WSW - Podcast Parallel Approvals in QB Bill Pay QBO Advanced Workflows
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[00:00:00]
Workshop Intro
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Dan DeLong: We're doing here at the workshop. Hi, Debra. Thanks for joining us today. And a- anyone else that that jo- pops in late, we'll be talking about the multiple approvals or the bill approval process inside of [00:01:00] QuickBooks Online. They've actually added an additional functionality and we'll We'll unpack that. Rachel, have you ever used with your clients, the set up the, the workflow automation in advanced with, the approval process, or has that ever come up with the-
Rachel Dauchy: No ... with the
Dan DeLong: bookings of your clients?
Rachel Dauchy: No that's never come up for me or any of our clients.
I wouldn't be opposed to using it, though. I definitely want to see how it works.
Dan DeLong: Yeah.
Why Approvals Matter
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Dan DeLong: So the, the big thing is in, in the grand scheme of things, it works best with the elite bill pay service. It's not required to use that. But but definitely with QuickBooks Online Advanced, right?
Yeah. Because that's one of the key functions or key feature sets with, QuickBooks Online Advanced is the workflow automation. Now when [00:02:00] you add add on the additional option of the elite bill pay service, you're gonna add in that functionality with approvals with, automatic bill pay, right?
So essentially you can set up your bills your, invoices estimates, purchase orders, anything in the purchasing life cycle and the sales life cycle that needs approvals can be done now in inside of QuickBooks Online Advanced, right? And
Rachel Dauchy: in the past- Yeah, I feel like we're making progress.
I like that a lot.
Dan DeLong: Now, in the past, you had a sequential, approval process.
Screen Share Setup
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Dan DeLong: So let me share my screen again. Hopefully it doesn't start playing the video 'cause we- ... We've, heard that enough. [00:03:00] Da da Let's see here. All right. Window. I have too many windows open and let's see. My God, gosh, I have too many th- I should have closed my, my, my extra tabs here so I know which one it is.
Let's see here. da da. Not that one, not Claude, not this, not find your windows. Ugh, okay. Find. All right, we're just gonna do the entire screen
I really, ugh. Okay, so that, we don't want that. Move that out of the way. Is this too big? I guess-
Rachel Dauchy: No, I can barely see it.
Dan DeLong: Okay. Is the screen or what I'm sharing too big? Because-
I situated, myself at Theresa's workstation, which has the 36-inch monitor.
Rachel Dauchy: Yeah. [00:04:00] It's, it would be better if we could actually see that flowchart through, you know-
Dan DeLong: Yeah.
Let's,
Rachel Dauchy: across the whole thing ...
Dan DeLong: let me stop sharing. Let me throw it over here, and I'll switch things around here. One, and stop. Where'd you go?
Oh my goodness. Stop. Not there. Okay. Move this over here. Make it bigger. And then share again. This way over here All right. I'm sharing it again, but
Rachel Dauchy: this is-
Dan DeLong: Definitely
Rachel Dauchy: better. Definitely
Dan DeLong: better ... okay.
Rachel Dauchy: Yeah.
Dan DeLong: And I should be able to zoom in. There we go.
Rachel Dauchy: Yeah, there we go.
Dan DeLong: Okay. So let's pop this over here so I can start fresh.
Workflow Automation Tour
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Dan DeLong: So the workflow automations is this little lightning bolt upper right when you're in QuickBooks Online Advanced, and as an accountant [00:05:00] Intuit using Intuit Accountant Suite with, that's gonna have these flow automations as part of your firm practice as well. So you click on that little lightning bolt here in the global search up at the top, and that brings up this, these templates that are already pre-built and your workflows- I
Rachel Dauchy: also would just add I know that we're looking at this in QBO, but I use a lot of their apps as well.
And-
Every app worth its weight a- at, this point has automations. And if it- doesn't, then they're in big trouble. So these are so, important, and the fact that QBO now has these, and it has them quite advanced that I can see, this is- not... Not only is it incredible, th- this is...
this means that they're... they really are keeping up with [00:06:00] some of these other advanced tools that are out there. I'm quite impressed.
Dan DeLong: Yeah. And when this first originally came out, I believe in 2018, there was a... It's come a long way since, since those... What is it? Oh, it's been eight years now, since since QBO Advanced came out and the workflows were, a part of that.
So these... The, pre-built templates that were in there were, were very- Lynn Pickens, right? To s-
Rachel Dauchy: Yeah, they were pretty limited To start with I think a lot of them were limited to notifications and things like that. Not necessarily doing things. And this is
'Cause I was even in there a few months ago, and I don't feel like there were as many as that they have, that they recently have. Yeah. And the fact that it can really do these is pretty, [00:07:00] They're ... You can tell they're stepping up their game.
Dan DeLong: Yes. Yes.
Templates and Triggers
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Dan DeLong: And you can see so by the dropdown when you create your own workflow automation, you're gonna have the record or the, the transaction type that you can create workflow automations around.
And depending on the, the transaction type is going to determine what you're ab- what that action is able to do, right? So if you're, familiar with using Zapier, right? You've, got this trigger some kind of action that's gonna trigger a response, and then and then you're able to build a, build the action that's taken from that triggering event, right?
In this case when we're talking about approvals you're gonna see- This little icon here for approvals based off of the transaction type that you choose, right? So when I choose the different [00:08:00] between invoice and bill, you can see the actions that are able to be, that QuickBooks is, able to be, to automate is different based on the transaction type.
Yeah. So looking for approvals, right? We bill payment does have a, an approval with as long as you're using bill pay the QuickBooks bill pay service has an option for approvals. Estimates has an option for approvals. Purchase orders has an option for approvals. But as soon as we get into things like statements, we only have the action, you know- Right
Schedule, actions or report- ... have a scheduled action, right? So looking at the... Let me close out of this real quick here. Some of the templates that are pre-built in here is scheduling and sending a report, right? So you can schedule and send a certain report on a certain day and choose who it needs to go to, what kind of, [00:09:00] format-
report is, gonna be sent. And, so you have all those, you know, variables to, to build in to some of these templates that are already there. You can have notifications go out. You can have automatic reminders go out. Sending of transaction types can be built in there and these can be brought in to or assigned tasks to individual persons on, that are users inside of QuickBooks.
So then you can manage their tasks and workflows as well, right? That's all part of that workflow automation. But back to approval here.
Build Bill Approval Flow
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Dan DeLong: So let's just go into a bill and we're gonna set up an approval workflow. It's gonna bring in this Conditional, flowchart, right? So in this point this we start with and, these are [00:10:00] all customizable and editable.
So the triggering event is a bill is created or edited, and if the amount is between zero and a thousand, then yes, it's gonna go request approval from. Now, this is where you're able to customize who needs to, who needs to, approve said things when the answer is yes, right? So it's, if it's only between zero and, then a hundred, then it's gonna go to these approvals.
And then this is you're gonna have the dropdown here. Our choices are limited in this particular example. It's Dan Delong with a P for primary and then all of the other Dan Delongs that are, able to be approvals. And that's gonna be... You're gonna need to go back to, the user [00:11:00] roles and make sure that user is, gonna have those options for approvers, right?
All company admins should have that or you can choose bill, approvals. We'll, have those by default. Any other customized role that you've created, you just wanna make sure that approver checkbox is, there for that individual. Otherwise, you won't see them in this dropdown, right?
So if I'm gonna choose the Dan Delong P now if I choose another person, another Dan Delong, right? This is a sequential approval, meaning that it's gonna go to the first person first, or it's gonna go t- and, then once that person approves said bill at this point, then it's gonna immediately go to the next person, right?
And it's gonna notify them by [00:12:00] task, or you can choose also email, for that approval option. Now this- It
Rachel Dauchy: won't go to the second one until the first one has completed?
Dan DeLong: Exactly.
Rachel Dauchy: Okay.
Parallel vs Sequential
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Dan DeLong: Now this is new this, this dropdown just to the right of that, because you can choose anyone approves, right?
You can have up to seven approvers in a block, right? So in any one block you can have up to seven individual approvers. Now, if, it has to go to one person before it goes to the next person, then what happens when that person is not around? On vacation or something like that. So that's where the, this concept of parallel approvals meaning that anyone...
Debra, if you could mute yourself there, I think there's some background noise on the, [00:13:00] on your microphone. But if you choose this anyone approves, then anyone in that grouping can approve it and then before it goes to the, next sequential.
I'm just gonna mute you there Deborah, since there's a little bit of a, a background noise there. If you do need to say something, go ahead and just unmute yourself. But if you choose this anyone approves, anyone who is in that anyone approves, they're now part of the approval group so that anyone can can basically speak for those users and they, qualify as the approval before it goes to the next sequential.
So you can have a mixture of a group, of a, of an approval group, so anyone in that anyone approves [00:14:00] approver group can can qualify for that before it goes to the next one if you need a sequential approval. Now, in this particular... Trying to zoom out. There we go. So in this, if the bill amount in this case is between 1,001 and 5,000, then it's gonna go into this, bill approval.
Let me save it there. Oops, I gotta choose anyone Before I hit save. Then I go into this condition. So this being where the amount is between, 1,001 and 5,000, then we need to request an approval from this group, right? So this is, this is conditional approvals as opposed to sequential approvals or parallel approvals.[00:15:00]
You can have different conditions, right? So let's go into this. Let me cancel out of this. Go back into this condition. You can add additional conditions, right? If it is a particular vendor that you want that condition to, be met or if it's a, a business or terms or if it was last modified by, or it has products or services.
So there's all sorts of different conditions that you can build into these approval workflows. But you're able now to make them sequential or parallel to be able to have those approvals. Now, that was a lot of information. Did do I need to recover or retrace anything, Rachel? Did I- No ... did I cover it?
Rachel Dauchy: No, but remind me, i- is this is just an advance, right?
Dan DeLong: Correct. Okay. Yes.
Advanced vs Plus Pricing
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Dan DeLong: This this workflow is only an advanced or if they have [00:16:00] Elite payroll. Elite. Bill Pay. I'm sorry not Elite, Payroll, but Elite, the Elite Bill Pay, right? Yeah. So you can essentially create up these approval workflows in Plus with Elite Bill Pay.
However, this is gonna, This gets pretty complicated or complex when you have multiple bill pay options here. And, a bill approval, approver, excuse me, a bill approver and a bill clerk and a bill an- AP entry, those are roles that are gonna be added- Yeah ... when you add on the Elite Bill Pay service.
But Plus is gonna be limited to five. If you have, these multiple, Approval or complex appro- approval workflows you might as well just go up to Advanced. [00:17:00] Because one, it's gonna include the Elite Bill Pay service, and it's also going to give you 25 users to work with.
Rachel Dauchy: Yeah.
Dan DeLong: So the we, talked about the price increase that's that's going to be happening in the fall. Advanced is gonna go up to... I think it's, increasing $65 a month. But being that Elite Bill Pay is gonna be included, and they've- Yeah ... cut that in half to-
Rachel Dauchy: We did talk about that, yeah ...
Dan DeLong: $45, so that really softens the blow
Rachel Dauchy: of the, Yeah, and think about the fact that so many people u- are using different solutions for a lot of these different things, and they're really trying to, put, consolidate these things under one single umbrella so that way you're paying a little bit more potentially you could be saving if you [00:18:00] were spending extra on all these other apps.
We're only gonna have, I think for for- Go ahead. Sorry, just one more thing. I think for, for teams, I mean for, businesses out there that have got an AP team and that type of stuff, a payroll team or whatever, I mean this is... They're, really trying to sell QBO as m- more of an ERP obviously.
And so they're... This is definitely a step in the right direction for that.
Dan DeLong: Yeah. Yeah. And, it does allow you to have... If you're going back to different approver options or approver workflows, right? So if you did the Elite, bill pay just for the approvers, that's only gonna be on the bill side of things.
With Advanced, you're gonna have the [00:19:00] different approver options on the sales side of things, so your estimates your non-posting transactions, and your invoices are gonna now have an approver option. And that, all that means is that they don't post until they've actually- gone through the approval process.
This does put things in a pending state until they've been physically approved. Now, as far as whether that is a there's a financial impact to these transactions I'm not 100% sure if they don't show on financial reports until they've been finally approved. But,
Rachel Dauchy: Probably
Dan DeLong: that's, Yeah, I'm, gonna guess that they don't show- Okay ... You won't s- you won't see pending pending transactions.
Audit Trail Proof
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Rachel Dauchy: Yeah, and then I was gonna ask you also in the audit trail, does every [00:20:00] step of the approval process get noted in the audit trail? So like-
Dan DeLong: Yeah ...
Rachel Dauchy: Bob and then- Yeah
Frank and then Steve, like approves it?
Dan DeLong: Yeah. You'll see that, that will be an event, that will show into the, the, audit logs. I'm going to see if I can see if-
Rachel Dauchy: Yeah, it's- ... we can filter for that ... really it's QBO is, m- is, what's the word I'm thinking of? It's evolved from really just an accounting software to a firm operational s- system where you can really now improve the workflows and operation of your accounting department.
Dan DeLong: Yeah. I was just trying to see if if we had approvers as a specific event that we could search for or filter for- [00:21:00]
In the in, in the audit log. But I know that any- anytime that there is, an, an edit to a transaction, then it will show in the audit log-
As that event.
But I was just hoping that you could go in and filter for approver approving transaction events to-
Rachel Dauchy: Maybe not yet ... To- Maybe they'll add that- Yeah ... at some point. But you will be able... If you look at all, all events related to that one transaction, yeah, you'll be able to see it.
Yeah. But yeah, that's really important, 'cause I'm just thinking of somebody says, "I never approved that." Yeah, you did.
Dan DeLong: Yep. And I'm gonna put in the in the chat here the video that Intuit creates about how to use and set up bill, approval workflows, as well as the [00:22:00] future article talking about, the parallel parallel approval option as well.
With chat you can down- I can download it. I don't know, can you see if you can download when you look at the, the chat for,
Rachel Dauchy: Let me
Dan DeLong: see ... on the sidebar, like if you click on chat, there should be an option there to download it if you, If you like, like down near type of message, I have an option that says download chat, but it may be because, this is my, website. But,
Rachel Dauchy: You, on The Firm of the Future?
Dan DeLong: No, on the, in the chat, right? Yeah. So down at the, bottom for the, of the workshop the meeting that we're in where it says people chat.
Oh, down there.
Rachel Dauchy: Yeah, it gives me the option, yeah.
Dan DeLong: Okay, perfect. Yeah. I just wanted to make sure that other people [00:23:00] had that option- Yeah ... If they, wanted to come back in, if they're viewing it later be able to download those, those links and, see them see them later if they need to.
Cool. So any any thoughts or final thoughts on bill approvals and, the approval workflow, Rachel?
Rachel Dauchy: No I think it's definitely a cool addition, a step in the right direction. I would hope for more features to be added in the workflow design because I love to create automations and test them out and see things working.
I don't know why they wouldn't be able to add more. I know that's always a silly question to ask because then they're probably on their end going, "You don't know how hard it is," and- ... Blah, blah, blah, where I'm like, "Can't you just flip a switch?" But it I'm just saying it from a point of view of [00:24:00] looking at different products.
AI Automation Discussion
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Rachel Dauchy: I've seen some products out there with now this, AI-based workflow builder where you literally just conversationally type in "Build me this, build me that, build me this," when a year ago our only option was Zapier and you really had to make sure- Yeah ... that you understood the inner workings of Zapier.
Now I can create automations with so many different things, and I don't even really need to understand the logic of the action and the trigger, even though I do. But I can now tell it create this and that and really I'm just testing out a lot of stuff. So I don't know.
My question would be can I maybe add more in if you're maybe using the development tool with Claude? I don't know, maybe. That might be something interesting. But but I hope [00:25:00] at some point they if they want to continue with this adding in workflow automation I, my hope is that they add in a lot more where we can- create and build some of these automations ourselves.
Dan DeLong: Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna throw in the, chat, I just, did a blog article about should you or should you not, connect Claude to to, QuickBooks. Because I've seen some horror stories of, people using Claude to import transactions and those types of things, and that is where I think the l- the line in the sand with connecting, Claude to QuickBooks really should be, limited, right?
Because pulling things out of [00:26:00] out of QuickBooks is okay, but putting things into QuickBooks through Claude there's r- really not some, The, the safeguards aren't necessarily there until, right off the bat, Right. Where you're... If you're, going to connect Claude to QuickBooks, just beware of,
Rachel Dauchy: Yeah.
If you take a... If you take any kind of course in that, which I did and the teacher's good, which she was- They definitely really mention the, like sort of the, green, yellow, and red boundaries that you always have to take into con- concern when you're connecting- to QuickBooks, and there are many things that are just a red, like no-go, you can't do it.
And you really calibrate [00:27:00] Claude, and you tell it "Always ask permission for this There are certain things just numbers that you can look at, but anything else really needs to be obscured. So-
Dan DeLong: Yeah ...
Rachel Dauchy: there's a whole cottage industry regarding safety when it comes to that kind of thing.
I was really referring more to the co-work ability of Claude in that it's doing a function. Not even necessarily looking at data, but saying, "W- with this, do that. When it sees this do that," kind of thing. But I don't even know if QuickB- QuickBooks will even allow something like that.
Probably not, and that's probably for the best.
Dan DeLong: Yeah. It's it's my understanding that it doesn't nec... Claude isn't gonna be actively monitoring sh- stuff that happens, right? So-
Rachel Dauchy: No, it doesn't, and it... Claude won't really do that for anything. You have to, you have to- Yeah ... Give it the information.
You have to say, "Pull [00:28:00] this. Then you can scan this. If you then find whatever it is," like you can build a skill, "look for this, and then if you see this, then do that." So it's really you've got to pull the information first and then do it. Claude really does not function like an automation tool.
It's- Yeah ... It's gonna look at and then do
Dan DeLong: Yeah. good good point.
Next Workshops Wrap Up
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Dan DeLong: And we're gonna have in a couple weeks, so the next couple sessions that we're gonna have is, really unpacking, you you, had alluded to, A, QuickBooks Online is, turning into an ERP. And that's the direction that, that they're going with the customer hub- Yeah
With, regards to being in- incorporating some of the CRM functions, of, a, a CR- CRM's functionality [00:29:00] inside of, QuickBooks. So next ti- next week we'll talk about customer reviews in the hub, and then we'll talk about leads and, connecting your, email to that in a, few few weeks.
And then after that, we're actually gonna have, someone from Accru, one of the founders of a new utility called Accru, that which to... which AI tools are better, internal tools or external tools. And they'll be talking about some of those functionalities of incorporating Claude or taking a report and putting it into ChatGPT whether that's better or, if there are other tools that, incorporate AI, Intuit Intelligence, for example.
Does that... Is that gonna have a better option or functionality inside of purpose-built AI [00:30:00] tools as opposed to a general AI tool like Claude?
Rachel Dauchy: Oh, good- So- ... 'cause that's right in my wheelhouse. I have been doing- Yeah ... this for weeks and weeks, now at this point. Which by the way, in the AI world is y- I don't...
I, can't really describe it. You know what I mean. It's like in AI world, weeks and weeks is like the equivalent of four years of learning, Right. Yeah, no, 'cause it moves so fast. But yeah, I've been doing a lot of this kind of stuff lately, and there's a lot of nuance and things that, that they're teaching out there, which is really cool.
Dan DeLong: Yeah. We'll we'll continue the conversation during the workshops. We on the workshop link that's where I ha- we have our future, future topics. You can add them to your calendar as a as a alternative to getting pinged [00:31:00] 15 minutes before we go live. You can see what those those are, put them on your calendar, and then the link is there when we go live, so for that to, occur.
And we will see you next time on the Workshop Wednesday, and hope everybody has- [00:32:00]
