What’s New With QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise 2019

It is that time of year again; Intuit has released its’ latest version of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise version 2019 (19). As always the software hosts new and improved features that will better streamline your financial workflow process making your job easier. The new version also continues to improve the overall stability and dependability while continuing to improve the end user experience. This year’s release primarily focuses on improving inventory and order fulfillment, so customer orders are completed faster and more accurately. Below is a list of new features but before we get to those lets quickly retouch on what makes QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise a great choice for businesses.

Designed for your industry

Enterprise has editions dedicated to contractor, manufacturing and wholesale, nonprofit, and retail so that you can get specialized features like reports and chart of accounts specifically for your industry.

Advanced Inventory with Enhanced Pick, Pack, and Ship

Our Advanced Inventory² tool gives you the control you need, so you can focus on the rest of your business. It gives you the visibility to adapt, reorder, and take care of your customers quickly. Work across multiple warehouses and track by bin location, serial numbers, or lot numbers. Now with Enhanced Pick, Pack, and Ship, you can manage sales orders from one dashboard, easily print shipping labels, and update order status with a simple click.³

Advanced Reporting

Advanced Reporting⁴ puts the information you need right at your fingertips. Build powerful, customizable reports that are auto-filled with company data. Easy templates for contractor, manufacturing & wholesale, non-profit, and retail let you create reports specifically for your industry.

Advanced Pricing

Control, customize, and automate your pricing right in QuickBooks with Advanced Pricing.⁵ Just set up price rules and all the calculations are done for you.

Room to grow with your business

Enterprise has 6x the capacity of other QuickBooks products, allowing for up to 1 million items, users, and vendors.⁶

Scale up to 30 users

Enterprise grows with you, letting you scale from 1 to 30 users who can all work at the same time. But you maintain access and control, assigning user permissions as you see fit for your business.⁷

Advanced user roles and permissions

Grow your business without sacrificing control over user access. Set individual user permissions for every role. Predefined, user role templates are included for fast setup.

Membership in Priority Circle

As an Enterprise customer you are automatically a member in Priority Circle, which gives you a dedicated Customer Success Manager to address your specific business needs and questions, Priority Care to move your calls toward the front of the line with our top-performing customer care agents, and complimentary online product training valued at $2000.^*

Now that we have the basics out of the way let us now look at what is new or improved in the latest version of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise.

Improved. Receive Inventory Process and Purchase Order Worksheet

This option is only available with a platinum subscription to QuickBooks Enterprise with Advanced Inventory enabled. This feature was a slipstream release in a later maintenance release of QuickBooks Enterprise 2018. The QuickBooks admin must first enable this feature from the menu bar by selecting, “Edit” – “Preferences” – “Items & Inventory” – “Advanced Inventory Settings” – “Site Operations” (An internet connection is required). After enabling the Purchase Order Worksheet, it can be accessed from the menu bar, choosing “Vendors” – “Purchase Order Management Worksheet”, or the same option from the “Inventory” menu. Improved inventory receiving process reduces data entry errors and encourages efficiency. After enabling the feature and connecting a mobile device the following is the typical receive inventory workflow, requiring an internet connection for both the QuickBooks Enterprise file and the warehouse locations:

To use this feature with a mobile device, follow the instructions on the Site Operations preference dialog. Only available with the Advanced Inventory module, which is available in QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise Platinum plan. To learn more about Advanced Inventory click here.

• QuickBooks purchase orders are prioritized and assigned to a Warehouse worker (vendor type) and synced with the mobile devices across warehouses.
• The assigned Warehouse worker logs into the mobile app from the warehouse location and scans the barcodes, or serial number barcodes, or manually enters the number of items received in the app.
• The warehouse worker then sends the updated received details back to the Purchase Order in the QuickBooks Enterprise file
• From the Purchase Order Management Worksheet, the QuickBooks user can automate creating an Item Receipt or Vendor Bill from the updated Purchase Order details.

The worksheet can also be used without any type of mobile app or scanner by printing out the worksheet and marking line item details manually.

IMPROVED. Pick, Pack and Ship Process and Sales Order Worksheet

Platinum Subscription to QuickBooks Enterprise required. The Pick workflow was included with the release of QuickBooks Enterprise 18.0 with Advanced Inventory enabled. ThPack and Ship workflow is available in QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise 19 with the Advanced Inventory option enabled. The Admin user must first enable this feature from the menu bar by selecting, “Edit” – “Preferences” – “Items & Inventory” – “Advanced Inventory Settings” – “Site Operations” (Active internet connection needed). After enabling the Sales Order Fulfillment Worksheet, you can access this worksheet from the menu bar, selecting “Customers” – “Sales Order Fulfillment Worksheet”. For Pack/Ship functionality, users must have the latest QuickBooks Warehouse App. From the mobile device, select “Settings” – “Apps” and select the “QuickBooks Desktop Warehouse” app to view the version information.  Improve efficiency and accuracy in the customer’s sales order fulfillment in QuickBooks. After enabling the feature and connecting a mobile device the following is an example pick, packing, and shipping workflow conveniently managed from the “Sales Order Fulfillment Worksheet Dashboard“.

IMPROVED. Pick workflow

QuickBooks Enterprise 18.0 or newer Sales Order Fulfillment Worksheet requires an active internet connection for both the QuickBooks file and at the warehouse location:

1. In QuickBooks inventory, picklists are prioritized and created from sales orders and assigned to a Warehouse worker (vendor type) and synced with the mobile device(s) across warehouse(s).
2. The assigned Warehouse worker logs into the mobile app from the warehouse location (internet connection required) and scans barcodes, or serial number barcodes, or if not scanning, manually enters the number of items picked.
3. Updated picklist details are sent back to the QuickBooks Enterprise file and update the Sales Order line details.

NEW. Pack, Ship workflow

QuickBooks Enterprise 19.0 Sales Order Fulfillment Worksheet  requires an Internet connection for both the QuickBooks file and at the warehouse:

1. From the Sales Order Fulfillment Worksheet Dashboard, the Sale Order(s) are sent for packing and assigned to a Warehouse worker (vendor type).
2. The assigned Warehouse worker then records the picked products as boxed and optionally notes the weight and dimensions of the package
3. Products packed are synced with the QuickBooks file and update the line details on the Sales Order.
4. QuickBooks user prepares the documentation for shipping, optionally using the QuickBooks integration with a FedEx, UPS, or USPS account, and can optionally have the package details added in the Description column on the Sales Order.

IMPROVED. IIF Data Imports

The Method of importing lists or data into QuickBooks that has been available for many years. Improved IIF importing, validates the data to be imported. Creates a file of records that cannot be imported, permitting the user to fix the errors and import the corrected records separately. IIF import supports both lists and transactions. If exporting from one QuickBooks file to another: from the menu bar, select “File” – “Utilities” – “Export” – “Lists to IIF Files” and select the Lists you wish to export to an IIF formatted file. From the new QuickBooks file, select “File” – “Utilities” – “Import” – “IIF Files” and browse to the IIF file you created for import. QuickBooks users can also create an IIF formatted worksheet and manually add data for import.

IMPROVED. Easy Upgrade

It is now as simple as a two-click process to install the latest version of QuickBooks Desktop. The entire upgrade processes is automated and the user has the option to retain the older version of QuickBooks Enterprise.

Now when users open a newly installed version of QuickBooks Desktop, the links to their data files will be included in the “No Company File Open” window. This is an improvement from the previous year’s versions of QuickBooks the users had to browse to locate and open their QuickBooks files for the first time.

IMPROVED. Move QuickBooks to Another Computer

This sought after addition moves your QuickBooks program and associated files (up to three) company data files easily to a new computer. To move the QuickBooks data file seamlessly your client will need:

1. An old computer where current company data files reside.
2. A USB thumb drive.
3. A new computer with an active internet connection.

This handy feature can be accessed from the menu bar, select “File” – “Utilities” – “Move QuickBooks to another computer”. When the feature is launched on the old computer and the QuickBooks user inserts the USB thumb drive, the tool automatically copies (does not move) the files needed to install the program and files on a new computer. The files include the QuickBooks program version, license details, attachments, templates, etc. A comprehensive list can be reviewed in this knowledge base article.

IMPROVED. Inactive Inventory Items Included in Inventory Report Totals

In QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise 2019, users can choose to include inactive inventory items in the Inventory Valuation Summary or Detail report. Including all inventory items in these reports will ensure that accountants and their clients can reconcile the Inventory asset account total on the Balance Sheet to the total Asset Value on the inventory valuation reports. When preparing the Inventory Valuation reports, users can select to include inactive inventory items. A company’s recommended process would be that all inventory items to made inactive do not have a quantity on hand in QuickBooks. However, often a business will make inventory items inactive despite having a quantity on hand. This feature can be accessed from the menu bar, select “Reports” – “Inventory” – “Inventory Valuation Summary” or “Inventory Valuation Detail”.

NEW. Transfer Credits Between Jobs

This welcomed new feature efficiently applies customer credits across all jobs of the same selected customer. A new column on the “Apply Credits” window displays the Customer and Job which the credit is currently assigned to. From the “Apply Credits” window” users can assign that credit to other jobs of the same customer record. For a customer that has open (unapplied) credits, from the main ribbon on a displayed “Create Invoices” window, select “Apply Credits”.

QuickBooks Enterprise now records an in/out transaction through an “Other Current Asset type” account named “Account for Credit Transfer.” This account is added automatically by QuickBooks upon the first instance when a user assigns a credit from one job to another in the Apply Credits window. By default and for good reason the automatically created account is listed as “inactive” on the Chart of Accounts to discourage users from selecting it during normal transaction entry. There are a few statements of caution that comes with this new feature.

1. The Transfer of Credits and Apply Credits does not work when in an Accountant’s Copy of the client’s data so transfers will have to be done before transferring this information to your accountant.
2. Users without Chart of Accounts access cannot perform the “first” instance of the transfer of credits between jobs. QuickBooks uses the first instance to trigger the creation of the new “Other Current Asset” account mentioned previously.
3. The transfer of credits from one job to another within the same customer cannot be reversed. A future correction would need to be done manually using a separate transaction.

IMPROVED. Check to Bill Pay

The noticeable improvement this year is to prompt users by default to “Go to Pay Bills”. When selected, the “Pay Bills” window will launch already filtered for the selected vendor’s unpaid bills. Optionally, users can select to continue to “Write your check” (not assigning it to an open vendor bill). The improved prompt helps users in avoiding using the “Write Check” transaction type when the proper transaction type should be a vendor “Bill Payment“. When a user enters a vendor name in the “Pay to the Order of field” on a “Write Check” transaction for a vendor that has open vendor bills, QuickBooks displays a new “Check for Bills” window. The new Check for Bills dialog prompt will display when creating a Write Check for a vendor who has an open (unpaid) vendor bill(s). From the menu bar, select “Banking” then, “Write Check” and in the “Pay to the Order of field“, enter a vendor name that currently has an unpaid vendor bill(s) to complete the transaction and properly mark the open bill as paid.

NEW. Invoice Status Tracker

The new “Invoice Status Tracker” can easily be accessed from any open invoice window in QuickBooks by selecting the “See History” link in the upper left corner of the invoice. This feature allows for real-time invoice status tracking this gives a single condensed view of invoice status includes tracking of:

o    Invoice created date

o    Invoice due date

o    Invoice viewed date – Internet connection required to see the “viewed” status

o    Invoice email date and customer name (if an invoice is emailed from within QuickBooks using one of the supported email configurations in the Send preferences)

o    Amount and date of customer Receive Payment recorded in QuickBooks

o    Amount and date of Make Deposit recorded in QuickBooks

This new feature allows you or your accountant to improve your collections process to help reduce your open receivables. Users can now communicate with their clients about open invoices and past due balances much more quickly if they have Outlook 2013 or newer installed and configured.

NEW. Employee Pay Adjustment History

Now you can track changes to employee pay rates on hourly, salary, bonus, and commission items. From the menu bar, select “Reports” – “Employees & Payroll” – “Employee Pay Adjustments History”. Available in QuickBooks with an active Basic, Enhanced or Assisted payroll subscription.

** Rates shown on the report are based on existing paycheck data. Rates for salary items display the estimated annualized rate.

This new and improved feature allows you to track and audit your payroll over time to maintain better accuracy in employee pay rates and reporting.

 IMPROVED. Sensitive Payroll Permissions

QuickBooks Enterprise 19.0 now provides the Admin for the company file with a more defined view of all permission levels that when assigned to a user, would include access to sensitive payroll transactions. This new feature is available from the menu bar, select “Company” – “Users” – “Setup Users and Roles”.

**if a role has an asterisk (*) next to the name, that Role permits access to sensitive payroll transactions.

IMPROVED. Sick and Vacation Pay Tracking

QuickBooks Desktop now has a new company preference for setting the maximum type for Sick and Vacation time. Settings include either maximum hours at a time or maximum hours for the year. The maximum type company preference determines the total hours an employee can accrue. For example, if the maximum type of hours for the year is selected as the default, an employee will stop accruing time when they have met the maximum number of hours specified. To set the new maximum type defaults for Sick or Vacation time, log in as the Admin user and in “Single User Mode“. Then from the menu bar, select “Edit”- “Preferences” – “Payroll & Employees”. From there select the “Company Preferences” tab and click the “Sick and Vacation” button.

Easy tracking and reporting of employee sick and vacation time (sick and vacation accrual requirements vary state by state; the customer is responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations). QuickBooks users are warned when saving a paycheck transaction when sick and/or vacation time exceeds the available time for that payroll compensation item.

Additionally, paystub formatting has been updated to include: Year-To-Date and Current pay period values for Accrued, Used and Available sick and vacation time details.

IMPROVED. Data File Optimization

This improved feature can be accessed from the QuickBooks Accountant menu bar, select “Accountant” – “Condense Data”. Optionally, from a client’s version of QuickBooks from the menu bar, select “File” – “Utilities” – “Condense Data”. This Feature reliably reduces a QuickBooks company file size without deleting data. When choosing to condense data, there is the option to keep all transactions and only remove the audit trail. QuickBooks also cleans up a few performance logs and other technical details, resulting in an estimated 32 percent file size reduction.

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise System Requirements

• Windows 7 SP1, 8.1 Update 1, or Windows 10 update/version supported by Microsoft
• Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 or SP2, 2012 R2, or 2016
• 2.4 GHz processor
• 4 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended)
• 2.5 GB disk space recommended (additional space required for data files)
• 4x DVD-ROM drive (unless the user is downloading from Intuit server)
• Payroll and online features require Internet access (1 Mbps recommended speed)
• Product registration required
• Optimized for 1280×1024 screen resolution or higher. Supports one Workstation Monitor, plus up to 2 extended monitors. Optimized for Default DPI settings.

Integration with Other Software

• Microsoft Word and Excel integration requires Office 2010 SP2 – 2016, or Office 365 (32 and 64 bit)
• E-mail Estimates, Invoices and other forms with Microsoft Outlook 2010-2016, Microsoft Outlook with Office 365, Gmail, and Outlook.com®, other SMTP-supporting e-mail clients. App integration with QuickBooks POS v18.0.
• Transfer data from Quicken 2016-2018, QuickBooks Mac 2016 and Microsoft Excel 2010 SP2, 2013, 2016, Office 365 (32 and 64 bit)

Browser Requirement

• Internet Explorer 11 (32-bit)

 

UPDATED. QuickBooks Mac 2019

Included With: QuickBooks for Mac 2019.

Features: It’s back! QuickBooks for Mac has a new update for 2019 (last update was for year 2016). Here are a few of the more prominent features released with this update:

iCloud Document Sharing – Convenient method for sharing QuickBooks for Mac file using iCloud sync. Modify your books on your work Mac computer then continue where you left off on your home Mac computer.

Bank and or Credit Card Reconcile Discrepancy Report – Identifies changes made to reconciled transactions (for newly created transactions, not those prior to this release).

Square Import – Importing sales data from Square via use of .csv file type.

Email Tracking – Track dates emails sent with a tab in the Vendor or Customer Centers.

Report Windows – Improved spacing and readability.

User Passwords – Now required. Personal information is encrypted.

Not Convinced or still unsure if the QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is right for you?

I completely understand and I personally would never purchase any software without trying it first so I am including the link to our knowledgebase article QuickBooks Desktop Download. Just scroll on down to the trial links section and you will see the link and can click the link “QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise 19.0 30-day trial” to download and install the trial without having to register or talk to someone in sales.

Editor’s note: This article will continue to be updated as more updates occur for QuickBooks Enterprise Desktop 2019. The information in this article was gathered from Intuit’s website and knowledge base articles related to QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise 2019 software.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please post them below.