This article answers common questions about the QuickBooks Desktop integration with RedTeam Go. Links to the step-by-step articles are at the end.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How does the integration between RedTeam Go and QuickBooks Desktop work?
A: You download the QuickBooks Web Connector file (QWC) from Accounting > QuickBooks Desktop Integration > Settings. The Web Connector acts as the bridge between RedTeam Go and your QuickBooks Desktop company file. Once connected, each transaction is queued for QuickBooks when it reaches its trigger point in RedTeam Go, and it moves over the next time the Web Connector runs. See RedTeam Go - QuickBooks Trigger Points.
Q: What moves over to QuickBooks Desktop?
A: These transaction types sync from RedTeam Go to QuickBooks Desktop:
Projects, created as sub-customers (jobs) under the owner's customer record
Budgets, as estimates (the Construction Budget or the Owner Estimate, depending on your integration settings), including updates from owner and internal change orders
Owner bills and owner change orders
Subcontracts and subcontractor change orders
Subcontractor bills
Purchase orders
Expenses
Time cards
When a transaction needs something that isn't in QuickBooks yet, such as the vendor, the job, the cost codes or the subcontract, RedTeam Go sends that first.
Q: What are "trigger points"?
A: A trigger point is the action in RedTeam Go that sends a transaction to QuickBooks. Most trigger points are approvals. For example:
Subcontractor bills are sent to QuickBooks after the Project Manager approves them and the Accountant accepts them. A bill that is approved but not yet accepted stays in RedTeam Go.
Expenses are sent to QuickBooks when the Accountant accepts them.
For the full list, including what happens in QuickBooks Desktop when a transaction is unaccepted or deleted, see RedTeam Go - QuickBooks Trigger Points.
Q: What are the benefits of connecting RedTeam Go and QuickBooks?
A: You enter project costs once, in RedTeam Go, and the integration sends them to QuickBooks already coded to the right project and cost code. This removes double entry and keeps one source of truth for your Job Cost Statement and WIP Report.
Q: How does the integration know where to put each transaction in QuickBooks?
A: In Accounting > QuickBooks Desktop Integration > Settings, you match each RedTeam Go cost code type to a QuickBooks Income account and a QuickBooks Expense (COGS) account from your QuickBooks Desktop Chart of Accounts. For the full setup, see the QuickBooks Desktop Integration Guide.
Q: Which accounts should I have in my QuickBooks Chart of Accounts for COGS/Expenses?
A: RedTeam Go has 11 cost code types. We recommend an expense account for each one:
Architect Fee (Ex: Professional Services)
Customer (Ex: Professional Services)
Engineer Fee (Ex: Professional Services)
Equipment Cost (Ex: Rental Equipment)
GC Labor (Ex: Salaries & Wages or Employee Payroll)
General Cost (Ex: Other Construction Costs)
Material Cost (Ex: Construction Materials)
Other Cost (Ex: Other Construction Costs)
Overhead (Ex: Other Construction Costs)
Permit Cost (Ex: Other Construction Costs)
Subcontractor (Ex: Subcontractor Costs)
You can map more than one cost code type to the same account.
Q: I added an account or item in QuickBooks, but I don't see it in the RedTeam Go settings. Why?
A: The lists in the integration settings come from your QuickBooks Desktop company file. On the settings page, click the link to request a refresh of the list, run your Web Connector, and then refresh the page.
Q: Can I link my credit cards to credit card accounts in QuickBooks?
A: Yes. In the integration settings, each payment method you use for expenses in RedTeam Go is mapped to a QuickBooks payment type (Cash, Check, Credit Card or Accounts Payable) and a QuickBooks account.
Q: Can owner and subcontractor retainage go to my AR and AP retainage accounts?
A: Yes. The integration settings let you choose how retainage is sent for owner bills and for sub bills (inline on the bill, or as a separate retainage bill) and which QuickBooks item to use for retainage. See RedTeam Go - QuickBooks Desktop Retainage Syncing.
Q: Which date does QuickBooks use for owner bills and sub bills?
A: You choose this in the integration settings. Owner bills can use the Approve/Notary Date or the Application Date. Sub bills can use the Approve/Accept Date or the Bill Date. Note that the WIP Report always counts an owner pay app on its approval or notary date, so if your integration uses the Application Date, the same pay app can fall in a different period in QuickBooks than on the WIP Report.
Q: Why doesn't Total Billed on the WIP Report match the payment I recorded in QuickBooks?
A: Total Billed on the WIP Report includes retainage, and with a Start Date it shows only the change during the period. A pay app that releases retainage can have a large payment due but a small or negative billed amount. See How the Start Date changes the numbers.
Q: How do I check whether something synced?
A: Go to Accounting > QuickBooks Desktop Integration to open the Integration Log. Each transaction shows its status and a message. Waiting for Web Connector means the transaction is queued and will move the next time the Web Connector runs. If a transaction failed, the message explains why. Click View status for dependencies to see the related records sent with it. After you fix the cause, click the re-queue icon to send it again. Use Filter Settings to filter the log by status or transaction type.
Q: Is the integration easy enough for me to set up myself?
A: Yes. Follow the QuickBooks Desktop Integration Guide.