First Look Friday: Business Importer for QuickBooks Desktop

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It's one of the coldest winter days we have had here in Oklahoma. So, I made some chili out of some left over Sunday roast, a can of diced tomatoes with chili peppers, and a couple of cans of chili. Yes, I cheated by using canned chili. It made me think of that old television commercial that ask, "Neighbor, how long has it been since you had a big steaming bowl of Wolf Brand Chili? Well, that's too long!"1

So now, as I have been sitting here eating my bowl(s) of chili, I have been taking a first look at a new product (to me) and drafting this feature, and that old slogan has be wanting to ask you, “When is the last time you needed a data importer when working with QuickBooks Desktop?” “Probably the last time you used QuickBooks Desktop!”

The reality is that QuickBooks Desktop, even though millions of users still use and love it, was built for ‘manual data entry.’ But that’s not the way that most people need to do business anymore. In today’s ‘fast this, fast that’ society everyone expects their data, no matter what the source, to find its way into their accounting system without having to be manually entered ‘the old-fashioned way of one keystroke at a time.’ That’s where Business Importer for QuickBooks Desktop by Cloud Business comes into play.

With Business Importer for QuickBooks Desktop, you will enhance your productivity with automated import of invoices, bills, journal entries, payrolls and other entries from Microsoft Excel2 files into QuickBooks. Or simply reverse the process if needed and export data from QuickBooks into Microsoft Excel for any purpose you need. In other words, you are not buying a separate App or software to ‘export’ data from QuickBooks.

Not specific enough for you? Alright then, let’s look at exactly what Business Importer can ‘import’ into QuickBooks Desktop for you:

  • Invoices, Receive Payments, Sales Receipts, Sales Orders, Credit Memos, Estimates, Statement Charges
  • Vendor Bills, Bill Payments, Purchase Orders, Item Receipts, Checks, Credit Card Statements, Credit Card Charges, Credit Card Credits, Vendor Credits
  • Time Tracking Entries, Payroll Wage Items, Employee Earning Items
  • Bank Statements, Build Assembly Items, Journal Entries, Bank Deposits, Bank Transfers, Inventory Transfers, Inventory Adjustments
  • Accounts, Customers, Classes, Employees, Vendors, Other Names, Price Levels, and Items (Inventory, Non-Inventory, Service, Other Charge, Fixed Asset, Group, Inventory Assembly, Sales Tax)
  • And custom fields for Bills, Checks, Credit Card Charges, Credit Card Credits, Credit Memos, Customers, Employees, Estimates, Invoices, Items Item Receipts, Purchase Orders, Sales Orders, Sales Receipts, and Vendors

As part of ‘every’ import process, Business Importer offers three key functions. The first is ‘data validation,’ which is a complete review of the data against the file to insure the accuracy of the data with respect to all data requirements, without having to modify the file prior to update. If validation fails, the import doesn’t proceed. The second is a ‘comprehensive log’ feature that tracks the status of every import allowing you to identify every issue, if a piece of data does not import, you know exactly why so you can fix it for re-import.

The third is a ‘revert’ feature which allows you to undo any imported transaction immediately upon import, should you decide you have made a mistake by importing the data.

Simple to use is the best way to describe Business Importer for QuickBooks Desktop. The app automatically connects to the currently opened QuickBooks Desktop company file, if you have configured it properly during installation (I will cover that in more detail later in this article).

Step 1: Select file

Then (1) select your import file and select (2) the sheet, then select (3) the QuickBooks transaction (invoice, bill etc.) or list (account, vendor, etc.) type you are going to import. (Shown on next page.)

Step 2: Mapping

Now map the QuickBooks (field) labels to the labels of the columns of your import file, then click Next when you have finished your mapping.

Step 3: Preview

Preview your data and make any needed adjustments during this step without having to modify your Excel file. When you are satisfied with your preview of the data and any changes you have made, click the ‘Start Import’ button to begin the data import. All of the information from your file will automatically be transferred into your QuickBooks company file!

To further streamline your productivity when working with Business Importer for QuickBooks Desktop, you should be aware that this App offers an intelligent auto-creation feature that creates necessary objects in QuickBooks automatically from your file based on your custom configurations. You get to define how you want this, and multiple other functions to work within the custom settings offered by the App.

This App also offers a sequential import functionality, while Business Importer refers to it as ‘simultaneous import.’ It really means that your next import will start just as soon as the prior import is completed, it doesn’t actually import more than one file at the same time, but it does allow you to select several files for sequential file import. You can also ‘schedule’ file imports, which is a great feature functionality if you have files that ‘arrive’ into a specified file folder at a given time and you need to import them after their arrival.

And remember, I already told you that Business Importer for QuickBooks also ‘exports’ data from QuickBooks Desktop into Microsoft Excel2. You aren’t buying a separate App or software, just using an alternative 2-click workflow. When you think about it, that’s a ‘big savings’ in itself.

Business Importer for QuickBooks offers a 14-day free trial, you can download the software and start your free trial here.

Insightful Accountant never discusses ‘price’ as part of our First Look features, but I can tell you that up this product is acquired on an ‘annual subscription’ basis and you download and install the software on just one computer for one designated user (per subscriber license).

The product installs like any other Windows-based product, and it connects to QuickBooks (for Windows) like any other ‘SDK’ software via the ‘Integrated Applications’ preferences. So, the first time you use the software you must be logged-in to QuickBooks as the file Administrator in Single-user Mode in order to authorize the connection between your Company file and Business Importer for QuickBooks Desktop.

Now, I am certain that some of you reading this article may be wondering if there is a version of Business Importer for QuickBooks Online, well I can tell you “there is,” but I didn’t give that product a ‘First Look.’ Still the same, here is the link to the Business Importer for QuickBooks Online landing page at the QuickBooks App Center. We also know that some of our readers love Xero, and you may wonder if there is a version of Business Importer for you, we can say “absolutely.” Here is the link to the Business Importer for Xero landing page at the Xero (US) Marketplace. In fact, there are also versions of Business Importer for both MYOB and Sage One, and you can find out more about those products at the Cloud Business website.

So, be certain to test out the version of ‘Business Importer’ that is right for your requirements. Maybe you can even do so on one of these cold winter days over a steaming bowl of Wolf Brand Chili1, like I did. Because you need something to really rev-up both you and QuickBooks Desktop!

1-Wolf Brand Chili is the registered trade brand (and “Neighbor, how long has it been since you had a big steaming bowl of Wolf Brand Chili? Well, that’s too long?” is a registered trade slogan) of Conagra Brands, a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Conagra holds a number of iconic food brands, operates out of more than 50 locations, with more than 17,000 employees and revenues in excess of $11-billion annually.

2-Excel (Microsoft Excel) is the registered trade name (product) of Microsoft Corporation.

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