QuickStart templates for implementers

Implementers can use a QuickStart setup template when creating companies to quickly and more accurately set up companies that belong to certain industries. Creating a company using a QuickStart template lets you:

  • get started faster
  • use pre-defined categories and structural information geared towards specific industries
  • take advantage of precreated account groups and financial reports
  • install system libraries, dashboards, account groups, and graphs

Benefits of using a QuickStart

Using a QuickStart setup template gives new companies a basic infrastructure right out of the box. By using this infrastructure, you can modify and populate a company much more quickly than by creating a company from scratch. While you still need to create the Chart of Accounts, a QuickStart template gives you built-in features, including:

  • financial periods
  • accounting methods
  • workflows
  • AP and AR configuration
  • dimensions
  • account categories (*specific to QuickStart templates)
  • account groups
  • financial reports and graphs
  • dashboards

These items are different for each type of QuickStart template, ensuring that every company is set up according to industry-wide standards and needs. For example, the default account groups are different in a company set up with the Services template than for one that was set up using the Nonprofit template, because their needs and requirements differ.

Templates do not include actual data such as transactions, customers, suppliers, items, or bank account numbers.

These built-in features improves the speed and accuracy of company creation. You can change the template values during the setup, and many items can be changed even after that. It is important to note that a QuickStart template doesn't contain everything that you need to set up the company; some additional setup is needed, such as the Chart of Accounts and other company-specific requests.

Implementers can copy a company that was created from a QuickStart template. A copied company retains all the features of the original company.

QuickStart template types

Each QuickStart template has specific features—such as account group categories—related to their specific industry. QuickStarts also include additional infrastructure for elements like workflows for Order Entry, Purchasing, or Inventory if you are configuring these applications.

Type Details and resources
General

The General QuickStart is the most basic and broadly-defined template. However, many implementers choose to use the Services template instead because it has the same information but also includes additional categories.
Services

The Services QuickStart is best for companies that operate primarily in the service industry. This template is one of the most-used as there is little difference between the General template and the Services template. In fact, it has all the same information as General template, but also includes additional categories, making it a preferred option among many implementers.
Nonprofit

Nonprofit organizations have unique needs, and the Nonprofit QuickStart is tailored for this type of organization, from account categories and groups to the dashboards and reports.

About account categories

With account categories, you can group accounts easily without worrying about restrictive account numbering. Out-of-the-box account groups and financial reports are built based on these account categories. They automatically pull in accounts tagged with the appropriate category, which means you do not have to reconfigure reports and account groups every time you add an account.

Instead, just assign the correct category to the account, and the account data is pulled in automatically when you run the report. Using categories is the quickest way to get data into a report.

Account

Account

Account

Account






Category

Category



Account Group




Financial Report
You can also use categories with custom reports and custom account groups.

A company has an AR account group containing GL accounts 1100 through 1199. As the company grows, more AR accounts are needed, exhausting the available numbers in the scheme.

Without categories:

  • Every account has to be manually included in an account group.
  • If another AR account is created, the numbering scheme must be adjusted. The new account number could make it difficult to remember as part of the AR accounts.

Using categories:

  • Accounts can be tagged with the appropriate category. The numbering scheme does not matter.
  • The new account is automatically included in the Accounts Receivable account group.
  • Every financial report using the Accounts Receivable account group automatically includes the new account.

Categories are used to create pre-defined, out-of-box reports and other elements in Intacct. To ensure that these reports work correctly, you cannot change existing categories or create new ones in Intacct.

However, you can create your own account groups however you like, and then use those account groups in reports.

For more on account groups, see Introduction to account groups.

Assign categories to accounts

Because categories are so powerful, selecting the best category for your account is important. When selecting a category, always consider how and where the account will be used. If you make a mistake or change your mind, you can always change the category later.

The Interest expense category is configured to Credit normal, even though sometimes it's assumed to be Debit normal. This is intentional. The interest expense account has a debit balance as the default, but in reporting it appears as a negative amount, offsetting the interest income.

To assign a category to an account:

  1. Go to Reports > Setup > Accounts.

  2. Find the account in the list.

  3. Select More actions > Edit at the end of the row.

  4. Select the Category for the account and save your changes.

  1. Go to Reports > Setup > Accounts.

  2. Select Edit beside the account that you want to modify.
  3. Select the Category for the account and save your changes.
To see which categories are included in a particular account group, edit or view the account group.
  1. Go to General Ledger > All > Reports > Account groups hierarchy.
  2. Filter and run the report. You can filter by account groups and categories.

Select the down arrow by Category to see a list of all available categories.

QuickStart Workflows

QuickStart templates contain built-in workflows that streamline business processes such as Order Entry and Purchasing. Workflows are based on transaction definitions. A graphic representation shows the workflow details on the application overview page. The workflow you see depends on the QuickStart used to set up the company and what action you're taking.

You can always create custom workflows if none of the default workflows are a good fit. To create custom workflows, enable Advanced workflows and create advanced transaction definitions. For example, if you began with one AR sales invoice, but now need two different AR sales invoices (product and services), you would enable Advanced workflows and create the transaction definition there. Learn more about Workflows.

Find the QuickStart used to create a company

To find out if your company was created using a QuickStart template, go to the Accounting tab on the Company information page (Company > Setup > Configuration > Company).

If a template was used, the type appears in the QuickStart template field. If the field is blank, the company was not set up using a template.

If you want to take advantage of QuickStart elements, like account categories, be sure to use a template when you're implementing a company. After a company has been set up, you can't go back and choose a QuickStart or switch to a different one.