Inside this Issue

• A Message from Doug Sleeter
• In the News
• An Ultimate Software Solution for your Customers’ Staff Scheduling Needs
• Integrated Document Management for QuickBooks by Cabinet NG, Inc.
• Tricks of the Trade

 

In the News

Job Costing Using WIP Accounts – Chapter Posted in Free Stuff

Since we did not update our construction book this year, we decided to post the “Job Costing Using WIP Accounts” chapter to our web site.

An Ultimate Software Solution for your Customers’ Staff Scheduling Needs

When it comes to staff scheduling, check out Visual Staff Scheduler® PRO (VSS PRO) offered by Atlas Business Solutions, Inc. (ABS). The company reports having over 70,000 users, a ten year market presence, and a leadership position in the employee scheduling market.

The product is used by many well-known companies including McDonalds' franchisees, FedEx Kinko's stores, and Hertz car rentals. The solution appeals to a wide variety of shift-based businesses from retail stores, restaurants, manufacturing facilities to 24/7 operations, like convenience stores, security guard services, and medical facilities.

Integrated Document Management for QuickBooks by Cabinet NG, Inc.

Many accounting firms have begun to use paperless document management systems to streamline their office, but now clients too can benefit from implementing paperless systems that can revolutionize the way they think of filing systems.

If your clients are ready to tackle the paperless filing problem, check out Cabinet NG’s CNG-Books and CNG-Document Management offerings.

Tricks of the Trade

Every day, members of The Sleeter Group's Consultants Network tackle the day-to-day problems of their clients in the real world. The following are some of the more general problems and solutions that surfaced this month on our "Sleeter Group's Consultants Network Forum".

Enterprise 5 (upgrading from Premier)
Doug Sleeter posted:
"Amy Vetter found an interesting problem today when upgrading a data file (QBB) from Premier to Enterprise 5 (R6).

If you're in Multi-User mode when you restore a QBB file that was from Premier 2005, it will add an admin user, but you won't have admin privileges, so you won't be able to use the data file with Enterprise. It just locks you out of adding or changing any data.

Instead, first switch to single-user mode and then restore the QBB into Enterprise.

Amy, thanks for finding this nasty bug. We've reported it to Intuit."

Customizing Invoices
"My client is customizing an invoice. They would like to have a column for Fee's. Well we managed to get the column to show up and we created an item called fees with a $10.00 amount. well the invoice does not fill in the amount. They have QB 2004 not pro. What am I doing wrong? Is this a preference issue?"

Wendy O'Neil responds:
"When editing templates, please be careful as QB uses specific columns to do specific things.  It takes quite a bit of time to customize a template because you need to think like the QB programmers!  That in and of itself can be quite challenging.

I would just use the "Item" column and list Fees as the item, complete the description, set up the "Rate" and allow QB to calculate the "Amount" when you enter the "Quantity".  The rate and quantity columns are the only calculating columns that QB has for invoices.  All other columns are information only columns.

If you want to add a column for information, you can use the "Custom Column" feature.  This is added on a second screen of the individual item set-up and will show up in one of the "other" column fields within the template when you customize the template."

Purchase Orders and Cost for Construction Client
"I have a construction client that stumped me with a couple of questions.

1)  He wants up to date actual costs so he can make intelligent decisions when comparing his actual and estimates for his various jobs. He wants to use a PO system so he can record the PO amount as a cost, even though it may not be the final cost due to various reasons, then match the actual invoice with the PO and make any necessary adjustment at that time.  Sounds easy enough.  What we found was that QB only includes PO's as a cost when you receive items, non-inventory items, and a bill.  My problem is the bill may not come in for weeks.  I could record the PO, receive it and then adjust when the actual bill comes in but this leaves too much room for errors and it inflates my payables for items that we haven't received an actual invoice which causes problems with banking covenants.  We could show an invoice payable for 30 days without actually getting the invoice from the vendor. 

I have used other accounting systems when you record a PO it's an expense at the time the PO is issued and it records an accrual which reverses when the actual invoices are received against the PO.

Any ideas how I can get the cost up-to-date faster than waiting on the invoices and not making this a full time job.

2) Can you modify the bill or check form to include a user defined field?  I do not see a Check template like you can modify on invoices or PO's."

Joseph C. Livingston, Jr. E.A. answers:
"What your construction client wants is commonly called "Committed Cost" in full-blown construction programs.  We have a heavy representation of clients in the construction industry.  Many of which do not want to incur the cost or the learning curve a program like (Intuit's) Master Builder, which would provide both, committed and incurred cost.

The work around we have been recommending is to print the Job Cost Detail report and an open purchase order report, filter to the subject job.  If Excel proficient, the client can export both to the same workbook, cut and paste to get a combined report."

To find a Sleeter Certified Consultant in your area, please visit:
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If you would like to learn more about The Sleeter Group's Consultants Network, please visit:
http://www.sleeter.com/membership