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Quicken Interface Overview
The Quicken Interface allows you to export estimated costs for a Bid into the Quicken check-writing system, or a variety of other packages, including QuickBooks for DOS, Microsoft Money, and CA Simply Money. We suggest you print this help message by selecting "Print" off the Help’s File Menu and doing the same with the Export to Quicken Dialog help message.
The Quicken Interface allows you to send your Bids’ Budget Total Costs to Quicken as post-dated checks (with any date you specify). You may then print or modify those checks as needed. In addition, the Items which went into those Budgets (up to 30 Items per Budget) can be included in the split-transaction details of the checks.
You can start the exporting process with the Export to Quicken Dialog in EasyEst Estimating by clicking on the File Menu, selecting Transfer and then selecting "Export to Quicken." A dialog box will appear asking for some important information which should be entered for future transfers. When finished filling out the dialog box, press the Export button in the dialog box. Remember the file name (which defaults to your Bid Code followed by "QIF") so you can enter its name when Quicken asks.
Building Items with Budgets
Build your Budgets first, then assign them to each Item by entering the budget code into the item, run the interface to generate a file, and then go into Quicken and import the interface file.
Budgets: Set up your Budgets to correspond with the checks you will be writing. It has been said by experts, "to estimate the way you pay" so try to think of each check you need to write for a project and not as one big summary of checks. Group items you pay for together into the same Budgets by assigning Budget Codes to Items in your Price Book. Then the Items will include the Budgets when they are placed in the Bid. Otherwise, you will need to assign Budget Codes each time to the Bid Item. If you need to do this, go to the Item's Budget Code field in the Bid or Price Book Item Form and type a Budget Code, or press the List F7 key, move to the Budget you want, and then press the Use F8 key. If you do not want an Item specifically to be sent over to Quicken, assign it Budget Code 0. Now, if you want to save these newly changed Items with their new Budget Codes to your Price Book for later use then tag the ones you want to put to the Price Book and select Bid/Update Items to/from Price Book.
Note for older DOS Quicken systems (skip if you have Quickens for Windows or Macintosh): You will want to assign a Quicken Category to each Budget so it is passed to each check. Enter these in the Budget List Acctg Code column. The Acctg Code will be sent to Quicken as a Category or Class depending on what you specified in the Export to Quicken dialog box. The maximum number of characters for the Export Code is 15. If you want to add Quicken's Class to the Budget transfer, then answer the questions on the dialog and do NOT use a backslash (\) in the Acctg Code column.
You may also assign a Vendor Code to each column of an Item and that will reference a Vendor's name which will be put on the check as a payee. Only the Vendor name from the first item sent in each budget will be used.
Reading Estimating Information into Quicken
1. Start the Quicken program and go into the correct account register. You should open a trial account to see if the setups and transfers are to your liking before placing all these budgets into an ongoing account.
If you put all of your jobs or projects into one checkbook then be sure you are in that checkbook.
If you have a separate register for each job then be in that register.
2. Close (exit) the Category and Class list if they are displayed.
3. Select Register or Files.
4. Select Import off the menu (May need to press the F2 Key first.)
5. When asked for the file name, type in something like this; C:\Quicken\Sample.Qif, if the file is located on the C drive in the QUICKEN directory and you named the file Sample.QIF.
If asked about Special handling for transfers, just leave it as YES.
If asked about Assigning and Creating Categories and Classes, say Yes if you want Quicken to automatically build them for you or add any additional ones.
Your estimating Budgets will now appear as checks in your Quicken check register. All the checks will be dated with the date you entered into EasyEst Estimating's Quicken dialog. You may change the payee's name and anything else in the register.
You may repeat this for as many different Bids as you like, loading the appropriate Bid first, and then running the interface again.
For a nice Job Costing Report, go to the Quicken's Report menu, choose business reports then press the Enter key on the Job/Project (Budget) report. This report will display the jobs (categories) across the top of the page and the classes (budgets) down the left side. (If it is reversed, then customize the report and flip categories and classes.)
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