Do not synchronize a current Acctivate company file with a newly created QuickBooks file
Customers contact our support team regarding the ability to synchronize their current Acctivate company file with a newly created QuickBooks file. The most basic answer to this question is "don't do it". Below is an explanation of what happens when someone does this anyway, how to resolve issues caused by doing so, and what the proper process is to create a new file.
What happens when I sync with a different QuickBooks file?We've added safeguards to Acctivate in an attempt to block the ability for our customers synchronizing with a different file than what's already attached, but some still find a way around it. When you sync with a different QuickBooks file from the original, it breaks the data links between the two files. The first sync has a potential to break sales tax, customers, invoices, payments, vendor bills, etc. Anything that was created in Acctivate and synchronized to the old file has a potential to be removed altogether or seen as a duplicate record. This causes a lot of headache for anyone who does this.
What should I do if we synchronized to a new QuickBooks file?If you contact support after doing so, the first response will be to restore a backup of both QuickBooks and Acctivate from before the new QuickBooks sync. If there’s no backup, we will attempt to clean up the damage. You will begin a long project on attempting to re-link or recreate lists which were deleted or starting from that point forward knowing there’s missing data.
What are the proper steps to take when creating a new QuickBooks file?Creating a new QuickBooks file requires the creation of a new Acctivate file. You'll need to contact your salesperson to talk about purchase options. We have the ability to transfer over some information from the old company to another, but it's limited to the following:
- Configuration Management
This includes everything in configuration from users to custom fields and the report catalog information. - Customers
Some companies would rather create customers directly in QuickBooks before the migration. This is up to your discretion. Imports can be created to fill in the ship to, contacts, and miscellaneous customer details. - Products
This includes product list, pricing, product supplier information, initial balances, component lists, and custom field information. - Open Sales Orders
Just like starting in implementation, you'll need to create the following lists in your new QuickBooks file: chart of accounts, payment methods, salespeople, tax codes (if applicable), and vendor list.
The transactional history will stay in the old Acctivate file for your reference and any new transactions will be posted in the new file. Any Open Purchase order would need to be recreated manually, as well. If you need more than what's listed above, we can refer you to a consultant who can recreate more information and assist with the entire process.