Item: QuickBooks Online Advanced
Rating: 10
Author: Wendy Corlett

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We are an independent private high school and we use QBO in the business office. It allows all of the employees in this department access to real-time information and allows custom user permissions.

Pros and Cons

QBO Advanced allows very large chart of accounts.
QBO Advanced allows for automatic emailing of reports to department heads.
QB Advanced allows for seamless app intermigrations allowing us to import large journal entries easily from our outsourced payroll company.

There are several reports that limit the ability to customize or filter data fields.
It would be nice to attach a document to a general ledger number during setup
The pay bills online feature is not available when paying bills in a batch under the pay bills screen.

Return on Investment

Compared to the proprietary software we were previously using, it has saved thousands of dollars every year.
The ability for our business office staff to work from home when needed has allowed us to stay efficient even during this pandemic.

It was very easy for me because I have done this many times in the past and could import data and load beginning entries using Excel. The training options helped my staff get up to speed quickly. The ability to revisit specific training videos and the monthly product updates have allowed my staff to work efficiently and, in turn, has allowed them to get work done quicker, reducing the number of payroll hours.

Cloud-Based System

My staff's ability to work from home when they need to has greatly improved morale and given them work/home flexibility.

Industry-Specific Uses

We spend a large portion of time managing department budgets. The ability to automate monthly budget reports to each department has helped our department managers have control over their spending. Expenses that have been miscoded to the wrong department are easily detected and corrected within the same month reducing the number of journal entries that need to be made.

Alternatives Considered

I have been using one version or another of QuickBooks since 1983 for the most part, so I cannot evaluate other accounting software programs compared to QuickBooks.

Likelihood to Recommend

Online Advanced does not work well for companies that need to do assembly invoicing or product costs that change often. Certain reports and customization are available in the Desktop version but not in the online version. I think the bank feeds and reconciliation process in QBO is much quicker and easier to use. The integration with Fathom reporting produces a more professional financial reporting presentation, including key indicators and the ability to incorporate easy-to-read graphs.

QuickBooks Online Advanced: Accounting for your future!

Overall Satisfaction with QuickBooks Online Advanced