BlueTrace offers a Quickbooks Invoice and a Purchase Order Automation. To get prepared to use it, some data needs to be updated inside Quickbooks.
Customers: Export from Quickbooks
If you haven't created a comprehensive customer list in BlueTrace, we suggest exporting your customer data from Quickbooks.
Before you export:
- Ensure that each customer entry includes an email address, as this is the key field we utilize to associate customers from Quickbooks with those in BlueTrace.
- Focus on your most active customers, especially if you have a large customer list. You don't need to include customers who have only made a single purchase and are unlikely to buy again.
- The key fields to include in your export from QuickBooks are:
- Customer Name (required)
- Mailing Address (optional)
- Shipping Address (optional)
- Email address (required for integration with BlueTrace)
If any customers lack an email address, you can assign a unique placeholder, such as fishguy@blue-trace.com.
If a customer has multiple email addresses in QuickBooks, that's OK, but BlueTrace only requires a single email for association.
Note that email addresses do not need to be unique across different customers. Phone numbers are optional and can be included at your discretion.
Here's a quick video showing how to export customer data from Quickbooks online (the vendor flow is largely the same).
Vendors: export from QB
If you haven't yet created a comprehensive vendor list in BlueTrace, we recommend exporting your vendor data from QuickBooks and we'll help you get this data into BlueTrace.
Before you export:
- Ensure that each vendor entry includes an email address, as this is the key field we utilize to accurately match vendors from QuickBooks with those in BlueTrace.
- Include those vendors from whom you purchase seafood. There is no need to include vendors that provide services unrelated to your seafood business, such as plumbers.
- At a minimum, the following information is required for each vendor:
- Vendor Name (required)
- Email Address (required for integration with QuickBooks)
- Certifications/vessel #s (optional)
If any vendors do not have an email address, you may use a placeholder email, ensuring it is unique (e.g., fishguy@blue-trace.com).
If a vendor has multiple email addresses in QuickBooks, that's OK, but BlueTrace only requires a single email for association.
Additionally, include any necessary certifications, particularly if they are required for HACCP logs. For instance, if a vendor is a shellstock shipper, it is beneficial to include their shipper number, as this is essential for traceability.
Here's a screenshot of how to export vendors from Quickbooks Enterprise Desktop (customer export is largely the same)
Items: Export from QB
If you have not yet established an item list in BlueTrace, we recommend exporting your list of items (or products/services) from QuickBooks.
Focus on exporting items that you actively buy and sell, and make sure to exclude any items that have only been sold once and are unlikely to be sold again.
Additionally, ensure that you only export "Active" items from QuickBooks.
Quickbooks Online:
- Navigate to Sales
- Click on Products & Services
- Click the export icon (shown below)
Quickbooks Enterprise Desktop:
- Navigate Home
- Click on Items & Services
- Click Excel in the menu at the bottom of the screen
- Select Export Items
Items Updated in Quickbooks
The BlueTrace team will provide a SKU for each item that will need to be added to Quickbooks. In Quickbooks Online this field is called SKU and in Quickbooks Desktop this field is called Manufacturer Part #.
This is the field we use to match Items/Services or Products/Services from Quickbooks to Items in BlueTrace.