Overview: Metric Builder for QuickBooks

HOW TO

• Access the Metric Builder for QuickBooks
• Use the Metric Builder for QuickBooks
• Create a Custom QuickBooks Metric [Example]
• Add a Custom QuickBooks Metric to a Databoard
• Additional Information

How to access the Metric Builder for QuickBooks

Navigate to Metrics > Custom Metrics to access the Metric Builder. Click the green + New Custom Metric button and select your connected QuickBooks Account from the Data Source drop-down list. 

How to use the Metric Builder for QuickBooks

• A) Data Source: This is the QuickBooks Data Source that the Custom Metric is syncing data from.
• B) Report Type: Select a Report Type, such as Balance Sheet or Profit and Loss.
• C) Account Method: Select the Accounting Method, such as Cash or Accrual.
• D) Metric: Select the Metric, such as Total Assets or Total Liabilities and Equity.
• E) Dimension (Optional): The Dimension parameter re-categorizes the returned Metric value based on common criteria. Examples of Dimensions are Category, and Subcategory. If no Dimension is selected, the Custom Metric will store 1 aggregated Metric value for each Date Range. 

• F) Favourable Trend: By default, Trending up is positive is pre-selected, which will display the percentage change value on Datablocks as green when the Metric value has increased. If the Custom Metric you created has opposite trends, select Trending down is positive radio button. Learn more here.  
• G) Adjust Gain and Loss: Specifies whether unrealized gain and losses are included in the report.
• H) Filters (Optional): Filters restrict the data that gets included in the Custom Metric. All data that is returned is tested against the Filter(s). Multiple Filters can be combined using AND boolean logic.    
  If the data synced from the Metric and Dimension fields meet the Filter specifications, the data is retained and included in the Custom Metric value. If the data synced from the Metric and Dimension fields don't meet the Filter specifications, the data is excluded from the Custom Metric value. The following fields will appear progressively as you select an option for each field:
  • Filter: Select the Filter you want to add.
  • Values: Enter a Value for your filter setup. 

• I) Preview data: After clicking Preview data, a Data Preview of the Custom Metric will be displayed. Daily Metric values are displayed in this section, along with the total Metric values for the Date Range in bold at the bottom. You can view the Data Preview for different Date Ranges by clicking on the drop-down list at the top of the Data Preview. 
• J) Custom Metric Name: Enter a name for your Custom Metric. This Custom Metric name will be available in the Designer after saving. 
• K) Save: Save your Custom Metric. 

How to create a Custom QuickBooks Metric [Example]

In this example, we'll create a Custom Metric to report on Total Assets (Accrual) tracked in the QuickBooks Account.

1. Navigate to Metrics  > Custom Metrics
2. Click the green + Custom Metric button
3. Select the appropriate QuickBooks Data Source
4. Select Balance Sheet as the Report Type
5. We'll select Accrual as the Accounting Method
6. Select Total Assets from the Metric drop-down list  
7. We don't need to further Filter the data, so we will leave the Filter section blank.
8. In order to accurately explain what this Custom Metric is reporting on, we'll name the Custom Metric "Total Assets (Accrual)" 
9. Click Preview data to generate a Data Preview of the Custom Metric. 
10. Once we confirm that these are the results we're looking for, we'll click Save to save the Custom Metric. 

How to add a Custom QuickBooks Metric to a Databoard

Additional Information

IN THIS SECTION

• Metric Considerations
• API Limitations

Metric Considerations

• The Data Preview is limited to display a maximum of 20 Dimensions per Date Range for Dimensional Metrics. Dimensions will be sorted by descending value, therefore the 20 Dimensions with the highest total values will be displayed in the Data Preview for each Date Range.
• Databox does not support syncing data for metrics if the headers in QuickBooks account have been customized. To sync data between Databox and QuickBooks as expected, do not rename headers in your QuickBooks account.
• "Total Income'' metric might not return any value in Databox if its name in your QuickBooks account is the ''Total Revenue''. Make sure you have the following set under Account and Settings in your QuickBooks account: Company type should be set to Not sure/Other/None (Databox does not support syncing data for the Non-Profit Company type account setting), and industry should be left blank (this needs to be done at least for the non-profit entities). With these settings, the report subtitles will automatically be set as ''Income'' and ''Total Income'', and Databox will sync data for the metric again.
• We currently do not support custom setups of QuickBooks (users changing reports to have their own groups / sections). While adding sections or groups can still work, removing the default sections and groups from the report will make it so that the Metric Builder (and possibly basic metrics) will return no data. 

API Limitations

• In Databox, QuickBooks data is synced in the UTC time zone, which can lead to differences in the metric values when validating data between Databox and your QuickBooks account.
  
  For example, if the user is in the LA time zone (-07:00), this can lead to a 7-hour difference when looking at e.g. Last Month’s data - last month will cover 7 hours more at the beginning of the month and 7 hours less at the end of the month. Further, if the data changes a lot at the beginning and end of the month, this can lead to data discrepancies seen in Databox.