UPDATED 02/24/15
These are the most crucial areas I would like to see improvements in future versions of QuickBooks Desktop in 2016 or 2017…
1. Batch Enter Transactions: Need the ability to paste multiple lines in the SPLIT box for importing a single transaction with multiple lines… I think this was the intension, but doesn’t work somehow. Also be able to paste multiple lines with the same Date and transaction number which QuickBooks should recognize as the same transaction. We need to be able to Batch Enter Sales Orders, Estimates, Purchase Orders, and most importantly: JOURNAL ENTRIES. I would love a check-box inside batch enter that says “Auto Create Vendor” which basically automatically creates the vendor upon save instead of having to add new each time.
2. Shortcuts: there should be shortcuts for EVERYTHING like Bills, vendor center, journal entries, etc… But the MOST important Shortcut we need is a CONTEXTUAL shortcut that gets activated using CTRL+ENTER. For example, if I am creating a New name under Write Check, CTRL+ENTER would do a QuickAdd+Vendor automatically, instead of asking me those two questions. If I am in the check register and I am creating a new account, CTRL+ENTER would automatically would add an expense account. When creating a new item in an Invoice, it would create a Other Charge pointing to the first Income Account in the COA, etc… you get the point… CTRL+L when you are not in a transaction window, should go to Item List
3. Check Register: I need to be able to customize the columns here, add customer:job or class without having to go to SPLIT… also get rid of the pesky defaulting a check number un the REF columns which I have to delete every time when I am putting non-check bank-debits. In the Bank Feeds menu, it should be similar like this where I can customize the columns. Being able to SEARCH or Filter by Vendor/Account in Bank Rules is VERY important when trying to fix an issue with an existing rule
4. Reports: There are 12 things that are highly needed for the current reports in QB:
1)Horizontal Collapse (for Customer:Jobs and Classes:Subclasses)
2) in the “Total By” I need to be able to have Customer, Customer:Job, and Job and three different options; Also Need the option for Vendor/Employee/Other… because Payee will show the customer some times and is very confusing. It would also be pretty amazing to have a a SubTotal By as a secondary grouping option!
3) When Choosing a Class Filter, I need an option for “No Class”. Also need the Source Payee Name filter and a customer:job filter separate when analyzing missing customer:job etc.
4) Profit & Loss by Job should also include a column for “No Job”
5) When selecting Account Filter, I need an option for COGS & Expenses (combined)… its annoying that I can only see “Cost of Sales” or “Expenses” separate.
6) Amount filter needs to have a range option, its either =, > or < at the moment… really need a range! Also would be neat to be able to filter the amount as “Debit only, Credit only, or Both”
7) On Cash basis detail reports, we need a column for ORIGINAL transaction date which displays the accrual transaction date.. consequently on an Accrual basis detail report, need a column for “Paid Date”
8) The window for selecting “Multiple Names” and “Multiple Accounts” in the filters, need to be sortable and both the account type and name type (vendor/customer) needs to be sortable or filterable
9) Footer on reports needs to be longer…. and an additional customizable Header is also needed!
10) When memorizing a report, the user needs to be able to “Add New” to the report groups when trying to save to a report group
11) a Default “Undeposited Funds” Report is needed so the user can see all undeposited fund transaction waiting to be deposited.
12) Be able to customize the default columns that show up in reports like Transaction Journal and Item QuickReport, I see myself adding the same columns over and over
5. Add/Edit Multiple List Entries: I need to be able to add my account pre-fills columns for Vendors… adding a vendor list with default accounts is VERY powerful for accountants. I would like to see Accounts (Chart of Accounts) as an option on Add/Edit Multiple List Entries. Whenever I am working with this screen, I would love to have a “LOCK MODE” where my currently display list gets locked with all the columns and sorting locked in position; and an excel spreadsheet can get exported from whatever is being displayed which allows me to make my modification in excel and then copy/paste without having to worry something getting misclicked during the process. When modifying an item’s account, I would like the following options: Modify all Existing Transactions past Closing date, Modify ALL existing transactions including before closing date (password required), and only affect future transactions… additionally another “SAME FOR ALL” option that will just do the same for all items being modified. Also a column for “Last Used” which will just show me the date when the transaction was last used in a posting transaction which makes it easy for me to make inactive list items I have not used in a year or two for example.
6. Chart of Accounts: need to be able to search and filter just like in the item list.
7. Vendor Center and Customer Center: ability to filter by Vendor Type and/or Customer Type. A tool shortcut tool for merging names… for example if I CTRL click two accounts by holding the CTRL+ATL key down, it will prompt me to merge the names; cleaning up lists is a very tedious thing for accountants and users. Also, when I resize my split window, all my customized columns get RESET… this a big issue for me, feels like a BUG.
8. Other Names List: I would like to be able to have a Preference to just disable this option whatsoever.. so the user does not have the option to create an other name is not possible at all. Also, whenever I try convert large amounts of “Other Names” into vendors, my system crashes… feels like a bug as well.
9. Subcategories: Subaccounts, subclasses, subitems, and jobs cause the problem that if the user does not select a sub, the ” – Other” gets added to reports, and causes tons of user confusion. I would like a preference that disallows a user from selecting a Customer without a job (if active jobs are present) or a Class if active subclasses are present, etc.
10. Reconcile: I need to have a “Reconcile & Next” button, that skips the report generating and goes straight to reconcile the next month. I need to be able to see a column in the transactions so I can tell if the transaction was downloaded/matched or not.. it is very helpful to identify which duplicates are giving us issues. A feature to be able to HIDE the cleared transactions, similar to HIDE after statement date… makes it easier to research which transaction you may be missing. Also, would like the Service Charge Date and Interest Charge Date to default to the Statement date. Be able to Mark/Unmark all for each side separately Checks and Deposits
11. Reclassify Transactions in QBA: I love this tool! would like to be able to batch reclassify Payee name and Customer:Job name as well in this tool. Also very important, need to be able to SHIFT click on a transaction to select ALL transactions between two selected transactions, right now you have to click each one…
If you got more ideas for CRITICAL IMPROVEMENTS of current functions (not for NEW FEATURES please), go ahead and comment or email me hector@qbkaccounting.com
2 Responses
Hector, thanks for a great article. Very informative and thought provoking.
As far as I am concerned, the more ‘demands’ we place on Intuit for improvements by ‘accountants’ to the desktop versions of QB, help to preserve the integrity and necessity of the desktop environment for professional work. The more demands and user requests Intuit receives from Desktop users, help to reinforce the fact that there are ‘gillions’ of users out there that want ‘to keep their QB desktop software’, thus “no thanks Intuit, we don’t want QBO.”
Thanks again for pointing that mind of yours at the needs of both groups, and voicing those needs in such an exact and concise presentation.
Murph
One major thing I’d like to see is “Import Estimate”. You can import an Excel file with all the estimate lines, so you don’t have to copy/paste every single line.