QuickBooks integration - an overview
Are you one of the many business owners using an Intuit QuickBooks accounting software solution? The odds are strong that you are! A September 5, 2005 Business Week article said that QuickBooks had 74% of the market. A June 19, 2008 Intuit Press Release said that as of March 2008, QuickBooks' share of retail units in the business accounting category reached 94.2 percent, according to NPD Group.
Golevel's Certified Project Manager, Ken Teasdale, is also a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor. Ken has certifications in, but not limited to, QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions v7 and v9. His responsibility is to create options for our clients who would like to have a seamless co-existence between their online web-presence and their QuickBooks accounting environment. With a strong background in both Accounting and Information Technology, Ken is doubly qualified to lead a project team on your QuickBooks integration solution.
Integrating a web site with a database (or group of databases) is often a matter of ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) compliance. Since the QuickBooks database (often referred to as a Company file) is being used for accounting purposes, CPAs and other accounting professionals require a higher level of integrity in the manner by which the accounting data may be manipulated. In 2002 Intuit made available a Software Development Kit (SDK), which opened the door for integrating QuickBooks and web sites and web-based applications. There are many methods available to achieve integration and connectivity.
A company in Carlsbad CA named FLEXquarters developed a QuickBooks Open Database Connectivity (QODBC) driver, allowing for bi-directional communication between QuickBooks and third party applications – but the driver is only available for MS-Windows environments. However, the SDK also uses a “Web Connector” that also allows for data sharing and manipulation. For example, communication to and from Linux based operating systems using PHP is a common alternative strategy that Golevel utilizes as integration specialists. The big picture is that by using a variety of tools, Golevel will safely share and manipulate data being passed back and forth between a QuickBooks Company file and your web site!
What does this mean to you?
Are you collecting information from your web site only to find yourself re-entering that same info in to your QB Company file? Is there information in your QB Company file that you would like to make available to your web site's visitors?
If your answer to either of these questions is yes, read on...
QuickBooks integration - a custom solution
Golevel uses textbook Project Management processes, as deemed industry standard by the Project Management Institute (PMI), to undertake the very detailed level of work required to integrate QuickBooks with your specific web site project. A thorough analysis is made of the accounting processes that are going to be affected by the project. And then a very thorough analysis has to be made of the site navigation and user interfaces that will be integrated with the QuickBooks Company file.
This has to be done before a single line of code is ever written.
When this painstaking process of analysis and coding is over, Golevel will deliver a custom solution to you that will significantly improve revenues, or drastically reduce operating expenses. More often than not, our clients will benefit by both increased sales and lowered costs associated with those sales.
QuickBooks integration - 3rd party solutions
After the detailed analysis is made for your QuickBooks integration needs, we will investigate for you any pre-existing 3rd party software solutions that will meet your needs. Since 2002, many software developers have written add-ons for certain niche market needs. A small percentage of those add-on applications address certain web design situations.
Golevel will help you evaluate any existing product to make sure it meets your specific needs. We will then help you with all of the licensing requirements that need to be understood and met, and then implement the 3rd party solution in to your new or enhanced web develpment project.
Golevel is committed to delivering web design and develpment solutions that require the least amount of investment, and generate the most in the way of returns.