Based on our own firsthand experience, one of the most important is your approval process.

In this blog post, you will answer questions such as:

• Does QuickBooks Desktop have an approval process?
• How can I set up a custom approval process in QuickBooks?
• How can I manage approval requests?

Continue reading to learn what limitations QuickBooks Desktop presents to the approval workflow process and how you can overcome them.

Does QuickBooks Desktop have an approval process?

After putting it to the test, the short answer to, “Does QuickBooks Desktop have an approval process?” is no. Well, not really.

While it is possible to set up custom bill approvals if you are a QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise user, it isn’t comprehensive. For example, you can only set up an invoice approval workflow in QuickBooks if you are a QuickBooks Online Advanced user.

So, unless you use either of these solutions, you should look into alternative options for approvals, including:

• Purchase order approvals.
• Estimate approval workflows.
• Customer approvals.

As a QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise user, here’s how to set up custom bill approvals. You need to create a vendor profile and assign an approver to get started.

From there, set your specific configurations. The approver you assign will receive a notification once an invoice is ready, which they can then approve or reject.

Note that you can set a dollar limit for bills that require approval in QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise. You can also create a custom workflow by setting conditions based on a vendor or specific customer.

This is as far as you can go with customizable approval rules in QuickBooks without the help of other solutions. QuickBooks has a basic functionality when it comes to this process, but there are ways to work around this!

How to set up custom approval workflows in QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise with Method

If you’re looking for a way to simplify your QuickBooks Enterprise approval workflow, Method CRM is your best bet. With Method, you can manage your:

• Levels of control.
• User access.
• Approval reminder emails.
• Real-time approvals.
• Multi-condition approval workflows.
• Workflow approval process.
• Approval status.

Method’s drag-and-drop interface lets you design an approval workflow from scratch or personalize a pre-made approval template in QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise for any number of approvers to sign off on before they are processed. This gives you complete control over your financial processes.

Method CRM lets you set up approval rules for specific:

• Bills.
• Invoices.
• Purchase orders.

This is how it looks:

You can also add conditions to your workflows, such as requiring the approval of a specific budget line item or department head before processing an invoice or bill. This approval feature lets you delegate everyday tasks to focus on the big picture.

QuickBooks approval workflow for bills and purchase orders

1. Log into your account as an admin.
2. Navigate to “Company” and choose the option “Set Up Approval Processes.”
3. Click on “Get Started,” then select “Set up” on the purchase order/bill template option.
4. Fill in the process’s name and provide a detailed description.
5. Specify the criteria for triggering the approval process for purchase orders/bills, such as conditions related to amount, vendor name, vendor type, etc.
6. Select the name of the person responsible for approvals and enter their email address. The email’s subject and body text are customizable.
7. To activate the approval process for all newly issued purchase orders/bills, click “Save & Activate.”

What about other versions of QuickBooks Desktop?

QuickBooks Desktop has several versions, Enterprise being the most advanced. Starting September 30, 2024, Intuit will stop selling all versions of QuickBooks Desktop except for Enterprise. This includes: 

• Pro Plus.
• Premier Plus.
• Mac Plus.
• Enhanced Payroll.

However, customers who use these versions will still receive updates and support. Nothing changes for existing users.

This is why it’s crucial to set up an approval process for Quickbooks Desktop. That way, you’ll be able to manage your processes and permissions without any hitches.

Beyond approvals: Other ways to achieve QuickBooks Desktop automation

Automation is a key part of any business process. It:

• Saves you time.
• Eliminates tedious manual processes.
• Ensures you complete tasks consistently and accurately.

QuickBooks Desktop has some automation features for transactions and scheduled reports. However, these aren’t enough for complex workflows.

So: Does QuickBooks Desktop have an approval process? Our investigation demonstrated that the answer is not quite — and that’s not the only automation feature it’s lacking.

Fortunately, integrated solutions like Method CRM help you achieve the level of automation you need for your QuickBooks Desktop account.

Method seamlessly integrates with QuickBooks to provide a range of automation tools. With it, you can automate your QuickBooks Desktop approval workflow and any other processes.

Below is a preview of what’s possible with Method CRM:

Final thoughts: Does QuickBooks Desktop have an approval process?

Although QuickBooks offers some automation features, these are not available to users of all Online and Desktop plans.

Instead, they are reserved for QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise or QuickBooks Online Advanced users. And even then, they are limited.

If you need a more complete approval workflow in QuickBooks Desktop, then Method CRM is the way to go.

Get started with youra free trial of Method today!

Photo credit: Elina via Pexels

The post Does QuickBooks Desktop have an approval process? Top QuickBooks approval workflow tips appeared first on Method.

This is why it’s important to consider how integrated construction estimating software can make your life easier and save you lots of time.

Today, we focus on how construction estimating software that integrates with QuickBooks Online and Desktop can simplify how you manage your construction projects.

Believe it or not, there’s more than just one construction estimating software compatible with QuickBooks. So, finding and implementing one that’s a perfect fit for your business’ needs can be tricky. 

However, the added efficiency that many construction estimating software programs provide makes implementing one into your business a no-brainer.

Keep reading to learn how you can streamline your sales process with a QuickBooks-integrated construction CRM like Method CRM.

Top perks of construction estimating software that integrates with QuickBooks

1. Create estimates and manage leads outside of QuickBooks

Since QuickBooks doesn’t let you create estimates for leads, construction companies are often forced to manage potential sales in spreadsheets — which are often not shared between employees. This can:

• Create confusion about the status of a deal
• Extend the sales cycle
• Lead to multiple sales reps following up with a customer
• Result in deals slipping through the cracks

On the other hand, you can use construction estimating software that integrates with QuickBooks to stop these events from happening.

A collaboration software that integrates with QuickBooks is crucial for your business to run without any hiccups because it connects your sales and accounting teams.

Finding a quoting software that works with QuickBooks is the easy part. It’s finding and personalizing the perfect quoting software for builders, construction workers, and other specific trades that can get tricky. This is where a cloud based system becomes a must.

By choosing cloud-based estimating software, you can drive deals forward without QuickBooks access — while on the job site or on-the-road as long as you have an internet connection.

Enter Method CRM

Method CRM is a cloud-based technology that has an instant, two-way sync with QuickBooks. So, any activity that you track, whether it’s leads, estimates, or anything else, is safely stored online, as well as in your QuickBooks profile.

Method CRM users: Control when estimates created in Method CRM sync to QuickBooks by checking the “Wait for approval before syncing” box on your estimate screen. This prevents the estimate from syncing to QuickBooks until a user un-checks this option. 

2. Empower your team to drive sales forward without full access to QuickBooks

It’s smart for construction companies to limit how many people have access to QuickBooks. But, this doesn’t mean all QuickBooks construction estimates have to fall on you!

When you use construction estimating software that integrates with QuickBooks, your team can prepare estimates for customers outside of your construction accounting application.

This lets you rest easy as you know that your accounting data remains confidential and that the responsibility of estimates is shared among your team.

Enter Method CRM

Method CRM has a deep, two-way QuickBooks sync, so your employees can create and send estimates without needing direct access to QuickBooks. An added bonus is that these estimates will automatically sync to QuickBooks in real-time without you needing to perform manual data entry.

Method CRM users: Managing user app permissions lets you decide which employees can perform certain tasks in your Method CRM account. To allow a user to create estimates in Method CRM, make sure you have given them access to the “Sales Transaction” pack and the Estimates app.

3. Accurate estimating with a complete view of every lead and customer

An estimate is just one part of your business relationship with a lead or customer. So, being able to refer to notes and order history while preparing a new estimate gives you greater context about the customer’s needs and ensures important details aren’t missed.

To make this possible, your best bet is to use construction estimating software that integrates with QuickBooks and also offers customer management. This way, you can view detailed customer info alongside QuickBooks transaction history.

Enter Method CRM

Method CRM provides a single powerful view of each lead or customer’s history. View previous transactions, conversation records, and associated contacts, plus create new transactions, right from the customer’s profile. 

Method CRM users:  After sending an estimate to a lead or existing customer, create a follow-up activity to remind yourself to check in with the customer later.  You can use our mobile app to always stay in contact with your hot leads and favorite customers.

4. Speed up the sales process by creating estimates on-the-go

In the construction industry, you’re more likely to be on the move than sitting in an office. So to work effectively, you need remote QuickBooks access.

While this is easy for QuickBooks Online users, it’s a challenge for those who use QuickBooks Desktop as essential accounting data is stuck in their office.

Luckily, construction estimating software that integrates with QuickBooks can bridge this gap by bringing your accounting data into the cloud.

Enter Method CRM

No matter which edition of QuickBooks your company uses, we’ve got you covered as Method CRM integrates seamlessly with Pro, Premier, Enterprise, and Online. Our mobile CRM app lets you bring your customer and accounting data with you so you can send estimates even when you’re on the road.

Method CRM users: When you get the go-ahead from your customer, convert an estimate to a sales order by clicking the “Create Sales Order” button at the bottom of your estimate screen. You can make changes as necessary or automatically copy the estimate data to the new sales order.

5. Close deals sooner with online estimate approval

When you send out QuickBooks estimates you want to make it easy for customers to approve them so you can start working.

In today’s technology-driven world, this means allowing your customers to quickly accept estimates online.

Using construction estimating software that integrates with QuickBooks lets you access new features such as online approval. Not only will you close deals faster, but the improved purchase experience you provide will get you more repeat customers.

Enter Method CRM

Method CRM can be fully customized to meet business needs such as online estimate approval.

With Method CRM, you can enable customers to view estimates in an online portal and accept them by clicking a button or checking a box. You can then create an alert so you get notified as soon as an estimate has been approved.

Here’s what one Method CRM customer had to say about streamlining their estimate process with online approvals.

“The process of putting together a contract went from 45 minutes to less than 15 minutes. With everything together in one screen I just have to select what I need and email it out to the customer. It’s automated everything for me. It’s dummy proofed it for me”.

– Bryan Dutton, Allegro Design Co.

Method CRM users: Every Method CRM user gets a free 1-hour customization session with one of our Business Solutions Specialists. If you haven’t taken advantage of it yet, make sure you sign up!

Best construction bidding software

As a contractor, you already know that construction bidding is a necessary part of winning jobs and keeping your business afloat. But what you may not know is that there are now tools available to make the process easier than ever before. 

Tools like Buildxact, SmartBid, and HeavyBid have all garnered positive reviews for their capacity to streamline the bidding process and ease many contractors’ warranted frustrations. Depending on your bidding needs, this kind of software is certainly something to consider for those that feel overwhelmed or hassled by bidding on construction jobs.

Enter Method CRM

Implementing bidding software into your business is a great way to lessen your daily workload and improve your overall productivity, but there are still some steps to the bidding process left unaccounted for. 

Method CRM allows you to track and follow up with the leads that you acquire throughout the bidding process. Keeping such a record makes bidding on jobs easier for you down the road and improves your company’s organization and future growth.

Project management tools with QuickBooks integration

No business is perfect – people make mistakes. Every business sees its share of missed deadlines, incoordination, and failures in communication, but it is the ones that acknowledge and tackle these issues that truly shine.

Of course, that’s a lot easier said than done. Luckily, there are several project management tools designed to minimize the mistakes that occur within your business. 

Working in tandem with both QuickBooks and cloud based construction estimating software like Method CRM, project management tools such as Asana, Wrike, and Trello automate  your business’ workflows. Some of these tools, like Asana, even have an app integration for some web based estimating software.

If you’re using, say, an electrical contracting software QuickBooks has integrated with, it becomes much easier to keep track of and manage your electrical construction jobs. 

So, while it’s definitely important for you to find and implement, for example, the best concrete estimating software for your construction business, consider the various tools at your disposal that can help you manage each project.

Recap: Perks of construction estimating software that integrates with QuickBooks

Here’s what you can gain from using construction estimating software that integrates with QuickBooks like Method CRM.

1. Empower team members without QuickBooks access to create estimates and manage leads
2. Stop the estimate process from bottle-necking your sales process
3. Create more accurate estimates
4. Close sales faster and get paid sooner
5. Shorten your sales cycle with online estimate approval

Start your free trial of Method CRM and realize the benefits of construction estimating software that integrates with QuickBooks today!

The post 5 perks of construction estimating software that integrates with QuickBooks appeared first on Method.

This is especially true when your company creates quotes or estimates in QuickBooks for prospective customers and clients.

After all, you can’t start the work and get paid if you don’t know whether the customer has accepted your estimate.

Ideally, your customers should be able to quickly and easily accept QuickBooks estimates online.

Can a customer accept a QuickBooks estimate online?

Currently, QuickBooks does not allow customers to accept estimates online.

As a workaround, many QuickBooks users ask customers to respond to the estimate email to give their approval.

And based on our observations, while this may work for some, it’s easy to imagine the potential pitfalls of this hack such as:

1. Your customer forgetting to respond to the email.
2. Their response getting buried in your inbox.
3. The customer claiming they never “formally” approved the estimate.

The list of risks from managing QuickBooks estimates like this goes on and on. And our findings show that all of the items on this list will cost you loads of time and money.

How can you streamline your QuickBooks estimate approval process?

Luckily, technology has come a long way in providing small business owners with great tools they can use to extend the power of QuickBooks.

Let’s take a look at some options with manageable fees for small business owners.

Accept QuickBooks estimates with Method

Method is the top-rated QuickBooks CRM and it’s easy to see why.

The two-way sync between Method CRM and a QuickBooks estimate streamlines your approval process and lets you send out quotes from anywhere and for any project. Our findings show that this speeds up the contract acceptance process as well. Not to mention that any changes you make in Method CRM will instantly sync to QuickBooks, and vice versa.

With Method, your sales team has each customer’s history at their fingertips so they can easily create estimates and invoices from within Method while on the go. All without needing access to QuickBooks, ensuring that your accounting information stays secure.

The best part is that Method CRM is a fully customizable CRM. So if you want:

• Your customers to be able to approve estimates online by clicking a button or checking a box in their own customer portal.
• To receive an email as soon as a customer approves an estimate.

You can make this happen with Method CRM. Use Method CRM’s drag and drop tools on your own. Or work with our professional Business Solutions Specialists to bring your vision to life and clear up any questions you have.

Method CRM ensures success for any contractor. For example, Bryan Dutton of Allegro Design Co. “can’t speak highly enough” about how customizing his Method CRM account has streamlined his contract and QuickBooks estimate process:

“The process of putting together a contract went from 45 minutes to less than 15 minutes. With everything together in one screen I just have to select what I need and email it out to the customer.”

– Bryan Dutton, Allegro Design Co.

Electronic signature software

Based on our observations, this is a great option for businesses that need to obtain a legally binding signature from a customer before beginning a job but don’t want the hassle of printing, faxing, or scanning physical documents. It also removes the need to meet in person. Instead, you can simply:

1. Save your QuickBooks estimate or quote as a PDF.
2. Upload the document.
3. Add name, date, and signature fields, and include any other relevant details.
4. Enter the recipient’s email address to send them a unique link to the document.

Through its instant, two-way sync with QuickBooks, Method CRM offers an optimal digital signature capture. Every signature you capture in Method automatically registers in your accounting software, and there is no imposed limit. Implementing this feature also comes at no additional cost to Method users.

Through our practical knowledge, here are our recommendations for alternative electronic signature software and their price points:

• DocuSign (plans start at $13 per month for one user or $33 per user per month for teams).
• RightSignature (plans start at $12 per month for one user or $60 per month for multiple users).

Online QuickBooks quotation system

If you or your client is not quite satisfied with your QuickBooks estimates, there are plenty of web-based platforms dedicated to managing estimates, quotes, and proposals. Based on our firsthand experience with these tools, you can:

• Build sleek estimates from existing templates.
• Include files and links.
• Have your customers accept QuickBooks estimates online with the click of a button.

Better yet – some quoting systems integrate your projects directly with QuickBooks Online. Our team discovered through using this product that QuickBooks Online automatically creates an invoice when a customer approves a quote.

After trying out this product, here are some recommendations for QuickBooks Online estimate tools and their rates:

• Quotient (plans start at $29 per month for one user or $49 per user per month for teams).
• Qwilr (plans start at $29 per month).

Start accepting QuickBooks estimates online

As per our expertise, your best bet when it comes to sending and managing QuickBooks estimates is Method.

Our findings show that out of all the CRM providers out there, Method’s the best choice for QuickBooks users. Sign up for a free trial of Method and make managing your QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online estimates easier than ever before. 

Plus, Method offers a portal feature where your customers can perform several actions on their own, including accepting invoices. Here’s a preview of how it benefits QuickBooks users. 

How to accept a QuickBooks quote online

If you’re a Method user, simply sync your QuickBooks account with Method. Then get in touch with one of our Business Solutions Specialists to discuss what you’re looking for in your estimate approval process. From there, our team can build you the estimate approval process of your dreams.

If you aren’t yet a Method user, get started with a free trial. Note that your trial of Method CRM includes one free hour of customization services to help you get started!

Give Method a try for free today!

Image credit: NorWood Themes via Unsplash

The post 2 ways for customers to accept QuickBooks estimates online appeared first on Method.

But the apps didn’t communicate, which meant redundant, time-consuming work for Bryan and the potential for inaccurate customer records. He knew he needed one system to act as a single source of truth. And, with a quick google search for a QuickBooks-integrated Construction CRM, Bryan found Method CRM.

During his free trial of Method, Bryan saw the value his team would experience centralizing customer Activities, creating Estimates from QuickBooks items, and converting Estimates into Invoices that get mirrored in QuickBooks in real-time.

But, it wasn’t until Bryan’s free customization session that he realized the possibilities for truly streamlining his day-to-day processes.

“The light really went on and Method’s value really sunk in during my free consulting session — Method could accommodate my ideas on how to simplify the process for my both me and my customer”. 

An Inefficient Contract & Estimate Process

Before his team can start work for a client, Bryan needs approval on their job estimate and signatures on a contract. But, the company’s estimate process had too many customer touch-points, involved double data entry, and created dependencies on the customer, which sometimes resulted in estimates getting lost along the way. The contract and estimate process took too long and slowed down the team.

Process Before:

1. Bryan created the contract/proposal in Microsoft Word.
2. Converted the word doc into a PDF.
3. Used Adobe to add signature fields to the PDF contract/proposal.
4. Sent the .pdf contract/proposal to the customer or lead via email.
5. Received the e-signatures from the client.
6. When the contract was accepted, Bryan created an invoice in Paypal and email it to the client.
7. The client would pay the invoice through PayPal.
8. Bryan would duplicate the invoice and payment to QuickBooks. 

A Streamlined Contract & Estimate Process

During his free customization session with a Business Solution Specialist, Bryan saw how he could have his ideal workflow by configuring his Method CRM account.

“The process of putting together a contract went from 45 minutes to less than 15 minutes. With everything together in one screen I just have to select what I need and email it out to the customer. It’s automated everything for me. It’s dummy proofed it for me”.

Process After Customizing Method:

1. Bryan builds an Estimate where pre-defined contract verbiage is added depending on the selected job type.
2. A unique link from Bryan’s email takes the customer to an online Method guest page where they review the Estimate and contract.
3. The customer approves the contract and Estimate by clicking the “Accept Estimate” button, which notifies Bryan by email and updates the “Accepted By” and “Accepted On” fields on the Estimate screen.

By customizing his Method account, Bryan has simplified the company’s contract and Estimate process into one CRM screen. 

“I can’t speak highly enough about Method and their team. The program is fantastic. It works out of the box and there is basically an unlimited number of customizations to do. And, my Business Solution Specialist, Farazeh, was amazing with the customization we did on the Estimate screen.”

About Method’s Customization Services

For small businesses, off the shelf technology rarely, if ever, actually works off the shelf. That’s where Method’s Business Solution Specialists stand apart. We’ll work closely with you to truly understand your business, and the barriers you’re facing, then develop a totally customized solution to solve your problems.

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