial invoice will be displayed. This invoice is just to give you an idea of how the invoice was created in QuickBooks. For complete details, view the invoice details in QuickBooks.
This chapter provides more details about the invoice creation process.
Handling Unsynchronized Accounts during Invoice Creation When creating an invoice, an asterisk * may appear near the Account's name. The asterisk means that the Account is not synchronized with QuickBooks.
In this case, you can still create the invoice. Continue with the invoice creation wizard, and at a later stage Commit will let you create a link between the Account in Commit and the Customer in QuickBooks, or create a new Customer in QuickBooks.
In the example above, the selected Account has not been synchronized with QuickBooks.
Handling Unsynced Items during Invoice Creation In the second stage of the Invoice creation wizard - Charge Selection, you might see an asterisk * sign near some of the Item's name. The asterisk means, that these Items are not synced with QuickBooks Items. To handle this situation, Commit has automatically created 3 new Items in QuickBooks:
All unsynchronized Labor Items in Commit that have been used in Billable charges will be automatically replaced with CMT Service Taxable Item in the invoice lines. All unsynchronized Expense Items in Commit that have been used in Billable charges will be automatically replaced with CMT Expense Taxable Item in the invoice lines. All unsynchronized Products/Parts Items in Commit that have been used in Billable charges will be automatically replaced with CMT Products Taxable Item in the invoice lines.
Therefore, you may proceed with the invoice creation process, and the system will replace the Items in the invoice lines with already existing Items in QuickBooks based on their type. The rest of the charge information will pass intact to the QuickBooks invoice; rates, totals, descriptions, etc. will be the same in the QuickBooks invoice as they were defined in Charges in Commit.
(To learn more about the CMT Items, please read the next chapter.)
When invoice lines are displayed, the unsynchronized product/part Item – in this case the Hard Disk - is replaced with CMT Products Taxable Item. The Charge's description, units, date, total, etc are the same as in the original Charge.
To proceed, click Generate QuickBooks Invoice.
If the selected Account is synchronized with QuickBooks, the invoice will be created. However, if the selected Account has not been synchronized with QuickBooks ( and an asterisk sign has appeared near the selected Account's name indicating that it has not been synchronized, as mentioned above), the system will provide you with three options:
Link Account to Existing QuickBooks Customer/Job - Select this option when the Account exists in QuickBooks as a Customer, but they are not linked. You will be asked to select the parallel Customer in QuickBooks.<br File:Commit quickbooks customer selection window3.gif After creating the link between the Commit and QuickBooks records, the system will immediately create the invoice.
Add Account as a New QuickBooks Customer - select this option if the selected Account doesn't exist in QuickBooks and you want to create a QuickBooks customer based on this Commit Account. The system will create the Customer in QuickBooks and then file the invoice under this record.
Cancel Invoice Creation - this option will close the invoice creation wizard in Commit.
If you select the first or second option, the following window will appear:
As explained in the 'Creating Invoices - Advanced Topics' chapter, there are cases when charged Items in Commit have not been synchronized with QuickBooks Items. In these cases, the system cannot create the invoice since it does not know with which QuickBooks Items to link the invoice lines. To make the invoicing process easier and smoother, Commit-QuickBooks Link automatically creates the following Items in QuickBooks during the initial synchronization process:
These special items are used when a Commit Charge record uses an a Commit Item that is not synced with QuickBooks, and therefore Commit doesn't know what item should be used in QuickBooks for the invoice line.
These Items are used as follows:
Labor Items are replaced with CMT Service Taxable Item in QuickBooks.
Expense Items are replaced with CMT Expense Taxable Item in QuickBooks.
Product/Part Items are replaced with CMT Products Taxable Item in QuickBooks.
Since each Item in QuickBooks must be linked to an Account in QuickBooks, Commit-QuickBooks Link also automatically creates the following Accounts in QuickBooks during the initial synchronization process, and uses them in conjunction with the CMT Items:
Note that the CMT Accounts in QuickBooks are also used for creating new Items in QuickBooks based on Items in Commit. However, you can configure Commit to use other QuickBooks Accounts for this purpose (the directions appear below).
In cases where Commit default Items are used, as explained above, the invoice's amount will appear in the 'CMT Income Account' in QuickBooks as follows:
You can modify this and move the invoice income to another QuickBooks Account by going to the relevant items in QuickBooks and changing their default Accounts. For the changes to apply to future and past transactions, you need to confirm the following message:
'You changed an account for this item. All future transactions with this item will use this new account. Would you like existing transactions with this item to use this new account?'
To prevent a situation where default Accounts are used, you can direct Commit to use your preferred QuickBooks Accounts for new Items in QuickBooks that will be created for new Items in Commit. To do this, go to Tools > Options > QuickBooks tab > Advanced Settings.
The Advanced Setting for the Commit QuickBooks Link dialog box will appear. Click on the button to the right of each type to select other QuickBooks Accounts.
From now on, Commit will use these QuickBooks accounts when creating new QuickBooks Items.
Charges
Tracking Charges is a key factor for running your service business well and improving its performance. Most employees, however, consider this to be a nuisance or a burden, which makes it difficult to maximize your full income potential.
Three types of Charges can be tracked in Commit:
Labor Charges for services provided Expense Charges for expenses such as travel and delivery Parts Charges for parts or products used
Each Charge record includes a description and information regarding the Account being charged, the charged Item (see the section on Items above), quantity, price, and total amount. Each Charge record can also be linked to a Ticket (optional).
All Charges are entered under one of the Account’s active Contracts. Charges may automatically change the current state of the contract where relevant, i.e. a Charge will reduce the time remaining in a Block of Time contract, reduce the amount of money in a Block of Money contract, etc.
A Charge can be set as Billable or Not Billable. When a Charge is set as Billable it means that you intend to bill the customer for this charge. The default billing status for Charges is determined by the type of contract under which the Charge is being created. See Understanding the Billing Status of Charges below. Not-billable charges can also be included in invoices, however, these charges will display a zero amount and will not affect the invoice total amount.
Once a charged has been included in an invoice, the Charge record is set as Billed, and you can view the QuickBooks invoice reference number in the charge window. This prevents a customer from being billed again for the same Charge.
Adding a Charge is easy and this can be done in Commit’s Main menu, the Tickets window (recommended), the Charges main window, or the Account window. Charges can also be added from anywhere using a web browser and an Internet connection, for this you need Commit Web Interface.
Use Items to speed up the process of entering new Charges. When an Item is selected for a Charge, its description and price are automatically copied into the relevant fields in the Charge record.
Many types of Charge reports are available. These reports are used to bill customers and analyze business performance.
Understanding the Billing Status of Charges
Different Statuses and Stages of the Charges A Charge can be set as Billable or Not Billable. When a Charge is set as Billable it means that you intend to bill the customer with this charge. The default billing status for Charges is determined by the type of contract under which the Charge is created, as follows:
All new Charges that are linked to "System" or "Global" Contracts are Billable.
All new Labor Charges that are linked to "Block of Time" contracts are Not Billable, while Expenses and Parts charges are Billable.
All new Charges that are linked to "Block of Tickets" or "Block of Money" contracts are not Billable.
A Charge's status must be Billable in order for it to be billed to a customer.
The image above shows a Charge that is Not Billable. You can tell if a Charge is Billable or Not Billable by looking at the Billable checkbox in the bottom right-hand corner. If the checkbox is checked, the Charge is Billable; if it is unchecked, the Charge is Not Billable. Since the above Charge is Not Billable, it can be included in invoices as a not-billable line. thus displaying a zero billable total amount. Not-billable charges do not affect the invoice total.
The above image shows the same Charge with the Billable checkbox now checked. By checking the Billable checkbox, this Charge becomes Billable, and can be included in invoices as a billable line which will effect the invoice total and can be marked manually as billed.
Stages Billable charges have 2 possible stages:
Stage 1: Not Billed – A Not Billed Charge has not been charged to a customer yet. The details of Not Billed Charges can be modified. Once the Charge has been billed to a customer, you should mark it as billed by selecting the relevant Charge and click on Mark as Billed. Note: Billable Charges that have been included in invoices are automatically marked as Billed when the invoice is created.
Stage 2: Billed – A Billed Charge has been charged to a customer. The details for a Billed Charge cannot be modified (Billed Charges will be displayed as Read Only).
Charges that are manually billed by clicking on Mark as Billed will appear as follows:
Billed Charges cannot be modified, regardless of whether they were manually or automatically billed. To modify the details of Billed Charges, change their status to Unbilled by clicking on Mark as Unbilled, as depicted below.
Note that also not-billable charges which were included in invoices will become read-only, and will show the QuickBooks invoice reference number in the charge window.
Important note: In the above case, the Charge was included in an invoice. Therefore when un-billing such a Charge, the link to the invoice will be removed (the invoice line in the QuickBooks invoice remains unchanged).
Available Actions in Commit-QuickBooks Link
The QuickBooks menu in the Charges main window contains several options for additional actions related to Charges and invoices that may be performed with the Commit-QuickBooks Link.
The green letter B will appear in the Charges window next to each billed charge.
Link to Existing Invoice in QuickBooks
You can link Charges to existing QuickBooks invoices.
This option is useful when a charge was originally invoiced in QuickBooks, but you needed to modify its details in Commit, so it was marked as unbilled (this means that the link to the invoice was removed). After you've modified the charge you can link it back to the original QuickBooks invoice using this option.
This is also useful in cases where you created an invoice for a customer directly in QuickBooks and then noticed that there are Charges in Commit that are related to this invoice, but since you've created the invoice in Commit the charges are not linked to it.
Note: linking a charge to an invoice does not modify any of the invoice details: the invoice line descriptions, total, etc all remain unchanged.
To link a single Charge to an existing invoice in QuickBooks, first manually set the Charge to Billed by clicking on Mark as Billed.
Once the Charge is marked as billed and selected, select Link to Existing Invoice in QuickBooks... on the QuickBooks drop down toolbar menu.
This option updates Charge records in Commit that were invoiced in QuickBooks with the new QuickBooks invoice reference number.
This option is useful when the invoice reference number was manually modified in QuickBooks.
You must update the Charges with this new invoice reference number in order to be able to conduct a search in Commit based on the new invoice reference number.
Enter the date from which you want the invoice information to be refreshed. This will also update all the invoice reference numbers from that date. Click OK. All charges related to invoices from this day until today will be updated with the current invoice reference number in QuickBooks.
Done! The invoices reference numbers were updated in Commit Charges.
If you have made changes to your QuickBooks company file and it is set to synchronize with Commit, or if you have modified the path to where your current QuickBooks company file is stored (i.e. by moving the QuickBooks installation from the local drive to the network), you need to change the path/company file in Commit.
Please follow the instruction below to 'Change Path/Company':
Important Note: We strongly recommend you backup Commit's data prior to changing the company file (note that all users should not be using Commit while you perform the backup). Commit data is stored in <server>\Commit\DB folder.
In Commit, go to Tools > Options > QuickBooks menu, and click on Change Path/Company.
In the next stage you'll be asked to select whether the file you have selected is:
'a new path for the SAME company file' or
'a DIFFERENT QuickBooks company file'
Please see the following sections for a detailed description of each option.
Option 1. "a new path for the SAME company file"
Select this option when:
You moved your original QuickBooks company file from one location to another, i.e. from your local drive to a shared drive on your server.
You restored the QuickBooks company file from a backup, and it is almost identical to the original file.
It is an exact copy of the original QuickBooks company file, and the Customers, Items and invoices are the same or almost the same as the original company file.
Note: if you have imported data from one QuickBooks company file to another QuickBooks company file, Commit sees the second file as a different QuickBooks company file, since the Customers, Items etc receive new record ID numbers in the second file.
After you selected the new company file, the following window will open. Read the instructions carefully.
If you are sure that the selected file is the same as the current QuickBooks company file, click Yes. If you've selected a different company file than the current one, click No.
You should select this option when you no longer want to synchronize with the currently selected QuickBooks company file, and you want to begin synchronizing with a different QuickBooks company file.
Note: this function is irreversible. Once you have selected to sync with another QuickBooks company file, the link between Commit and the old (currently selected) QuickBooks company file is lost forever. If you choose to reselect the currently selected company file for synching with Commit at a future time, all the current sync settings will not be recognized. For example, if you import/sync Customer records from QuickBooks into Commit, duplicate records in Commit will be created.
Important Note: We strongly recommend you backup Commit's data prior to changing the company file (note that all users should not be using Commit while you perform the backup). Commit data is stored in <server>\Commit\DB folder.
After you selected the new company file, the following window will open. Read the instructions carefully.
Select 'a DIFFERENT QuickBooks company file' only if you fully understand the meaning of this option, and you want Commit to sync with a different QuickBooks company file. Click Next.
Now you will be asked to open the selected QuickBooks company file as a QuickBooks Administrator and in Single User mode. Follow these instructions carefully.
Follow the instructions in the above screenshot to log in to QuickBooks as an Administrator and in Single User mode. Then, 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.
Once a year, many businesses start a new financial year for their accounting purposes. This can be done in two ways in QuickBooks:
Create a new QuickBooks company file for each new financial year (Less recommended when working with CommitCRM). OR
Close your books at year-end, but this information stays in the same QuickBooks company file (recommended!)
If you use the Commit-QuickBooks Link, it is preferable to use the second option (i.e. continue using the same company file) in order to keep the sync settings and avoid repeating the long process of linking all your QuickBooks Customers, Vendors and Items with their corresponding records in Commit (this is required when you start to use a completely new company file as described in option 1 above).
For your convenience, please find below some text copied from the QuickBooks Help file about closing your books at year-end. You should also read the 'QuickBooks Year-End Guide' for more information.
Important Note: When performing any year-end procedures, follow the instructions found in your QuickBooks documentation rather than the instructions below, since they may not suit your version/edition of QuickBooks.
You should also consult with your accountant.
Taken from QuickBooks Help:
About closing your books at year-end You can choose whether to close your books at the end of the year or not. QuickBooks doesn't require you to do so.
Advantages to closing your books (less recommended when working with CommitCRM)
Restricted access: You can set a password to restrict access to data from the prior accounting period, including the details of every transaction. Transactions can't be changed without your knowledge. To modify or delete a transaction in a closed period, a user must know the closing date password and have the appropriate permissions.
Reporting: Any changes made after the closing date to transactions dated on or before the closing date will appear in the 'closing date exception report'.
Advantages to NOT closing your books (recommended when working with CommitCRM)
Detail: You always have easy access to last year's data, including the details of every transaction.
Reporting: You can create comparative reports between this year and last year.
Year-end adjustments QuickBooks makes automatically QuickBooks performs certain year-end adjustments, based on your fiscal year start month.
QuickBooks adjusts your income and expense accounts at year-end to zero them out. Therefore, you start your new fiscal year with a zero net income.
QuickBooks makes an adjusting entry to your net income. For example, if your profit for the year was $12,000, on the last day of your fiscal year the equity section of your Balance Sheet would show a line for net income of $12,000.
On the first day of the new fiscal year, QuickBooks increases your Retained Earnings equity account by the previous year's net income ($12,000 in this example) and decreases your net income by the same amount. This way, you start each new fiscal year with a net income of zero.
Introduction to Commit Service Tickets
As an IT service provider, you provide support to your customers, or Accounts. The services you provide vary and may include installation of new PCs, router setup, anti-virus updates, server administration, printer repair, phone support, fixing network configuration problems, and more. Each incident, problem, or job you handle for a given Account is managed in Commit using a Ticket record.
Use the Tickets window to view and manage all your Tickets.
Each Ticket record is linked to a selected Account, and has a unique Number, Description, Type, Assigned Employee and Status. A Ticket can also be linked to an Account Asset (such as hardware, or software licenses owned by the customer).
The Ticket Status field allows you to check whether a ticket has just been opened, whether it was scheduled with a technician, whether it is awaiting information from a customer, or whether it was resolved and closed.
While viewing Ticket information, you can see all data related to the ticket. This includes scheduled technician visits, open tasks that must be completed in order for the ticket to be closed, special service notes, information regarding the Account's service contract, linked documents, charges for labor, expenses and parts, etc.
The Ticket information is organized on separate tabs, with each tab displaying different information about the Ticket.
The Tickets window is often the window that is most used during day-to-day operations. It helps you keep track of all tasks and issues that need attention.
To each Ticket you can add as many Charge records as you need (for more information, see the chapter about Charges). Charge records help you log all your activity on a single ticket. You can add Labor Charges for work you've performed, Parts Charges to track parts used to solve the problem and Expense Charges to charge for travel time, special deliveries etc.
You can bill you customers for charges collected in Commit by easily generating a QuickBooks invoice from Commit based on all the billable charges.
As a computer services business, you probably use service contracts that describe the service terms you provide to your customers. Use Commit's Contract records to manage your service contracts and track their status.
Note that using the Contracts tool is optional. If you don't have special contract terms with your customers and you bill according to the activity performed (such as labor, expenses, and parts), you can use the default system contract that is automatically created for each Account, and avoid creating and managing contracts yourself.
Each Contract record you open in Commit is linked to a selected Account, and has a unique Code, Start and End Date, Type, and Status.
Commit Contracts are categorized according to type: Standard, Block of Time, Block of Tickets and Block of Money. The contract type is set when you create a new Contract, and the system automatically tracks the status of contracts according to their type.
You can create and manage several contracts for each Account and use them concurrently; for example, one contract can be for phone support, another for a one-time network installation project, and another for managing warranties.
Every Ticket and Charge in Commit is created under one of the Account Contracts. When you create a Ticket under an active Contract, the system will warn you if the contract terms are obsolete – e.g. if the block of time allocated has already been used, if the end date has passed, etc.
You can easily generate QuickBooks invoices from Commit based on Charges logged in Commit. You can generate an invoice at the Contract level where all unbilled billable charges related to that contract will be included in the invoice regardless of the Ticket records they are related to (you can also generate invoices at the Ticket level).
When a contract has terminated, change its status to Completed. You can also use the status to indicate that a contract has been suspended or canceled.
Here's a screen shot of the Contracts main window:
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.
QBFC must be installed in order to use Commit-QuickBooks Link. Click Yes to install QBFC.
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 following the wizard until you are asked to select the QuickBooks company file you wish Commit to sync with.
If a window pops up with a security message about the QBFC5_0Installer.exe file, allow all security warnings, and run the file.
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.
Follow the instructions in the image displayed above. After logging in to QuickBooks as an Administrator and in 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.
This QuickBooks window may be displayed in order for you to allow Commit to use QuickBooks. 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.
The following confirmation dialog box may be displayed.
