INTEGRATIONS: Importing from Quickbooks

The Integrations Add-on module makes it easy to extract data from an online QuickBooks file and use that data to build and maintain a Castaway forecast. You can:

• Build a new Castaway forecast from your QuickBookschart of accounts (including mapping)
• Map the QuickBooks chart of accounts to an existing Castaway forecast
• Import Opening Balances
• Import Actuals data (for one month or multiple months)

This article guides you through the following steps:

1. Accessing the Integrations module
2. Create or Open a Mapping File
3. Select the number of months
4. Select the QuickBooks file
5. Review the QuickBooks data screen
6. Map the QuickBooks accounts to Castaway
7. Import Values (Opening Balances)
8. Import Values (Actuals data)

1. Accessing the Integrations module

You can access the Integrations module by going to Forecast > External Sources and click on QuickBooks logo

 

2. Create or open a Mapping File

A Mapping File (*.pxim file extension) records how the QuickBooks chart of accounts maps across to the Castaway chart of accounts. Mapping Files can be used and updated every time you want to import data into Castaway from QuickBooks.

The Mapping File is created and accessed via the External Sources- QuickBooks. Choose between creating a new Mapping File or opening an existing Mapping File.

 

We recommend saving the Mapping File in the same folder location as the Castaway file.

3. Select the number of months

Once the Mapping File has been identified, You need to select the number of months you want to import from QuickBooks.

Please note the current month will be included in the called periods as well.

4. Select the Quickbooks file

Click Online to start the QuickBooks login process:

• Enter logon details to the Screencast application
• Select the Quickbooks company file and click Next 
• Click connect on the QuickBooks access screen
• Copy the QuickBooks authentication code
• Enter/paste the QuickBooks authentication code into the QuickBooks Authentication screen

 

Click on Load File Data to upload QuickBooks data in Castaway screens

5. Review the QuickBooks data screen

The QuickBooks data screen appears, showing the QuickBooks accounts list across 5 tabs:

 

Each tab shows the number of QuickBooks accounts in 3 different categories:

• (M)apped: accounts successfully mapped to Castaway ()
• (A)rchived: inactive or redundant accounts intentionally not mapped to Castaway ()
• (U)nmapped: accounts not yet archived or mapped to Castaway ()

6. Map the QuickBooks accounts to Castaway

The Mapping Screen makes it easy to map the QuickBooks chart of accounts across to Castaway. The mappings are stored in the Mapping File, which is designed to be updated and re-used whenever you need to import data into the Castaway forecast.

Using drag & drop, you can map:

• one QuickBooks account to an existing Castaway account
• multiple QuickBooks accounts to an existing Castaway account
• one QuickBooks account to a new Castaway account 
• multiple QuickBooks accounts to a new Castaway account
• multiple QuickBooks accounts to multiple new Castaway account

 Select the QuickBooks account(s) as follows:

• select one account: single-click on the QuickBooks account
• select multiple accounts (adjacent): single-click on the first QuickBooks account, then press SHIFT and single-click on the last QuickBooks account
• select multiple accounts (non-adjacent):single-click on the first QuickBooks account, then press CTRL and single-click on the other QuickBooks accounts

Drag & drop the account(s) to the Castaway chart of accounts as follows:

• map to an existing Castaway account: drag & drop the QuickBooks account(s) over the name of an existing Castaway account (eg Main Bank Account in the picture above)
• map to a single new Castaway account: drag & drop the QuickBooks account(s) over the '+' element button. If mapping multiple QuickBooks accounts, select 'Map to one element' from the popup
• map to multiple new Castaway accounts: drag & drop the QuickBooks accounts over the '+' element button. Select 'Map to multiple elements' from the popup 

You can also 'archive' QuickBooks accounts to show they have been considered but do not need to be mapped to Castaway. To do this, click the button in the Link column until it shows a dark line ().

7. Import Values (Opening Balances)

Once the QuickBooks accounts have been mapped as required, you can import opening balance sheet and prior P&L data from the QuickBooks file. To do this:

1. click the Import Values button to launch the Select Import Value Months screen
2. select the Opening Balance month from the drop-down list and set the number of months data required in the Prior P&L (from 0-12)
   
   
3. click OK to save the mapping file, save any changes to the Castaway chart of accounts and import the selected opening data

8. Import Values (Actuals data)

Once you have enabled Actuals in your Castaway file, you can import actuals data from QuickBooks for one month or multiple months. To do this:

1. click the Import Values button to launch the Select Import Value Months screen
2. click the Actual Value radio button, then select the month(s)
3. click OK to save the mapping file, save any changes to the Castaway chart of accounts and import the selected actuals data