Intuit recently released QuickBooks 2019 (QB2019) with lots of new and powerful features. If you – like me – are a fan and a user then you’re going to be happy with the new version. I like these four big QuickBooks enhancements.
For starters there’s better inventory management.
QB2019 Enterprise Platinum has added the ability for users to “pick, pack and ship.” With this new functionality, a user can select multiple sales orders and do Batch Actions so that orders can be picked for shipping from specific warehouses, get updates to make sure the ticket is fillable, fulfill the order, and receive immediate updates on a sales order before sending it on for packing and shipping with a tracking receipt included.
In addition, QB2019 has enhanced reporting, specifically for inactive inventory items. Up until now a balance sheet wouldn’t always tie out to the Inventory Item Summary report because inactive items were included on the balance sheet. Intuit fixed this by first warning users that inactive inventory amounts will show on the balance sheet unless changes are made. This internal control will save significant time and eliminate many questions about my clients’ inventory reporting.
There’s much better data management.
The upgrade process from previous versions to QB2019 is much easier than before and moving systems from one computer to another is now a simple exercise. Intuit is also including it’s own backup service to ensure that data files are automatically uploaded to their servers for extra protection.
Cash is flowing better.
QB2019 has introduced many helpful improvements that will have a positive impact on your cash flow.
For example, new functionality allows users to more easily transfer a credit memo from one job to another and apply that credit to the new job, saving additional administrative time and potential customer questions – not to mention easing payment issues with large companies.
Also, QB2019 is now providing a more holistic view of an invoice’s history. Instead of having to click through multiple screens there’s one snapshot view of all transactions under one invoice, including the status of the invoice after it’s been emailed so that you’re aware of when it’s been received and viewed in case there are potential collection issues.
On the payables side, users who are authorized to do handwritten checks will be first warned that there are outstanding bills (and purchase orders) and the check can then be applied directly to open bills, helping to eliminate potentially duplicate payments.
Finally, vacation and sick time reporting has been fixed.
Paid time off has become a significant benefit and companies are not only struggling to come up with competitive policies but also to track the various ways people take their days. QB 2019 customers that also have an active payroll subscription with Intuit will be happy to see that this functionality has been significantly improved. Before, it was easy to overpay these benefits due to the system’s lack of controls. But a simple fix has been applied: a warning when an employee has potentially used too much time off. In addition, paystubs have been updated to show employees their time off status by indicating what’s been accrued, used and available.
If your company – like mine – uses QuickBooks desktop then you’re probably already enjoying its many time-saving features. But a quick review of the new functionality provided in QB2019 has already convinced me to upgrade.
Think your client, colleague or customer would find this valuable? Share it now…