Intuit Launches QuickBooks 2014 Bundled with many Remarkable Features

Jyoti Prakash for Proformative writes:  Recently, Intuit Inc. has released QuickBooks 2014 with a number of brand new features added to existing ones in the earlier versions. The primary changes are reported to happen in QuickBooks for Windows and a few for Mac will be released in the United States, though. Well, some of the new features may end up changing in the final release. However, the software package to be released in UK and CANADA quite possibly not contain each of the newly added features.

What QuickBooks 2014 brings for Windows users?

Alike its previous versions, QuickBooks 2014 will bring each of the newly added features for desktop users in the United States, viz. Pro, Premier, and Enterprises. Well, the added features apply to the following areas:

Graphical User Interface

Software interface is one of the primary areas wherein users will see some alterations, but not the major ones alike in its predecessor (i.e. QuickBooks 2013). Keeping the color issue that arose last year in sight, the left pane is given a deep blue color. Some additional changes in GUI are:

• In the upper-right corner of software menu bar, an icon group is added, including:

1. Client Collaborator
2. Maintenance Alerts
3. Reminders and To-Do list

This icon group is named as Global Access Bar.

In the left pane, Customize view balances tab is added to manage what account displays.

• Contextual reports: The Report tab in transaction windows has implanted with icons for specific reports per transaction.
• Customized Search bar: The Search bar has been customized to suggest search results that match with the entered term.
• My Company replaces Company Information: The company information window under the Company menu has been renovated and its name is changed to My Company. It displays the available as well as required apps.
• My Apps is moved to My Company window: The My Apps tab in the left pane has been moved to My Company window with the name as Your Apps.

Enhanced Email

Unlike in its previous version, Intuit brings out some major changes in the email area of QuickBooks 2014. In this version, the developers have kept the users with the time. Well, following are the changes:

• A new tab, namely Sent Email has been introduced in the Customer Center, which displays a sorted view of emails that are sent to clients added to the software.
• Another major enhancement is reported in the Send Email feature in QuickBooks 2014, which lets you to have complete control over emails sent to the Web Mail users (i.e. Out from QuickBooks).
• Now, Customer Payment Receipt can be sent via email.

Updated Job Costing

QuickBooks 2014 features an updated Job Costing feature, which is used the most. Mentioned below are the updated features in Pro and Premier Versions:

• Sales Reps on Jobs: features specifying a sales rep for a job, not just for a customer.
• Job Status Filter: features filtering jobs with the help of job status.

In Enterprise Version:

• For adding a column as the Sales Rep, it features customization of Bill, Cheque, and Credit Card bills.
• Additional Job Costing reports are Job WIP Summary and Committed Cost by Jobs.

Banking Feeds

QuickBooks 2014 features what none of its previous versions has featured before. Bank Feeds is the brand new feature that enables online banking. Though the Cloud Accounting products have superiority in this area as compared to desktop versions of QuickBooks, Intuit developers have been working on this feature to enhance it.

As reported, significant changes have been observed in the visual aspects the online banking feature, when compared with that in the prior release. Now, more workspace is there with different color schemes to highlight different features and transactions.

Additional improvements is that the amount of time elapsed in integrating the bank feeds with the company file, which is based on the ‘protocols’ that have been set up and managed, is minimized.

Powerful QuickBooks Accountant

With the addition of more and more accounting features, QuickBooks 2014 has become an even more powerful accounting tool for professionals. Following are the major changes:

• Reclassify Source Account: Client Data Review has got its Reclassify Transaction Tool updated to make lot changes in transactions “written from” the wrong account.
• Batch Enter Transactions: This allows Bills & Bill Credits and Invoices & Credit Memos.
• Journal Entries to QuickBooks Mac 2014: By extending the Send General Journal Entries, QuickBooks Accountant can send GJE’s to QuickBooks Mac.

QuickBooks Accountant Plus

QuickBooks Accounts Plus features purchasing QuickBooks Accountant based on subscription. Since September 2012, the feature allows you to avail many services at a monthly or annual fee. Additionally, QuickBooks Accountant Plus is an alternative to QuickBooks Program Advisor, which includes the following features:

• Auto-download the frequently released updates of QuickBooks within the period of payment validity.
• Subscription to Accountants Copy File Transfer.
• Client Collaboration feature access.

Client Collaboration

This brand new feature facilitates communication between QuickBooks Accountants and their clients if they face any related issue. However,

Both accountant and client must be using recent version of QuickBooks Accountant Plus. It should be either a separate subscription or inbuilt to QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program.

QuickBooks Enterprise

QuickBooks 2014 includes a number or high-level features that contribute to make it more sophisticated and useful for businesses like inventory. The enhanced features are:

• Maximum Stocking Levels: Allows you to set Maximum quantity in hand and vice-versa along with the reorder point.
• Assemblies Improvements: This includes Nested Assemblies, Assembly Cost and Price Rollups, and Where-used query.
• Cost Reports: Job WIP Summary and Committed Cost by Jobs.
• Customization for Bills, Cheques, and Credit Cards: It features customization of Bill, Cheque, and Credit Card bills for adding a column as the Sales Rep.
• Markup and Margin: To help editing inventory parts and assemblies.

ProAdvisor Program

Following are some changes in ProAdvisor program:

• ProAdvisor Mobile Alerts via an app in iPhone.
• The infamous “Find-A-ProAdvisor” search algorithm was updated to help people to use the website.
• Products and Services:

1. In case you are Enterprise certified, Intuit will not provide a license to the Enterprise Price Rules feature.
2. Client Collaboration service is added free of cost.

QuickBooks for Mac

QuickBooks for Mac includes the following features:

• ‘Guide Me’ feature is enhanced to answers your questions right in QuickBooks.
• Launch page features quick view of the financials of your company.
• You can customize Customer and Vendor Centers by right-clicking column header.
• Assists you to adjust Sales Tax paid to accounts for rounding.
• Search field added to reports to find key word and reports easily.

Miscellaneous Features

In QuickBooks 2014, following are the miscellaneous features:

Income Tracker tool facilitates looking at the open invoices, overdue invoices, unbilled estimates and more. Also, this tool overcomes Collection Center.

• Bill Payment Stub displays if the bill is paid with credits.
• Easy processing of bounced cheques.
• QuickBooks 2014 claims to opens faster, windows open faster, and you can toggle between editions faster.
• A fine tuned Find function with a checkbox allows you to search within results if a long list is there to work with.

With the launch of a new QuickBooks version, Intuit has reached to an unbeatable level of accounting software. Many of the features in QuickBooks 2014 are what its users have been asking for.