Quickbooks Online (QBO) Project Management Software

Are you looking to find the right project management software or application for quickbooks online (QBO) ? In this post, we’ll talk about the key features and questions you’ll need to consider when researching applications.

First, setting the criteria. 

In many technology hunts, especially ones around project management, it’s important to define what you hope to accomplish.  For example, in accounting, tax, and bookkeeping firms, project management software would need to be able to handle a large client list, or many recurring due dates, projects, or job.

During this stage, think more in terms of what you want to accomplish, not just of features. For example, if you find that managing profits is difficult because it’s hard to track team capacity, then you’ll want to look for tools that have team tracking or capacity modules inside… however, two similar tools might solve the problem in two different ways. In which case, be sure to focus on the end goal and what you want to accomplish. Ask the vendor how they would solve that problem with the tool.

Next, finding a way to test Project management software that has the Quickbooks Online (QBO) Integration 

Next it’s important to find a way to test drive the project management application with your quickbooks account. In this stage, you can approach a similar question of “what are we trying to accomplish”. For many quickbooks online or QBO integrations, client, contact, or customer sync is a must have. This allows for a central database of all customers or clients within the system. This is crucial in terms of integration because it allows you and your team to work without having to spend non-billable, admin timing importing or updating separate client databases.

The other critical functionality to review is around the time and timer function inside of your project management software. If you’re currently using a timer, whether it’s for payroll, invoicing, or to measure productivity and profitability, the project management and QBO integration would either need the functionality internally (ie a timer in the app), or have a tight integration with another timer application. 

While it’s not ideal to have multiple applications (and therefore multiple databases, client lists, payment information), if you decide to go that route, you must have a process in place to check the data across multiple applications on an ongoing basis.

However, if you find a tool with a timer functionality built-in, then the QBO integration would need to integration both time and billing back into quickbooks online. Simply put, when a team member enters time (manually or through the timer), this time will have to sync with your quickbooks online account.

Next steps, brining in your team 

The final part of the decision-making process, once you’ve found the tool that is a good fit for your firm, practice, or business, is to circle in your team. After all, they will likely be using it every day! Make sure your team feel comfortable with the application, and to the extend that you have a few team members that are less tech savvy that others, be sure to connect with the vendor and ask if they have specific training programs for onboarding new teams (and of course, if they’re complimentary or an additional charge).

Want to test drive Jetpack Workflow, which comes with a full QBO integration (both a client/customer sync and time sync)? Click here to get started on your 14 Day Free Trial