Converting from Quickbooks and other Accounting Packages

MarketingPilot is the agency management system of choice to improve performance, save time and reduce costs.  MarketingPilot is a breakthrough that gives users a competitive advantage. MarketingPilot provides a complete integrated system for agency operations:

Plus MarketingPilot provides:

The Benefits are Clear
The advantages of using an agency management system that includes integrated accounting and financial management functions are numerous and overwhelming:

• Save time: Eliminating duplicate data entry by production, media buying, account management and accounting staff.
• Reduce errors due to inconsistencies between systems.
• Increase productivity: eliminate the need for staff to service other parts of the organization because information isn't accessible.

How Long Will It Take
Converting from QuickBooks and other Accounting Packages to MarketingPilot is easy. Most agencies will be able to accomplish the conversion in a short period of time. The amount of time needed to convert from QuickBooks and other packages to MarketingPilot depends on how many open transactions there are. Assuming that you have closed your books and reconciled all accounts prior to conversion:

• One to two hours to setup the Chart of Accounts in MarketingPilot.
• 5 minutes to create adjusting entries in each account.
• 2 minutes to enter each expense and invoice.

For example, it would take 4-5 hours to convert from QuickBooks for a small Agency with 20 general ledger accounts and 20 payables and 20 receivables and it would take 11-12 hours to convert from MAS 90 for a large Agency with 40 general ledger accounts and 100 payables and 100 receivables.

Get Off to a Fast Start
The key to a successful conversion is to plan ahead and follow the simple steps outlined below. Most Agencies choose to retain historical data in their old accounting package and to add new data to MarketingPilot after the conversion is complete.

 Step 1. Pick an Appropriate Date
It is easier to convert at the end of a financial reporting period - at month-end, end-of-quarter or end-of-year. If you convert during a financial reporting period it will take extra effort to compile your financial reports for that period.

Step 2. Getting MarketingPilot Ready
Duplicate the accounting structures from QuickBooks or your current Accounting package in MarketingPilot:

• Setup MarketingPilot's General Ledger. Enter all the accounts in the old chart of accounts into MarketingPilot.
• Enter all the active items from QuickBooks into MarketingPilot.
• Enter all active clients, customers, vendors and employees into MarketingPilot. Most accounting packages like Quickbooks make it easy to export a list which you can import into MarketingPilot.
• Create at least one general ledger account to hold the balances transferred from the old system. 

Step 3. Getting the Current System Ready
Get your financial records in your current accounting system as up-to-date and accurate as possible:

• Reconcile accounts through the end of the period.
• Post accruals and any other adjusting entries.
• Print out copies of all Invoices in Accounts Receivable and Bills in Accounts Payable.
• Create at least one general ledger account to hold the balances to be transferred to MarketingPilot.

Step 4. Enter Open Transactions in MarketingPilot
In MarketingPilot reenter:

• All unpaid bills.
• Non-zero balance invoices.
• Credits owed to clients.
• Credits due from vendors.

 Step 5. Making Adjusting Entries in your current system
Clear the balance of every account in the old system. For example, if your bank account has a $10,000 balance; create a $10,000 journal entry in the bank account and an offsetting $10,000 entry in the account you setup in Step 3. When you are done, this account is the only one in the old system with a non-zero balance.

Step 6. Making Adjusting Entries in MarketingPilot
Make starting balance entries in every account in MarketingPilot that are the opposite of the ones you made in the old system.  For example, if your QuickBooks bank account had a $10,000 balance; create a $10,000 starting balance adjustment and a matching journal entry in the account you setup in Step 2.

Step 7. Reconcile
When you have made all the adjusting entries, the balances in MarketingPilot's General Ledger should match the balances in the old system.