About Contract sync

When you subscribe to Contracts in Intacct, you’ll see options for configuring Contracts Integration. If you have not installed the Advanced CRM Integration Contract Billing for CRM extension package, you will not be able to configure Contracts. For more information, see The Intacct Contract Billing for CRM package.

For more information about configuring Salesforce page layouts with Intacct-specific custom fields, see Page layouts.

About the Contract integration

There are several different parts of integrating Contracts between Intacct and Salesforce. If you are not aware of how the pieces work together, your Contracts will not be created accurately.

The Contracts workflow

The following outlines how to create a Contract from an Opportunity in Salesforce. After the Salesforce Contract is created you can sync it to Intacct, where invoices are generated.

The Contracts workflow. Described in text below.

  1. The Salesforce Opportunity is created
    A Salesforce Opportunity is created with the correctly associated Salesforce Account and Products. Salesforce Contacts can be associated with both the Account and the Opportunity, but are most commonly associated with the Account.
  2. The Salesforce Opportunity goes through the sales cycle
    The Opportunity goes through the sale cycle for your company. Products and Opportunity Products are added to the Opportunity as needed.
  3. A Salesforce Contract is created and activated
    After the Opportunity is won, a Salesforce Contract is created (3a). When the Contract contains accurate information for the deal being made, it's activated (3b) within Salesforce by a Salesforce user.
  4. An Intacct Contract is created
    An Intacct Contract is created from the activated Salesforce Contract when a Salesforce user selects the Sync to Intacct button. The information for the Intacct Contract is taken from both the Salesforce Contract and the related Opportunity. The Intacct Contract Header is created from the Salesforce Contract. Intacct Contract Line Items are created from the Products listed on the Salesforce Opportunity associated with the Salesforce Contract.
  5. The Intacct Contract is processed
    The Intacct Contract is processed based on the business logic and processes established by your Intacct company. Salesforce users can see updates to the Intacct Contract by viewing it and Intacct Contract Line Item custom objects in Salesforce. These objects are for reference only (read only) and updates to these objects only come from Intacct.
  6. Intacct Invoices are generated
    As the Intacct Contract is processed, the related Invoices can also be viewed in Salesforce from the Contract Invoice custom object. This object is for reference only and updates to this object only come from Intacct.
Salesforce Contracts can be linked to an existing Intacct Contract. To create this relationship, enter the existing Intacct Contract ID in the Intacct Contract ID field on the Salesforce Contract. When you sync, the relationship between the Contracts is created.

Salesforce Opportunities

Salesforce Opportunities are the basis for creating Intacct Contracts and provide the required information from related Salesforce Contacts, Accounts, and Products. However, Opportunities do not sync directly with an Intacct object (see Opportunities for more information).

Salesforce Contracts can be synced to Intacct without an opportunity. Syncing without an opportunity is often done to create a historical Contract that you anticipate renewing, or creating new opportunities on in the future.

To support the Contracts integration, you must do the following to the Opportunity object in Salesforce:

  • Adjust the Opportunity page layouts to include the appropriate Intacct fields for your business.
  • Provide the appropriate permissions to record types for your users.
    Only Opportunities with the Contract record type are used to create Contracts in Intacct. For more information about record types, see Record types in Salesforce.
  • Configure the integration settings in Intacct to synchronize the information you need.
  • Verify the synchronization settings in Salesforce and adjust accordingly.
  • Update in-progress Opportunities to sync to Intacct. Update the record type and other fields to conform to the needs of the integration.
  • Adjust the Opportunity page layouts to include the appropriate Intacct fields for your business.
  • Provide the appropriate permissions to record types for your users.
    Only Opportunities with the Contract record type are used to create Contracts in Intacct. For more information about record types, see Record types in Salesforce.
  • Configure the integration settings in Intacct to synchronize the information you need.
  • Verify the synchronization settings in Salesforce and adjust accordingly.

Record types in Salesforce

The Advanced CRM Integration provides two record types to identify Contract or Order Entry Opportunities: Contract and Order Entry. The record types are used to control which opportunities can be used to create contracts or order entry transactions.

When possible, use these record types as is. If you have existing record types you would like to use, see Custom Opportunity record types for Order Entry.

Due to the use of record types on the Salesforce Opportunities, you may need to adjust user permissions to provide the ability to create opportunities of the correct record type.

Record types permissions should be assigned as needed to your users. Additionally the correct page layout access also should be assigned to the corresponding record type.

A record type of either Contract or Order Entry is required on an Opportunity if you want to create a Contract in Intacct.

When using your own record types, consider editing the available picklist values for the picklist fields on the object.

Update in-progress Opportunities

To sync in-progress Salesforce Opportunities to Intacct as part of a Contract, update the Opportunities to use the record types from the Advanced CRM package. Also add values for any integration-specific fields.

You can export in-progress Opportunities and update them to the correct record type, and set field values for any new integration-specific fields. When the export and update is complete, you update the records using the available Salesforce data management tools.

You can also update your Opportunities by using the workflow, process, and validation tools available in Salesforce. However, Exporting and Updating are sometimes the simplest way to proceed.

Contract creation

Contracts in Intacct are created from activated Salesforce Contracts. The creation of the Intacct Contract can only happen after a Salesforce user activates the Salesforce Contract, and then selects the Create Contract button. After the Contract is created in Intacct, the information can be synced back to Salesforce as read-only custom objects: the Intacct Contract and Intacct Line Item fields. These fields are for reference only.

Salesforce Contracts use the Intacct Contract ID sequencer to assign contract IDs in Intacct.

To support the Contracts integration, you must do the following to the Opportunity object in Salesforce:

  • Verify that the correct field mappings are present between Intacct and Salesforce Contracts.
  • Adjust the Salesforce page layout for Contracts. For example: add the Intacct Contract field and an Intacct-specific status field so you can see the status of the Contract easily.
  • Enable and verify synchronization of Contracts between Intacct and Salesforce.
  • Update existing Contracts to use updated page layouts and begin the sync process to Intacct.

Read-only objects

The Advanced CRM Integration package includes several Salesforce custom objects, which provide visibility into the Intacct Contract process. These custom objects include the Intacct Contract, Intacct entity, and other objects. These objects are for reference only (read only).

You can add these objects to page layouts as related lists, or not, as you see fit. They’re there to give you a glimpse into the process on the Intacct side and to keep your Salesforce users in the loop.

Salesforce Contracts and Opportunities are used to create and manage Intacct Contracts. For more information, review the Contracts workflow.