Sales Form Customization in Method CRM for QuickBooks Online
I have been using QuickBooks Online (QBO) for my own business for several months now. In the beginning, I discovered right away a site where QBO users can voice their feedback in a
with their feature requests and are given a certain number of votes so that they can put more emphasis on either their own or other users' requests. Another way that I submit feedback, and use all the time, is the Feedback option under Company when clicking on the Gear icon in QBO and then I select the "Send us a message" option. This ensures that Intuit logs and "buckets" my message and increases the chance that it gets attention.
What's great about the feedback forum is that you can see which requests users are having issues with in QBO the most. And the biggest gripe is about invoice (or sales) template customization. I can remember spending hours customizing my first invoice in QuickBooks for Desktop when I started my business, as I wanted a very professional invoice. When I converted to QBO, it was very clear that this type of customization is very limited. However, I consider QBO as a way to simplify and automate my processes, so I accepted it as a way to keep it simple. The only issue I had and learned to deal with, is the printing of the item (product or service) on the invoice, which previously I didn't print and only printed the description, along with quantity, rate, etc. But reading through the forum post
have better sales form customization
, you will see that other users have more complex template needs and are very frustrated.
Older version for form customization
What makes this even more convoluted is that a large number of users still only have the older version for customization, including myself, even though I have the newer preferences. I had to insist on an Intuit technical support rep that I had the older version and it wasn't until he viewed my screen did he believe me. And on the forum, the QBO Team had announced that even another newer version using a one form variant where you can upload a *.docx based template will be coming. When it will happen, who knows, as I am still waiting for the new QBOA.
In the meantime, for those that really need advanced sales form customization, as seen with the Layout Designer in QuickBooks for Desktop, I would suggest using
. I have been using Method for many years and have helped my clients as an
Advanced Certified Customization Consultant
, of which there are only just over a dozen in the world. Method CRM has its own Report Designer, which is used for customizing templates for invoices, sales receipts, etc. as well as regular reports. You have complete control over the sizing and position of logos and fields for your company information, such as address, telephone number, e-mail address, etc. You also have the freedom to choose different fonts, colors, lines, shapes, pictures, you name it.
Method Report Designer Mode
Method Report Designer Preview Mode
Of course, Method CRM can be used for more than just template customization. It has been extremely useful to extend the functionality of QuickBooks for Desktop and now I find it is
essential
for QuickBooks Online accounts.
Take QuickBooks Online and Add Custom Fields, Activities, and More with Method Integration
I am absolutely amazed with this "new" offering that most people are not aware of, what I call QuickBooks on Steroids (but in a good way). I guess I should call it QuickBooks on Supplements to sound more positive. Anyway, a bunch of very smart Canadians finally took the entire accessible QuickBooks database and put it into the cloud, which is to say they brought it online as a web-based application. Now an unlimited number of multiple users can access and view simultaneously lists, transactions, reports, you name it from QuickBooks files imprisoned on the Desktop Computer. You can also create new transactions, customize reports and templates and print directly from the web.
Now the real kicker is that there is an endless possibility to customize and build on top of your QuickBooks data to match your own business' processes. This means you can created unlimited custom fields, activities with calendars, actions that cause other things to happen, and more! But the nice thing is that they have done a lot of the work already by including a CRM to track potential customers as leads, which can then be turned into QuickBooks customers with one click. There is also a Field Service module to schedule and track work orders for contractors working on-site where they can do time-tracking of their time on jobs, enter comments, and re-schedule jobs.
Manage your entire business in one place. With just at least one version of QuickBooks, your business can save tons of time and money by eliminating network hassles, difficult workarounds, and user-license limits. Access your business data anytime, anywhere with a computer, tablet, and even smartphones and iPhones with Internet access.
If you want to see it action with live data and take advantage of special discounted pricing, contact me. As an Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and Method Certified Account Manager, we can provide the best cost-effective solution for your business.
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