QuickBooks ProAdvisor® Program
QuickBooks ProAdvisor and Accountant Feedback: Your Top Issues
Response to Your Top Issues
Each month, Intuit decision makers respond to issues most important to accounting professionals.
QuickBooks 2006 in Networked Environments
Jeremy Rosenberg is an Intuit Marketing Manager on the accounting team, and one of his jobs is making sure we get out the information you need to succeed with QuickBooks 2006.
December 2005
Your recent feedback tells us how important it is to get good support information out to you sooner than ever. Here's what Intuit is doing to improve.
In the wake of one of the earliest roll-outs of QuickBooks ever, we received many thank yous and congratulationsand then more requests for detailed support information on new issues that were surfacing in relation to QuickBooks 2006.
Better Listening, Tighter Communications
Intuit has made a concerted effort to establish effective customer and agent listening posts to get real-time feedback on QuickBooks 2006. Intuit is also making sure there are tight communications between those responsible for creating the offering and those responsible for product and service fulfillment, so that we can learn and respond quickly.
This process is producing strong results, from improving our knowledge base and Web support updates, to planned fixes in upcoming releases.
Better Training of Our Support Teams. This feedback allows us to prepare our technical support team, especially the accounting team in Tucson, with hands-on experience and training for the specific issues that do arise.
Prominent Coverage in Our Support Pages. If you visit one of Intuit's support pages, you will now find the top QuickBooks 2006 support issues listed at the top of the support page. These topics are being updated in real time, so their contentand the order of their prominence, based on technical support callswill keep changing. What won't change is that you'll be a click away from detailed information on emerging topics.
For example, at QuickBooks.com, you will find key issues listed, including
(And you can check all ten top listings at www.quickbooks.com/support/service/top_2006.html.)
We realize that issues will come up with any software release, and the above are examples of how we are responding. If you happen to be affected, we want you to have ready access to the information you need.
Stepping up Other Communications
We've also stepped up the quality and frequency of our existing efforts.
Outbound Publications. Members of the QuickBooks ProAdvisor program and subscribers to Intuit ProConnection receive outbound information on all key topics as they emerge.
QuickBooks ProAdvisor Alerts. Practitioners who are members of the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program may be the first to hear about such efforts, through e-mail Alerts sent out on important topics. (Click here to learn more about joining the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program.)
New White Papers. If the emerging issue has technical depth, we will prepare technical White Papers to cover the topic accordingly and add the White paper to our Web sites and identify it in our outbound publications. A case in point is the new White Paper on network installations with QuickBooks 2006.
You can also open up the PDF format from the following link, and then save the PDF to your computer, if you wish. Open the PDF at http://www.quickbooks.com/support/PDFs/Misc/2006_setup.pdf. (PDF File, 332 KB)
Master Tip. On such topics we also turn to trusted advisors who specialize in explaining complex topics to QuickBooks practitioners. That's why we asked Doug Sleeter, a CPA and Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor (who writes about QuickBooks topics for consultants in The Sleeter Group). Intuit imposed on Doug to let us share a preview of his coverage of the topic.
Posting of New Releases. When the issue is one that can be addressed in a future release of QuickBooks, we rush the new release so it will automatically be identified by users who keep the Auto-Update on, and we post the new release on the QuickBooks Web site at http://www.quickbooks.com/support/index/ndxw_15_update.html.
These and other steps are the result of your requests helping us to provide you with the products and services you need.
QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition 2006
QuickBooks 2006 Significantly Better because of You
Bill Teague, is Managing Editor of Intuit ProConnection and follows QuickBooks development as it relates to the needs of accounting professionals. He frequently writes about issues affecting bookkeepers and accountants.
October 26, 2005
The QuickBooks product development team has made many improvements across the QuickBooks 2006 line, based on feedback from QuickBooks ProAdvisors, bookkeepers, and other accounting professionals. Below are some of the top requests and descriptions of how Intuit responded. Let's start with the edition built for the practitioner.
QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition 2006
| What accounting professionals asked for: | What we did: |
| Ability to see the same QuickBooks user interface as my clients. | Created Toggle ability to switch among views of other versions of QuickBooks 2006. |
| Stronger control functions. | Set an "always on" Audit Trail to find and fix client errors or further track adjustments for your own recordswithout slowing down performance. |
| Better options for dealing with voided checks in a prior period. | Added ability to correctly account for voided checks in closed periods removes a big pain point for many accountants. |
| Better options for cleaning up client errors. | Created new Reconciliation Discrepancies account to help you identify missing transactions easily so they can be found and fixed. |
| Help in bringing new clients into QuickBooks. | Offered one free assisted data conversion* for each new QuickBooks customer converting from non-QuickBooks software to QuickBooks. Includes ending balances and open transactions at period end as well as customer, vendor, and employee lists. Conversion support available for most software programs. Created free tool to convert Peachtree files to QuickBooks to make it easier for you to manage more clients on the same system. |
| Better ways to make files easier to move between you and client. | Created the Portable Company File feature to create a compact version of company files which you can send by e-mail or save to portable media to share with clients. |
Note
*Assisted data conversion includes a one-time conversion case which can be applied to multiple files. Assisted data conversion services must be complete within 30 days from the date you or client registers software.
But you will see even more of an effect on accounting feedback across the QuickBooks 2006 line. We'll focus on our main desktop packages as follows:
Changes Benefiting Clients across QuickBooks 2006 (Pro, Premier and Enterprise Solutions 6.0)
| What accounting professionals asked for: | What we did: |
| Help my clients get QuickBooks started right. | Engineered faster, easier setup: get up and running in as little as 30 minutes. |
| Help my clients enter transactions, get around the program, and find information easily. | Created simplified Home Page that includes only those functions that affect the client for easy and faster access to data and everyday tasks. |
| Help my clients deal with customer data more easily. | Created new Customer Center that lets clients instantly view any customer's balance, transaction history and contact info. |
| Help my clients deal with vendor data more easily. | Created new Vendor Center that lets clients view their balance with any vendor, and see a list of related POs, bills and payments. |
| Help my clients with workers deal with employee data more easily. | Created new Employee Center that lets clients view all paychecks and contact information for any employee instantly. |
| Help my clients manage payroll more easily and make fewer errors. | In payroll services, created improved setup interviews that get clients started out in payroll right.1 For payroll services, created new Payroll Center in QuickBooks that lets clients see dates for payroll, taxes and other liabilities at a glance.1 |
| Help my clients manage contact information for success. | Improved synchronization with Outlook 5.2 |
| Help my clients deal with minor technical problems so I can focus on the financials. | Provides free support for 30 days.3 Note: Enterprise Solutions continues to include unlimited technical support.4 |
| Provide my clients a solution that will grow as their business grows. | Installed industry-standard SQL database that scales with the business.5 |
Notes:
1. Add-on services require subscription, EIN and Internet access for certain features, including tax table updates and direct deposit.
2. Outlook synchronization requires QuickBooks Contact Sync for Outlook tool, available for free at www.quickbooks.com/contact_sync, and Outlook 2000, 2002 or 2003. Synchronization with Outlook is also possible with QuickBooks Customer Manager (sold separately).
3. Thirty (30) consecutive days of QuickBooks 2006 support included from first-time registration. Offer valid 90 days from software purchase; U.S. only. Internet access required for callback support. See support terms and conditions for more information.
4. QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions unlimited support consists of a Full Service Plan good for twelve (12) months from purchase. Dedicated support engineers available weekdays from 5 a.m. 5 p.m. PST. Intuit reserves the right to limit each telephone contact to one hour and to one incident. Support availability subject to occasional downtime for systems and server maintenance, company events, observed U.S. holidays and events beyond our controls. Terms, conditions, pricing, service offerings and availability of the Full Service Plan are subject to change at any time without notice.
5. The new database is a relational database that uses client-server technology in multi-user mode to coordinate and manage access to the company file. You don't have to worry about complex database installation and access, and you don't need to know SQL to use it.
More Product Development News to Come
We expect to post additional product development news in the months ahead.
Brandon Wilson, Intuit's Senior Accountant Marketing Manager for the Web, shares the results of Intuit's effort to help make sure that accountant.intuit.com is meeting the needs of today's accounting professionals. Brandon drove this effort in response to ongoing suggestions from practitioners like you.
October 6, 2005
"Help me find the information I need online." Accountant.intuit.com, the Web site created specifically to support accounting professionals as they help their clients, has a new look. "More than ever before, practitioners are telling us they want us to help them find the information they need online," Brandon says, "and updating Accountant.Intuit.com is one way we are doing just that."
Brandon says that all of the great resources ProAdvisors have come to expect from the site are still there; "We've just made things easier to find." He points to the new home page with improved organization and navigation, the new training pages with improved prompts to help you find a training event easier, and new product pages with improved content specific to the latest product releases, providing the detail you need.
"We also commit to keep the site fresh by making sure that your questions are being answered, your feedback is being responded to, and that you have the latest news and training events at your fingertips," Brandon says. "News items on the home page will focus on information only available from Intuit and will be updated regularly," he says.
White Paper Information at Your Fingertips
To provide updated information in real time, "Part of our commitment to online delivery means we are providing the White Papers online," Brandon says.
"Not only are we using online delivery (via PDFs) for immediate and easy access to detailed product information online, we provide you with the option to print a copy for your records," he says. "This also allows us to update the White Papers as needed in real time, to better serve your needs."
He notes that about the same level of detail is available as before, "The content is now separated by product and available for many QuickBooks products, making it more streamlined. Such individual White Papers reside in the Detailed Product Information section located on select product pages as, for example, this page on QuickBooks Pro 2006."
Retail Pricing and QuickBooks ProAdvisors
Steve Cook, Director of the QuickBooks Accountant Programs, addresses one of the top issues among QuickBooks ProAdvisorsthat in spite of software discounts available to them, they see clients able to buy software for less at some large retail chainstores.
October 3, 2005
"Why Do I See Retailers Selling QuickBooks for a Lower Price than What I'm Paying?"
I've heard this issue raised a fair amount recently, and with our announcement of QuickBooks 2006, I see this as a perfect opportunity to address it. Let me start be clarifying our intent with our pricing for QuickBooks ProAdvisors, and then I'll get to specific questions as well as some changes we've made based on your feedback.
Pricing for QuickBooks ProAdvisors
Our intent is to provide QuickBooks ProAdvisors with very favorable discounts against our list* pricing, discounts which recognize the important role that QuickBooks ProAdvisors play. And if you desire, these discounts enable you to pass savings along to your clients. We also strive to keep our pricing consistent for QuickBooks ProAdvisors for a given product year, so it's easier for you to know what your pricing is.
"Why Do I See Retailers Selling QuickBooks for a Lower Price?"
There are a few key reasons why you may see retailers offering prices for QuickBooks that are lower than the discounted prices made available to you.
- Legal. We legally can't control the price at which retailers offer QuickBooks.
- Retailer Policy. While you would expect retailers to maintain a reasonable profit margin, this is not always the case. Some retailers may choose to price QuickBooks software at costor in some cases below costto provide member value (as in club stores), or in their ads as a loss leader, to get people into the stores to purchase other items.
- Future Growth. I also want to emphasize how important it is, for both Intuit and you as QuickBooks ProAdvisors, to keep a strong QuickBooks retail presence. Such a presence helps ensure our market leadershipand that there will always be a large number of new QuickBooks users for you to serve.
- New User vs. Upgrader Pricing. Having said all of the above, QuickBooks ProAdvisor pricing is typically more favorable than "street" pricing. Retail pricing may have looked better (than the prices available to ProAdvisors) if retailers advertised a new user price minus an upgrader rebate. (Of course, new users were ineligible for the upgrader rebate.) Be sure to look at the footnotes on such offers.
Your Choices
Passing along the Discount
Here at Intuit we realize many of you are just looking to pass your discount on to your clients and have the ability to offer them favorable pricing.
Our new pricing will help with this, but it may never completely solve this issue for the less expensive Pro and Simple Start products. That's why we will also have coupons availablenot mail-in rebatesthat you can pass along to your clients to use at large retailers.
These discount coupons will be in the QuickBooks 2006 Product Guide that is included in your 2006 ProAdvisor Resources Binder in your future autoupgrade shipment.
Keeping a Percentage
Other QuickBooks ProAdvisors may be looking for a percentage of the QuickBooks sales that they refer. For folks in this group, I'd encourage you to look at the QuickBooks Affiliate Program. It offers favorable discounts to your clients on many QuickBooks offerings, and you receive a commission on the sale. There is no cost to you; you simply put an Affiliate banner on your Website, and your clients can access the discounts.
Opportunity at the Higher End
Also, keep in mind that many of the higher-end offerings, like QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, are not available in stores. The QuickBooks ProAdvisor discount for QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions is 15% (also available in the QuickBooks Affiliate Program), and this is the most favorable pricing available.
As a result, this pricing still offers a substantial opportunity for you to pass through savings to clients or for you to price appropriately and keep the margin for yourself (as much as $900 on the 15-user version.
Coupled with your consulting services, this presents a unique business opportunity to move your QuickBooks practice up-market.
As you may have seen, Intuit has released QuickBooks 2006 list prices, along with discounts available to QuickBooks ProAdvisors:
QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program Member Discounts
*List price is also known as the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price, or MSRP. It is the price recommended by the vendor. QuickBooks ProAdvisors are able to purchase QuickBooks software at various discounts from the list prices.
Pricing Changes for QuickBooks ProAdvisors in QuickBooks 2006
Most of you saw this announcement in our special QuickBooks 2006 issue of the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program Newsletter, but I wanted to make sure you knew about changes in our pricing for various editions of QuickBooks software.
Some Changes in Store. With the release of QuickBooks 2006 and QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 2006, Intuit has made several adjustments in its pricing structure. Highlights of these pricing decisions follow:
Elimination of New User vs. Upgrader Pricing. Now there's simply one price for each version of QuickBooks so it's easier to understand, and there's no price penalty for new to QuickBooks purchasers, or rebate hassles for many upgraders.
Reduction of QuickBooks Pro Pricing. As announced last week, we are eliminating QuickBooks Basic from the line-up to simplify choices for small businesses and provide a more natural progression from Simple Start to Pro. But we're also reducing the list price of QuickBooks Pro to $199 (from $299). And for QuickBooks ProAdvisors, we're increasing the discount from 15% to 20% to help ensure that you have access to favorable pricing. (Note: this is only available through the ProAdvisor Program discounts. If you're also a QuickBooks Affiliate, we'll continue to offer 15% pricing plus a 6% commissiontotaling a 21% marginthrough that Program.)
Increase in QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions Pricing. In addition to creating a new 15-user version at $6000, we have introduced new pricing for the 5- and 10-user versions: $3000 and $4500 respectively. The standard QuickBooks ProAdvisor discount is changing to 15% (this applies to Affiliates as well). With a 15% discount, you are still able to offer the most favorable pricing available, and this pricing still offers a substantial opportunity for you to pass savings through to clients (or for you to price appropriately and keep the margin yourself).
See the new QuickBooks 2006 Pricing and ProAdvisor Discounts.
Personal Welcome on Technical Support
Mike Hahn, Service Delivery Manager in Tucson, Arizona, reaches out to ProAdvisors in a personal letter of welcome that includes his direct telephone line.
Mike Hahn, Service Delivery Manager
Intuit Inc.
Tucson, Arizona
September 2005
Dear QuickBooks ProAdvisors:
I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself and talk briefly about some of our efforts to improve the technical support that we provide to you, our most important customers.
My name is Mike Hahn and I recently took on the challenge of managing the Technical Support Team for ProAdvisors and Accountants. Prior to this position, I managed Intuit's Simple Start and Customer Manager support as well as our Customer Care Response Team (and led Six Sigma initiatives at a Black Belt and Master Black Belt level even before that).
I am excited about where the team is heading and think that you will be pleased with the results.
Our focus for the ProAdvisor and Accountant tech support team is pretty simple and based on three simple concepts:
- We want you to get support on your terms.
- We want to be there to answer when you ask for help.
- We want knowledgeable agent who solve your problems.
Current priorities for improvement are focused on these three areas:
Support on Your Terms
- The new Callback process has been well received. Remember, this is for your convenience. We will call you back within 30 minutes of your request or at a time of your choosing.
- We are designing a dedicated agent model which allows you to talk to your favorite agent virtually every time you call.
Be There When You Call
- We are currently expanding the size of our team in preparation for your upcoming busy season, with 60 agents in place as I write this note and are on our way to over 100 for upcoming season. We are committed to maintaining a staff that allows us to answer each call within 3 minutes of the phone ringing. We struggled in this area recently and so worked as quickly as we could to get more agents to help you with your issues.
Knowledgeable Agents
- Last month the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Newsletter told you about the professional accountant we have on staff to help our agents better understand your business. Beverly Donahue spends her time helping agents in real-time situations as well as providing developmental classes. (See Tech Support Reps Step up Expertise.
- Many of our agents have completed ProAdvisor certification and more are still working on it.
- We are consolidating our agents' development resources to provide a well-orchestrated learning process for our agents. Some of you may know Lori Siegerman; she is returning to the team to take over leadership of this critical effort.
I know there is more that we can do. Rest assured, we are taking a hard look at our service and how we can make it better. We really want to live up to our internal nickname, The Accountables. If there are specific improvements that would help you to be more successful in your business, I hope you will call me and suggest them.
Sincerely,
Mike
Editor's note: Mike's group is dedicated to serve accounting professionals who are members in the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program and all accountants who have purchased a technical support contract from Intuit. For more information about this group, read For QuickBooks ProAdvisors: Unlimited Tech Support and Service Enhancements.
Accountants who are not in this group can learn more about their support options below at For Accounting Professionals: Support and Service Enhancements.
Access to QuickBooks-Branded Material
September 7, 2005
Donna Ohman, Senior Relationship Manager, Accountant Relations, in San Diego, California, is working to provide more marketing resources to accounting professionals who work with QuickBooks. In notes and letters, in interviews and through group meetings, accountants tell us they want the ability to display QuickBooks branded materials to help them represent QuickBooks software to current and potential clients, she says.
Seminar Toolkit. We know accountants have been asking for access to QuickBooks branded materials that will help them represent the product more authoritatively to potential clients, especially in seminar or local business show settings, she says. That's why we're glad to announce the Seminar Toolkit where ProAdvisors can order tabletop displays or banners. The items are manufactured by www.tradeshow-stuff.com, from Allegro Display and Graphics.
QuickBooks-Branded Apparel. Through an arrangement with Club Colors, accounting professionals can buy a variety of items with the QuickBooks logo, from polo shirts to coffee mugs to gift pens, Donna says. On entering the Website, when selecting an item, and the color and logo of your choice, you can usually see onlscreen how they look together. Club Colors is a division of RAF Industries.
No Profit, Employee Pricing. Intuit doesn't make any money from the sales of the seminar displays and banners or the apparel and other items, Donna explains. For the Seminar Toolkit we negotiated rates with the vendor for individual purchases. For the QuickBooks-branded apparel we opened up access to the same site that employees use to purchase branded items.
Information about additional resources supporting the QuickBooks 2006 line is expected to be announced in the next few months.
New Callbacks for ProAdvisor Technical Support
August 3, 2005
Tech Support Callbacks Win Many Fans. By now all QuickBooks ProAdvisors should have received a ProAdvisor Alert about an efficient new way to get QuickBooks technical support. Now ProAdvisors can enter their tech support issue in a simple Web page, and tell Intuit when they want to hear back from Intuit. The new Callback Request Form is at www.quickbooks.com/pap/callback/.
With this new option, you will be able to submit your question directly to the support team, who will do their best to call you back as soon as possible or at a convenient time that you specify during regular business hours (weekdays, 6 a.m. 6 p.m. PST).
Tip: If you provide enough information up front when you log your request, the support agent may be able to call you back with the answer ready to go.
Real Quotes from Real ProAdvisors.
- Larry Barnes of Gouldsboro, Maine says, "I am very impressed with the new process. The response was well within 30 minutes and my issue was completely resolved."
- Louise Anzalone of Fort Meyers, Florida, says that My support experience was great. I recently submitted an issue to the support group: and personally prefer the callback model. My experience in calling the support group was frustrating! My time is precious: I do not like to sit on hold for a long period of time listening to music when I can be productive elsewhere. By submitting your question first, the support group has time to evaluate the situation prior to them returning your call. Overall, I prefer this callback method of solving issues.
- Maureen Perry of Rogersville, Tennessee says that it is a tremendous program that within a half hour of submitting the request you can talk with a rep about your issue.
- A ProAdvisor in Charlotte, North Carolina says that within 30 minutes she got the callback and her issue was resolved. I love it! she says.
Improving Tech Support for QuickBooks Customers
August 3, 2005
New Callback Support Options for QuickBooks Support Plan Members. The benefits of callback support are also being made available to QuickBooks users in a phased roll out. Today, QuickBooks Basic, QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Premier customers with an active support plan can submit their questions online and request a callback within 60 minutes during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. 6 p.m., PST). Most QuickBooks support plan members have been notified by e-mail, or an announcement on the support line, that this callback support option is available, but please alert your clients about it as well. The Callback Request Form is online at www.quickbooks.com/qbcallback. Over the next few months, Intuit will be testing different aspects of callback support, and eventually, it will also be available to users without a support plan.
More Support Agents. Since February of this year, Intuit has hired and trained over 100 additional technical support agents to improve response times and customer satisfaction.
Reminder: One-Time Support Offers Response Time Guarantee. One-Time Support (an option that allows customers to pay for support on a per-call basis, instead of subscribing to a support plan) is available to all QuickBooks customers weekdays between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. PST.1 Intuit guarantees that the customer would be able to speak to a support representative within 15 minutes, or that call is free.2
1. Intuit reserves the right to limit each telephone call to one hour and to limit each call to one incident. Inquiries are limited to the following QuickBooks product areas: installation, upgrade assistance, and basic functionality. Excluding occasional downtime for systems and server maintenance, company events, observed US holidays, and events beyond our control.
2. Intuit guarantees that a technical support representative will respond to a One-Time Support call within 15 minutes after the call is placed in the support queue. Intuit does not guarantee that it will provide resolutions to questions within the guarantee period. Response times are not guaranteed during downtime for systems or server maintenance, company events, observed US holidays or events beyond our control. If a support representative does not take the call within the guaranteed response time, Intuit will provide free support for that call.
QuickBooks Point of Sale (POS) Adds 40 Support Agents
August 3, 2005
Christiane Hile, POS Accountant Marketing Manager
Forty additional technical support agents have been added to the Tucson-based support group for QuickBooks Point of Sale, bringing the total support agents to 80, according to Christiane Hile, POS Accountant Marketing Manager. This measure is in response to requests from Certified QuickBooks POS ProAdvisors to keep our support capability up with the growth curve in this product she says. These agents directly support the retailers during their first 30 days in installing and using the product, as well as any purchaser of a support plan. As a result, The support team has significantly improved the answering of support calls. This increased quality of service improves the abilities of Certified QuickBooks POS ProAdvisors to support their clients. Moreover, any issues relating to the transfer of POS Merchant Services to Intuit Merchant Services have been resolved, she reports.
QuickBooks Better because of You
July 19, 2005
Bill Teague, Managing Editor, Intuit ProConnection Newsletter
Accounting professionals asked and we listened.
At Intuit, we've made many improvements based on your feedback. Below are some of our top requests from accounting professionals and descriptions of how we responded.
Have a comment? Send it to us at Intuit
QuickBooks Customer Service and Technical Support
| What accounting professionals asked for: | What we did: |
| I want better service and support with faster response time, better solutions of problems, and at less cost, for me and for when I help clients. |
For QuickBooks ProAdvisors and accountants who purchase a paid support plan, we have created an 80-person team, the Accountables, based in Tucson, Arizona, with specially trained reps and accounting specialists. (QuickBooks ProAdvisors now receive unlimited technical support at no additional charge.1) For more details, click here. For other accounting professionals and clients we have started an ongoing effort to improve: we are changing our policies, hiring more people and cutting the cost of technical support. |
QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition 2005
| What accounting professionals asked for: | What we did: |
| Ability to design professional financial statements. |
Built in Financial Statement Designer for unlimited customization of financial statements with familiar spreadsheet-like tools Provided templates for compilation letters and create built-in editor for letters and notes Allowed use of customized statements for clients with the same chart of accounts |
| Built-in advanced accounting tools at no extra cost. | Provided Working Trial Balance tool to help practitioners review and adjust account balances. |
| More efficiency in working with your clients. |
Engineered compatibility with all QuickBooks 2005 Programs2 Created QuickZoom® on Retained Earnings Provided Version Detector to easily identify version of clients QuickBooks file |
| Minimize time required for recurring accounting tasks. |
Provided ability to process payroll with QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountants (with state forms)3 (sold separately) Created Voided/Deleted Transactions Report to help practitioners quickly detect errors |
The above changes build on improvements made in QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition 2004.
QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition 2004
| What accounting professionals asked for: | What we did: |
| Built-in advanced accounting tools at no extra cost. |
Built integrated Fixed Asset Manager for calculating depreciation on Fixed Assets |
| Minimize time required for recurring accounting tasks. |
Created Rapid Data Entry features for quick entry of client source data Improve data transfer to and from Microsoft Excel4 E-mail reports and forms as PDF files5 Track loans with the Loan Amortization Tool |
Your Requested Enhancements for Clients
The above items relate only to the specific needs of practitioners. Accounting professionals asked for a host of improvements to QuickBooks for the benefit of their clients. Those requests were folded in to requests directly from other QuickBooks users and responses to these requests are outlined here.
For more on Responses to Your Top Feedback, click here.
Notes
1 Terms and conditions of QuickBooks ProAdvisor technical support, support features, pricing and support availability are subject to change at any time without notice. Intuit reserves the right to limit each telephone call to one hour and to limit each contact (telephone or electronic) to one incident. Inquiries are limited to the following QuickBooks product areas: installation, upgrade assistance, and basic functionality. Toll-free access available from the United States only. Access to the Tucson, Arizona team is during the business hours of 6:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday.
2. Does not include QuickBooks Enterprise Edition, QuickBooks for the Mac, and QuickBooks Online.
3. Enhanced Payroll for Accountants is sold separately and requires a subscription, EIN and QuickBooks 2005. Works seamlessly with Premier Accountant Edition. Internet access required for download delivery and Direct Deposit. Nominal additional fees apply for Direct Deposit. Checks sold separately. 24x7 access subject to occasional downtime due to systems and servers maintenance. State forms are supported for over 40 states. Terms, conditions, features, pricing and service options subject to change without notice.
4. Excel integration requires the following Microsoft Excel 2000, 2002 or 2003, sold separately.
5. Registration may be required. Fees may apply.
Intuit's Bridget Keenan (Program Manager, QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program) explains how Intuit is using feedback from ProAdvisors and other practitioners to respond to your issues. Each month, Bridget and other Intuit decision makers will share responses to your concerns in this recurring section of the newsletter.
July 5, 2005
Bridget Keenan, Program Manager, QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program
Last year, we asked ProAdvisors what they valued most in the Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor program and what changes they wanted to see. It's exciting to look back and see the progress so farand to know there are still more announcements to be made.
July 2004 Survey
About a year ago, we asked ProAdvisors to respond to a survey on how we could add more value to their membership. We wanted to return to those requests to identify the progress we've made.
(By the way, at that time, 92% of you answered that you thought the program was an excellent value or somewhat of a value. Only 8% or respondents thought the program could be more valuable. But we did not rely on that assessment alone, and we wanted to find ways to improve the value of the certification.)
Ten Issues, Ten Responses
Over the last year, we have responded to many items in your wish list for improved value to your QuickBooks ProAdvisor membership. Here are ten of those requests, and how we have responded to date.
| You Asked ... | We Responded ... |
| Better technical support for you and when working with clients. | Unlimited technical support; specially trained service team of over 50 agents in Arizona includes product specialists and accounting specialists. |
| Better technical support directly for QuickBooks users (your clients). | Lower costs and broader definition of what qualifies for free phone support. |
| Provide better customer service. | Improved training and additional hiring for more and better trained reps to answer ProAdvisor Hotline at 1-888-250-7279. |
| Better opportunities for networking with Intuit personnel and other ProAdvisors. | 40-city tour (Fall 2004) will be increased to 80-city tour (Fall 2005) Greater presence of Intuit at traditional trade shows |
| Improved quality and timeliness of certification courses. | Incorporating suggestions from post-Certification survey, increased information on expanded QuickBooks product line; QuickBooks 2006 Certification to be released in proximity to product launch |
| Better options to improve referrals from the Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor Referral Database. | Greater visibility from QuickBooks and QuickBooks Community sites; new industry specializations in the search; priority listing of ProAdvisors certified in current year software; fivefold increase in visits to the site from earlier this year |
| More marketing of ProAdvisors as a valued resource. | Greater visibility from QuickBooks, http://quickbooks.intuit.com/, and QuickBooks Community sites; greater visibility in QuickBooks 2005 packaging; proactive direct mail and e-mail marketing tests to QuickBooks users and prospects with contact info for three Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors in their area); other efforts to connect ProAdvisors and QuickBooks Users. |
| More QuickBooks software with membership. | Benefits now include QuickBooks Online subscription, QuickBooks Point of Sale Multi-Store, and QuickBooks Simple Start Edition. |
| Better support for QuickBooks POS ProAdvisor certification. | POS certification course (and software) now included at no additional charge. POS Certification course now presented in the form of 11 Webinars and downloadable reading materials, rather than one study guide. |
| More opportunities to provide Intuit with feedback. | Adding to Advisory Council and other Intuit outreach efforts, new ProAdvisor-specific Feedback Center. |
Stay Tuned
In the coming months, we expect to report on additional topics where you asked for improvement.
Early Results from Feedback Session for QuickBooks ProAdvisors Only
July 5, 2005
Eric Rothdeutsch, Manager, Accountant VOC
Latest Issues
To help us better understand the needs of accounting professionals, we rely on direct customer feedbackwhat we call the voice of the customer or VOC. My primary job is to make sure that we have the processes and systems to capture accountant feedback, take action based on that feedback, and then tell you what actions we're taking (closing the loop). Currently, Intuit is engaged in a wide variety of activities to solicit VOC feedback from accounting professionals.
Range of Activities
These VOC activities include one-on-one interviews, surveys, focus groups, town hall meetings, and meeting with practitioners at trade shows and other events. One of our more unusual VOC activities is the follow me to the office visit, where Intuit employees spend a day or more with an accountant, following the accountant as he meets clients and goes through his regular business. These visits help us better understand your real world issues, so we can make smart decisions to continue to improve Intuit products (including QuickBooks Financial Software) and services.
Many Intuit employees take part in all of these different VOC activities. Part of my specific job is to make sure that all of this customer feedback is collected, organized, and communicated effectively to the key Intuit decision makers. In this regard, the Feedback Center is especially useful. Through the feedback session format, you can tell us in your own words what's most important to youas well as evaluate suggestions submitted by other accounting professionals.
Feedback Center
In October 2004, we launched the Feedback Center specifically for accounting professionals. At that time, we invited QuickBooks ProAdvisors to participate via e-mails and links at the ProAdvisor (www.qbadvisor.com) and accounting.intuit.com Web sites. ProAdvisor response was so strong that we saw the need to create a unique area of the Feedback Center just for ProAdvisors.
The unique ProAdvisor Feedback Session was launched in late May 2005, and while we are waiting for additional feedback, you may be interested in some of the early results.
Early Results from the ProAdvisor Feedback Session
To help us understand what we're doing well, as well as what we need to improve, we included two key questions in the ProAdvisor Feedback Session:
Question #1: What do you like best about the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program?
Given that the ProAdvisor Feedback Session is relatively new, the following results are preliminary. Here are the top ten comments about the ProAdvisor program as of last month:
- Unlimited tech support calls.
- The certification helps add to your professional credibility.
- Having a suite of QuickBooks products as part of the ProAdvisor program to allow us the ability to become knowledgeable about each product.
- Being listed in the referral database on the Web site.
- Receiving advanced notice from Intuit on new product releases and fixes/patches.
- Product discounts.
- The newsletters keep me up-to-date, and I get good ideas of what other ProAdvisors are doing to promote their business.
- The program has good QuickBooks resources, like the QuickBooks Reference Guide and QuickBooks Training Guide.
- Support of ProAdvisors has been one of Intuit's strong suits during the last five years.
- How Intuit listens and takes action on member feedback.
Items 3 and 9 (in boldfaced type) are comments that were suggested by ProAdvisors directly. The other comments were based on ProAdvisor feedback from earlier surveys and were included to prime the pump and get the session started.
Question #2: How can we improve the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program?
While it's important to know what you value most, we need to hear about your challenges, too, and how the ProAdvisor Program might be improved.
Again, although these results are preliminary, here are the top responses. The list includes kudos and constructive suggestions (in boldface):
- In the ProAdvisors database, ProAdvisors need to be able to show up in more than one area code. Right now they seem to just disappear.
- In the ProAdvisor course, there were some step-to-step ideas that I would like to reference. Namely, two ways to put in NSFs, two ways to put in bad debt, etc. I would like to see these in a credit card size info pack.
- ProAdvisor support has been great! Having a personal contact at Intuit is a life saver. I have built a professional business using all the tools [that] Intuit provides to ProAdvisors.
- ProAdvisors need a product that will provide state forms but not require processing the payroll.
- The stars on the referral database are useful in sending clients my way.
- Thanks for making unlimited technical support available; this is a powerful tool to take to the client's business site when doing setup, monthly monitoring, and troubleshooting.
- I would like to feel that my suggestions regarding enhancements to the product are given serious consideration. Right now they seem to just disappear.
Conclusion
Each month in the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program Newsletter, we will report back on how Intuit is responding to these and other suggestions.
In the meanwhile, do you agree or disagree with these results? Do you have a comment or suggestion you'd like to add? If so, please visit the ProAdvisor Feedback Session and tell us what you think.
June 6, 2005
Joe Andrews, Sr. Manager, QuickBooks Operations
Prices Removed From Packing Slips for Products Shipped to Clients
Per Your Request. QuickBooks ProAdvisors are entitled to a discount on QuickBooks software and can choose to have it shipped directly to their clients. Because some ProAdvisors choose to resell the software at a different price than what they paid, we have received several requests to remove the price from the packing slip included with the shipment.
We are happy to announce that now, when a ProAdvisor orders software and has it shipped to an address other than their own, the packing slip will not include the price paid. This will allow ProAdvisors more flexibility in the price they pass along to their client. (Please note: if ProAdvisors order software and have it shipped to their own address, the packing slip will include the price of the product.)
For placing orders, call the QuickBooks ProAdvisor sales line at the Members Sales and Service Hotline of 1-888-250-7279.
We thank you for letting us know about this problem.
Responses Pour in on Tech Support Decision
June 6, 2005
Bridget Keenan, Program Manager, QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program
Your Favorable Comments. Many of you took the time to express your happiness with the recent decision about unlimited technical support provided to all ProAdvisors. And we are thrilled to get the feedback!
I am absolutely thrilled about the unlimited support for ProAdvisor! It will certainly make a difference in our ability to help our clients. I am also excited for another reason, this decision speaks volumes about the value Intuit places on the ProAdvisor and our opinions.I have, in the past, felt that our voices were sometimes not heard. Now, with the changes I have seen, especially this one, I know you are listening. Congratulations on making a great decision!
QuickBooks ProAdvisor
Cristina Park,
Lakeside, California
I just wanted to drop a quick note to state my appreciation in providing unlimited support for technical questions.
I think this will greatly enhance my willingness to market Intuit products as I will have more confidence in my ability to respond directly or with support assistance to nonroutine client questions.
CPA, Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor
Irmo, South Carolina
I am absolutely thrilled with the decision to provide unlimited support at no additional charge to your ProAdvisors. This is a HUGE benefit and will greatly impact the service level I can provide to my clients. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Anonymous
"This one change proved to me that Intuit listens," Tammy says. "Before that we were limited to five phone calls per year. It was difficult to have to count my calls while properly servicing my client base. I had already burned through three calls before the year was even half over, and I was stressed. That's when I received the message from Intuit that they were changing the program. I couldn't have been happier. Now if I run into a problem I can't solve, I know I can pick up the phone without worrying about it."
Tammy Becker, Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor
Huntington Beach, California
Special Opportunity to Have Your Voice Heard
June 6, 2005
Rich Walker, CPA, Director of the Accountant Services Group
Advisory Council and More. Intuit invites QuickBooks ProAdvisors to join other accounting professionals to apply for membership in the 2006 Accountant and Advisory Customer Council or one of several individual Product Panels. Positions are limited in number, and Intuit will select participants from qualified applicants.
Benefit. Council and Product Panel members will have the opportunity to interact with senior-level executives and product managers at Intuit about the future strategy and product/service offerings ... to learn from colleagues across the country ... and, for their clients and prospective clients, to demonstrate Intuit's recognition of the value of their professional advice.
New Feedback Session for QuickBooks ProAdvisors Only
June 6, 2005
Steve Cook, Director, Accountant Influencer Programs
Visit Intuit's Feedback Center session just for QuickBooks ProAdvisors, to post your comments about the current program and how you would like to see it improved, and to see what others have posted.
Concerns with QuickBooks Tech Support for Accounting Professionals and End Users
May 23, 2005
Steve Cook, Director, Accountant Influencer Programs
We know the better QuickBooks support we provide your clients, the fewer demands they will make on you. And we know you as an accounting professional are key to your clients' satisfaction with QuickBooks Software. We have made changes in our approach to technical support and the levels of customer service to help improve the experience and satisfaction for you and your clients in working with Intuit.
Read on for more on tech support and customer service for accounting professionals. Changes affecting your clients are also discussed on this site, at Steps to Improve Tech Support for End Users.
(Note: If you are a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, you already know about the exciting changes we have made in your programat no additional costto provide you the best technical support available to any accounting professional. If not, see the article on For QuickBooks ProAdvisors below.)
For Accounting Professionals: Support and Service Enhancements
Based on feedback from accounting professionals at many points, Intuit announces a number of steps to improve your experiences in getting answers to technical support and customer service questions.
To summarize, on the customer service and technical support front you told us you wanted QuickBooks tech support that was better, especially along the following dimensions:
- more professional agents
- shorter hold times
- fuller service attention
- lower cost or free
- domestic agents
Intuit invested to address these concerns as set out following. Comments relate to technical support unless otherwise noted.
Professionalism of Agents. "Let me talk with someone who understands my issues," you wrote.
Response: We're providing more training, better specialized on the importance of accounting professionals and the accounting work flow. And we're increasing the number of reps, as noted following.
Hold Times. "Please help us first with quick technical support so that we could help our clients, you wrote.
Response: We're hiring more people, both in our customer service and our tech support groups. No one likes to be put on hold. So we're hiring and training more representatives to build a bigger and stronger team and cut down on wait times.
Service Attention. "Don't be so quick to end the call before my problem is solved," you wrote.
Response: Intuit has instructed its tech support reps to take the time it needs to solve your problem. We don't want to rush you off the phone or transfer you unnecessarily.
Cost. "Tech support should be lower in cost or free," you wrote.
Response: We've expanded what we can do for free and lowered the cost of what we have to charge for.
- Free. Intuit has broadened the definition of what qualifies for free customer care support (for issues related to installation, upgrading, QuickBooks-specific errors, or product defects).** (For those who'd like additional support, we've expanded our offerings to give you more flexibility at a price that's right for you.)
- Lower Cost. If you decide to use our tech support reps to solve a problem not covered for free, you will now be paying less than you did earlier in 2005. Under the previous price scheme, an incident of tech support was billed at $75 for the first 20 minutes, then $25 for each additional five minutes, to a cap of $150. Intuit now charges a flat $49.95 a call. Since you are not on the clock, and our reps are instructed to solve your problem, you won't feel rushed to end the call.
Preference for U.S. Reps. "I want to talk with Americans," you wrote, citing a quicker problem resolution of technical support issues with agents based in the United States. "I do not appreciate having to deal with someone residing in India who can not understand nor speak English well enough to place an order," you wrote, relating to customer service of orders.
Response: The increases in staffing and training will reduce but not eliminate use of offshore solutions (currently handled by our Indian call center). It is likely that offshore solutions will continue, especially for overflow or off-hour inquiries. Future plans call for improved training of this offshore call group.
Stay Tuned. We are looking at other ways to improve tech support and customer service, and will report such improvements here.
You Be the Judge. We are excited about these improvements, and look forward to your responses to them. You can let us know your thoughts by e-mail to IPC-Editor@intuit.com. Include "Feedback" in the subject line.
Recent Developments in Support and Service
May 6, 2005
Steve Cook, Director, Accountant Influencer Programs
QuickBooks ProAdvisors and accounting professionals have sent us notes, participated in surveys and discussion forums and, especially helpful, have joined in discussions at the Feedback Center to let us know their top issues. QuickBooks ProAdvisors deserve the best technical support available to any accounting professional, and here I want to focus on our responses to valuable ProAdvisors.
For QuickBooks ProAdvisors: Unlimited Tech Support and Service Enhancements
Based on feedback from ProAdvisors at many points, Intuit announces a number of steps to improve your experiences in getting answers to technical support and customer service questions.
This comment from a practitioner is representative of many:
[We need] better QuickBooks tech support! [We need] more professional agents, shorter hold times, [and the support should be] lower cost/free.
As you'll see below, we have invested to address these concerns. (Note that these steps relate to ProAdvisors only, and not to their clients. Look here for changes in the technical support of QuickBooks users.
Unlimited Support at No Extra Cost.* Effective immediately, every current member of the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program will receive unlimited QuickBooks technical support at 1-888-333-3451. This is a significant improvement over the previous plan, which allowed for up to five incidents of technical support over the year. The new unlimited support comes at no additional cost to you. Remember, this numberand the specially trained support team noted belowis for ProAdvisors only, not your clients.
Dealing with Wait Times. We know that your time is valuable, as you and other practitioners have told us at various turns:
Please help us first with quick technical support so that we could help our clients.The hold time to get a support rep is horrible. Please reduce it or you will lose most customers.
The increased staffing noted below is our best way of reducing hold times for both technical support and for customer service.
New Unit of Specially Trained Reps. Intuit announces an all-new dedicated ProAdvisor Tech Support Team in our call center in Tucson, Arizona. From a core group of 16 reps who started the pilot for the group in November, we just now added eight well-trained reps and will be adding 20 or more reps after training is completed at the end of this month. The unit also includes three Technical Advisors. Each has been with Intuit for seven to ten years, and they act as resources for the team. The reps on the team include veteran Intuit agents and others who were recruited from other Intuit service groups helping accounting professionals, and who are already familiar with Intuit software and accountant workflow.
Most ProAdvisor Calls Handled in United States. During normal business hours (6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., PST), now with the increase in domestic staffing, we expect most tech support calls to be answered by our ProAdvisor Tech Support Team in Tucson. We realize this is important to you. Here are comments from some of your fellow practitioners:
Support from India takes at least three times longer than American support, mainly because Americans' mastery of our language and our unique (cut-to-the-chase) use of English allows much quicker problem resolution.I want to talk with Americans.
Support Role of Indian or Other Offshore Call Centers. For off hours or for call overflow during business hours, calls are routed specifically to the top ten agents assisting in India, currently in the India-based call center. Future plans call for improved training of this overflow call group, so you can get your issues addressed easily, regardless of when you call.
New Tech Support Management. Intuit has assigned one of our most talented support leaders to manage the revamped ProAdvisor Tech Support teamLori Siegerman. She has over 8 years of Contact Center experience and has been working with the QuickBooks Group for over 6 years on the consumer side.
More Domestic Reps for ProAdvisor Customer Service. Some of the comments from ProAdvisors and other practitioners came from poor experiences with customer service, in trying to research an order.
Answering the phone instead of putting you on hold for an hour would be good.The customer service wait time is horrific. I waited over an hour yesterday only to be cut offthen I had to wait on hold another hour before having my issue resolved.
"One Hour" wait for customer service is not acceptable.
I do not appreciation having to deal with someone residing in India who can not understand nor speak English to place an order.
We've increased our domestic staffing for our ProAdvisor Customer Service line at 1-888-250-7279 to help deliver shorter wait times. While this team doesn't handle technical product questions, you can call them for billing, membership entitlements (i.e., certification, member Web site), or shipping issues.
You Be the Judge. We are excited about these improvements, and look forward to your responses to them. You can let us know your thoughts by your e-mail to proadvisors@intuit.com. Include "Feedback" in the subject line.
Steps to Improve Tech Support for End Users
May 6, 2005
Steve Cook, Director, Accountant Influencer Programs
From your feedback we know that the better support we provide your clients, the fewer demands they will make on you. That's why, in addition to improvements made in technical support for QuickBooks ProAdvisors, we have also made changes in the levels of customer support to help improve your clients' experience and satisfaction in working with you and Intuit.
Intuit recently announced a series of changes to its customers (your clients), which include
- Saving Clients Time. Intuit is hiring more people so wait time will decrease.
- Clear Guidance to Reps. Intuit has instructed its tech support reps to take the time it needs to solve problems.
- Supporting Clients on Basics. Intuit has further broadened the definition of what qualifies for free customer care support (for issues related to installation, upgrading, QuickBooks-specific errors, or product defects).**
- Move to Cheaper, Flat Fee for Other Tech Support. If one of your clients opts to use our tech support reps to solve a problem not related to installation and setup, instead of charging under the old price scheme ($75 for the first 20 minutes, then $25 for each additional five minutes, to a cap of $150), Intuit now charges a flat $49.95 a call.
Recent Developments in Support and Service
Intuit is harvesting feedback from QuickBooks ProAdvisors and will be responding to the issues they raise on an ongoing basis.
April 4, 2005
Rich Walker, CPA, Director of the Accountant Services Group
Annual Upgrades, Backwards Compatibility among Top Issues
Recently at our Feedback Center, we asked you how we could help you serve your clients better. Among your top issues was the difficulty of supporting multiple versions of QuickBooks financial software, especially in the absence of backwards compatibility. We hear you on this, and Intuit's response has both a short- and a long-term dimension.*
In the Feedback Center, a majority of participants agreed with comments related to the annual QuickBooks upgrade cycle and the need for backwards compatibility among QuickBooks versions. In fact, the following practitioner comment was among the highest-rated in the study:
I don't think [Intuit] should continuously come out with upgrades to the [QuickBooks] program each year if there are not SIGNIFICANT improvements. Data is not backwards compatible. Keeping up with client versions is difficult, forcing them to upgrade is unreasonable.
There are two components to the comment, one on Intuit's practice of creating annual upgrades of the software, and the other on backwards compatibility.
Why does Intuit come out with upgrades every year? Well, first I should make it clear that our intent is to make sure that our QuickBooks upgrades are significant.
Each year we try to solve important new problems, and in the process, grow our customer base. Of course, not all businesses are the same, so what defines a significant upgrade for some, doesn't for others. And quite honestly, some upgrades are better than others. That being said, many of our users and reviewers tell us that our 2005 upgrade is especially powerful, with valuable improvements.
To get a flavor of why Intuit considers upgrades from an end-user perspective, see Better Because of You, a table on the QuickBooks Community site that lists the customer-driven innovations in this last release. The list shows what our customers asked for, and how we have responded. A similar list can be constructed showing the requests we have from practitioners, to help them serve their clients better. In fact, we will try to post such a list here in the weeks ahead.
Note: Intuit will consider such requests from our customers, but obviously, given finite resources, we have to make choices. We evaluate each request so it can be prioritized.
At this time I wish I could tell you more about our next upgrade. We are working on some very exciting possibilities right now, with great potential innovations from the small business owner community and the practitioner world.
Backwards Compatibility in the Short Term
We know that backwards compatibility is a pain point for practitioners supporting multiple clients on different versions of the software. That's why in the short term, Intuit has worked to provide tools and options to minimize the problem of backwards compatibility of QuickBooks data files. To date these responses include:
- QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition with Remote Access (enabling you to access your clients' QuickBooks files on different version years from your own computer)
- QuickBooks Online (always keeping you and your clients on the same version)
- Version Detector (allowing you to set the mouse cursor over a client's file to identify what version of QuickBooks was used to create itwithout having to open the file)
While different ProAdvisors will favor different approaches, I've heard from many of you who favor Remote Access as a way to overcome issues of backwards compatibility, since you are able to work remotely within the client's own installed version of QuickBooks. And I have heard from others of you who have found the QuickBooks Online a highly successful Web-based solution, where you and your clients both access the same online data through the same Web interface. Moreover, with the QuickBooks Online, all users are always on the same version. Upgrades happen throughout the year, occurring automatically for everyone. The Version Detector tool was first introduced in Release 6 of QuickBooks 2004 and is now a standard feature in QuickBooks 2005.
To allow you to share your information, tips and techniques for working with this issue, we recently added an area in the Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor Discussion Forum that deals with issues about QuickBooks Versions. (There is also a sister discussion site, open to all practitioners, which is likewise called QuickBooks Versions.)
When we look ahead at the underlying causes of the issue of backwards compatibility, we see that a response will require more than a few changes in a few lines of code. Major issues here include functionality across versions and the way data is validated.
- New Functionality. Say you as the ProAdvisor are running Version A. You update the client's data file, created on Version Z. New functionality in Version A results in one set of outputs. When you send the file back to your client using Version Z, the results would differ.
- Same Functionality, Different Calculations. Calculations or data validation for the same functionality can change year to year. Calculations, for example, can change due to government, local or industry regulations. You as the ProAdvisor would work with the data in Version A and see one set of outputs. But when you save and send the data back to the client, who is running Version Z, the client would see different numbers.
- Changes in Data Validation Rules. Say in new Version A, Intuit has had to change the business rules with regards to what is considered to be acceptable data for some fields. The reason for the change might be to correct a bug or to respond to business changes. As a result, a datum legal in Version A becomes illegal in the client's older Version Z, and the data file would not open.
In any given year, there could be hundreds of examples like this across a whole range of functions, and over multiple years, the complexity increases further. Every subsequent version would need to remember its differences with previous versions across the whole range of supported versions, to translate files back and forth with additional caveats about changes in calculations and functionality.
I've met one or two practitioners who believe that Intuit arbitrarily inserts code that purposely prevents backwards compatibility. This isn't true. If it were true, it would be very easy to restore the capability. For the reasons noted above, the coding challenges are complex.
Removing this barrier is a long-term goal that will take some evolution of the product, but its importance as a top issue among you and your colleagues keeps its status a top issue for us as well.
*Respondents included ProAdvisors and other practitioners. Intuit especially values the opinions of QuickBooks ProAdvisors, and therefore Intuit sent ProAdvisors a special e-mail invitation several months ago to join in the discussion. Note: There were exceptions to this invitation; ProAdvisors who had requested not to be contacted by e-mail did not receive an e-mail invitation to participate.
April 4, 2005
Rich Walker, CPA, Director of the Accountant Services Group
Feedback Center Is Your Best Sounding Board
At Intuit, what you have to say about Intuit software and services is crucial to us, as we make hard decisions about how to improve them for the future. That's why I'm encouraging you to take full advantage of the Feedback Center as your best sounding board. Your comments here are captured and organized for our study and planning purposes, and are provided in such a way as you can see what your colleagues are saying, too.
Back in October, we sent all ProAdvisors whose Privacy Profile permitted it an invitation to join the Accountants Inner Circle. Many of you responded. To continue the dialogue, Intuit will be responding to your major issues and communicating them to you on this Website and in e-mail newsletters and other communications.
Right after the April tax deadline, ProAdvisors who participated in one of the Discussions (and included their e-mail addresses) will receive an e-mail discussion of the feedback solicited to date in more detail.
Join the Inner Circle. If you have not joined the Inner Circle, we encourage you to do so now. Benefits include the ability to revisit discussions and see what comments were ranked the most important by your colleagues. You can join from the Feedback Center link.
Your Suggestions Lead to Changes in Feedback Center
More Options. Thanks to all of you who helped Intuit improve the design of the Feedback Center. Based on your feedback, we've made it even easier for you to provide us with feedback on specific Intuit products, including QuickBooks.