Workflows overview

For users to create and process transactions in Order Entry, Purchasing, and Inventory, you must have a workflow installed in each application.

You'll add workflows to determine:

  • The type of transactions that users can create within each application.

  • How transactions flow through Sage Intacct.

  • The back-end accounting that happens as a result of each transaction.

Workflow options

When you configure Order Entry, Purchasing, or Inventory, you select a workflow that determines the path that users can take in the transaction life cycle. It also identifies the General Ledger accounts that are affected at different stages in the workflow.

For example, you need a workflow to allow your team to create sales quotes which can then be converted to sales orders. Each transaction in the workflow generates a transaction document. As a transaction is converted you can identify the source document (previously converted transaction document) and the originating document (the first transaction document in the workflow).

Enable standard or advanced workflows

By default, when you first configure Order Entry, Purchasing, or Inventory, you are asked to select a standard workflow. If your company requires additional flexibility, enable advanced workflows.

Advanced workflows give companies significant flexibility in mapping their transaction workflows to their business needs. This flexibility impacts subledger and General Ledger posting and inventory stock-levels and valuations. Therefore we recommend that the adjustments be made by someone skilled in making this type of business-process change.

To set up advanced workflows, select the Enable advanced workflow option in the Configure Order Entry, Configure Purchasing, or Configure Inventory Control pages.

Turning on advanced workflows cannot be reversed. If you enable advanced workflows in 1 application, it is automatically enabled for all 3 applications: Order Entry, Purchasing, and Inventory.

Compare standard and advanced workflows

The following table compares standard and advanced workflows:

Type of workflow Description

Standard workflow

A standard workflow comes preconfigured to work "out of the box." Each workflow contains all the transaction definitions required for an order or AR sales invoice to proceed from start to finish, with any required stops along the way (such as credit memos).

  • You pick from a list of 6 standard workflows, each of which reflects a workflow used in different types of businesses.
  • Visual diagrams help you choose the right workflow for your needs.
  • Based on the workflow and GL accounts you select for Order Entry, Purchasing, and Inventory, Intacct installs a set of transaction definitions.
  • You can configure some options for each transaction definition. To denote this, Configure links are displayed for transaction definitions in each application.

Advanced workflow

Advanced workflows are different from standard workflows in several ways. With advanced workflows:

  • You are required to manage all aspects of the workflow by creating and editing transaction definitions
  • Each transaction definition defines what each transaction does and what it can be converted from and to. It also defines the accounts and journals to be affected along the way
  • When you switch to advanced workflows, the Configure links in the Transactions Definition lists are removed and the Edit link is enabled. You then have access to the advanced versions of each transaction definition. In addition, Add is enabled, giving you the ability to create new transaction definitions.
  • You can use bin, lot, and serial number tracking for your inventory items and inventory cycles. This tracking can help you determine when to take physical inventory.
  • You can enable Supplies Inventory.
After advanced workflows have been enabled, you cannot switch back to a standard workflow. However, you can still process any transactions created with the previous workflow.