The short version: install Intuit's free QuickBooks Web Connector on the Windows PC that opens your company file, add the small setup file BOSS gives you, and approve it once in QuickBooks. On a schedule you choose, it sends this week's and last week's income, your bank balances and the money customers owe you to the BOSS scorecard. It only reads, and it needs no VPN or open ports.
What it reads
| Scorecard number | Where it comes from in QuickBooks |
|---|---|
| Income this week | Total income on the Profit and Loss report for Monday through today, accrual basis |
| Income last week | The same report for last Monday through Sunday, so late entries are picked up |
| Cash in the bank | The balances of your active bank accounts, added together |
| Money owed to you | The balance of accounts receivable |
These are the same numbers BOSS reads from QuickBooks Online, so goals and starter numbers work the same with either one.
How it works
QuickBooks Desktop has no cloud connection of its own. Intuit's answer is the QuickBooks Web Connector, a small Windows program that sits next to QuickBooks. On its schedule, it calls BOSS over a secure web connection and asks if there is anything to do. BOSS asks for the reports above, the Web Connector runs them against the company file, and sends the answers back. All traffic goes out from your PC, so there is nothing to open on your firewall.
Setting it up
- In BOSS, the workspace owner opens Settings, Connectors, QuickBooks Desktop, picks how often to send numbers and clicks Set up. BOSS downloads a small file called boss-quickbooks.qwc and shows a password once.
- On the QuickBooks PC, install the QuickBooks Web Connector if it is not there yet. In QuickBooks it is under File, App Management, Update Web Services.
- Open QuickBooks as the admin with the company file open, then open the .qwc file. Approve BOSS, choose to allow access even when QuickBooks is not running, and pick the QuickBooks user it should use.
- In the Web Connector, type the password next to BOSS, tick Auto-Run and click Update Selected. The BOSS card turns green when the first numbers arrive.
Which PC to use
- Any Windows PC that can open the company file. It does not need to be the computer you use BOSS on, since BOSS runs in the cloud.
- Company file on a server, multi-user. Put the Web Connector on the server or on one workstation with QuickBooks installed. A machine that stays on works best.
- Hosted QuickBooks. Works when your host allows the Web Connector. Many do on request.
- QuickBooks Desktop for Mac does not support the Web Connector. Use a Windows copy or a weekly entry instead.
What it can and cannot do
- It is set to read only in the setup file. It does not add, change or delete anything in QuickBooks.
- It reads report totals and account balances, not customer lists, invoices or payroll.
- The password is shown once and stored in BOSS only as a one-way hash. You can make a new one at any time, which stops the old one.
- Disconnecting in BOSS stops it immediately. Remove BOSS from the Web Connector on that PC afterward.
Questions
Can a scorecard connect to QuickBooks Desktop?
Yes. BOSS uses Intuit's free QuickBooks Web Connector to read weekly income, bank balances and money owed from QuickBooks Desktop Pro, Premier or Enterprise on Windows.
Does QuickBooks have to be on the same computer as BOSS?
No. BOSS runs in the cloud. The Web Connector runs on whichever Windows PC opens your company file and sends the numbers out over a secure connection.
Do I need a VPN or open firewall ports?
No. The Web Connector only makes outgoing secure web requests to BOSS, the same way a browser does.
Does QuickBooks need to be open?
No, if you allow access when QuickBooks is not running during setup and pick a QuickBooks user for it. The PC itself needs to be on.
How often are the numbers updated?
Every 30 minutes, every hour, or every 2 or 4 hours, as you choose during setup.