QuickStart templates for implementers
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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 provides the following benefits:
- Get started faster
- Use pre-defined categories and structural information geared towards specific industries
- Take advantage of standard account groups and financial reports
- Install system libraries, dashboards, account groups, and graphs
Benefits of using a QuickStart template
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 the following:
- Financial periods
- Accounting methods
- Workflows
- AP and AR configuration
- Dimensions
- Reporting 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 set up with the Nonprofit template, because their needs and requirements differ.
These built-in features improve 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's important to note that a QuickStart template does not 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.
QuickStart template types
Each QuickStart template has specific features, such as account group categories, related to their specific industry. QuickStart templates also include additional infrastructure for elements like workflows for Order Entry, Purchasing, and Inventory if you're configuring these applications.
| Type |
|
|---|---|
| General |
The General QuickStart is the most basic and broadly-defined template. However, many implementers 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's 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 reporting categories and groups to the dashboards and reports. |
About reporting categories
With reporting 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 reporting 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 |
A company has an Accounts Receivable account group containing 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.
However, you can create your own account groups, and then use those account groups in reports.
For more on account groups, see Introduction to account groups.
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 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, you began with one AR sales invoice, but now need two different AR sales invoices—one for products and one for services. You can 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.
