Upgrading from QuickBooks Desktop Pro or Premier to QuickBooks Enterprise is a great way to unlock more advanced features and scale your business accounting. With Enterprise, you get increased user limits, higher transaction volumes, and more robust reporting, taking your QuickBooks to the next level.
Why upgrade to QuickBooks Enterprise?
There are several key reasons to upgrade to QuickBooks Enterprise:
More users: Enterprise allows up to 30 users compared to 5 with Pro and Premier. As your business grows, this added capacity is invaluable.
Higher transaction limits: Enterprise can handle much higher transaction volumes than Pro or Premier before hitting caps. This provides room to scale.
Advanced inventory: Enterprise has multi-location inventory tracking, bill of materials, and other inventory features lacking in Pro and Premier.
Better reporting: Enterprise offers more visually customized reports and dashboards to extract insights.
Advanced Pricing: Manage complex pricing rules, discounts, and promotions flexibly in Enterprise.
Enhanced sales tools: features like sales orders and advanced CRM help manage the sales process.
Greater customization: Enterprise enables more customization of forms and workflows to meet specific business needs.
For growing businesses, upgrading to Enterprise is a natural evolution to keep pace with increasing complexity and data.
How to Upgrade from QuickBooks Desktop Pro/Premier to Enterprise
Upgrading QuickBooks from Pro/Premier to Enterprise is straightforward but involves careful planning.
1. Pick an upgrade window
Choose a time for the upgrade when business is slower or a new month or quarter has started. This minimizes disruption from the upgrade downtime. Avoid closing deadlines.
2. Consult with your accountant
Review the upgrade path with your accountant to spot any accounting changes needed and ensure a smooth transition. Get their input on optimal timing.
3. Backup your company file
Backup your current Pro/Premier company file and verify it. This provides a rollback option if needed. Disable automated backups temporarily.
4. Install QuickBooks Enterprise
Obtain QuickBooks Enterprise (license, box, or download) and install it on the main company file computer. Run alongside Pro/Premier first.
5. Migrate Customizations
Use the Custom Import feature to migrate over lists, templates, custom fields, and other customizations. Verify them.
6. Switch versions
When ready, close third-party connections and switch the company file to open in Enterprise. Let sync. Users now use Enterprise.
7. Update preferences
Adjust company preferences in Enterprise for transactions, accounting, and other settings. Tweak as needed.
8. Add Users
Add new enterprise users in the permissions section. Import existing users with the same roles as before.
9. Retest Features
Thoroughly test forms, reports, and workflows in Enterprise to ensure proper functioning post-migration.
With planning and patient execution, upgrading from QuickBooks Desktop Pro/Premier to Enterprise gives growing businesses the features and flexibility needed as their operational and accounting needs evolve over time.
Key Features Unlocked with QuickBooks Enterprise
Upgrading to Enterprise unlocks a host of powerful capabilities not available in Pro or Premier. Here are some of the most valuable features gained:
Enhanced Inventory
Track inventory quantities across multiple locations.
Maintain a detailed inventory history for reporting.
Create bills of materials for manufacturing and assemblies.
Set reorder points and stock alerts to optimize supply.
Better pricing control
Volume discounts for customers based on order size
Flexible price levels by customer type or product
Manage markdowns or markups on sales items.
Create sales promotions like discounts, BOGO, etc.
Sophisticated Reporting
Visual graphical reports for key metrics
Scheduled report delivery to stakeholders
Drill-down from high-level reports to details
Custom fields added to any report for analysis
Streamlined sales operations
Create detailed sales orders to guide fulfillment.
Integrated CRM and customer profiles
Manage to-dos, calendars, and emails in one system.
Email estimates, orders, and invoices from within QuickBooks
Improved Workflow Customization
Tailor form layouts, fields, and workflows.
Automate workflows for streamlined processes.
Set field requirements and change terminology.
Role-based homepage dashboards
Tighter audit tracking
A field-level change log tracks all audit changes.
Require notes for adjustments or deletions.
Detailed user permission management
Robust transaction approval workflows
By migrating to Enterprise, growing businesses gain the tools needed to scale while also benefiting from intuitive QuickBooks workflows.
Preparing Your Data for a Smooth QuickBooks Enterprise Upgrade
To ensure a seamless transition when upgrading to QuickBooks Enterprise, it helps to do some data preparation in your Pro or Premier company file ahead of time. Here are some tips:
Clean up stale data: delete old unused records, transactions, and lists in Pro or Premier to simplify data migration.
Run all reports. Print or save all critical reports for historical purposes before upgrading.
Reconcile balances: Reconcile all bank and credit card accounts to have accurate balances.
Resolve discrepancies: Investigate and fix any unresolved discrepancies or exceptions.
Verify contacts and accounts: - that all names and accounts are properly linked.
Optimize lists: remove duplicates and consolidate vendor and customer lists if needed.
Check transactions: spot- Spot check random transactions to confirm accuracy.
Create final backups: Take final backups of the Pro/Premier company file and database before upgrading.
Gather asset information: compile fixed asset records, including purchase information and depreciation.
Adjust inventory: Confirm physical inventory counts match QuickBooks quantities.
Taking these precautionary steps will enable you to migrate your "clean" data to QuickBooks Enterprise with minimal hassle.
Best Practices for a Seamless Enterprise Upgrade
Following some best practices will help ensure a smooth, headache-free transition when upgrading to QuickBooks Enterprise:
Involve your accountant early in the upgrade planning.
Validate that Enterprise will truly meet your feature needs before upgrading.
Pick a timeframe for cutover during slower business periods to minimize downtime.
Backup everything—company files, images, and reports—right before upgrading.
Use the Custom Import feature to migrate over customizations to Enterprise.
Start Enterprise alongside existing Pro/Premier and sync before fully transitioning.
Expect some learning curves. Budget time for you and your employees to get up to speed.
Leverage intuitive support and training resources to ease the transition.
Develop a thorough testing plan and checklist before going live in Enterprise.
Plan for business continuity issues that may arise during the upgrade.
Be patient; it may take days or weeks to normalize processes in Enterprise.
While upgrading to QuickBooks Enterprise brings great benefits, carefully managing the transition is key. Following best practices will enable your business to upgrade smoothly and unlock Enterprise with minimal disruptions.
The Path Forward with QuickBooks Enterprise
Transitioning to QuickBooks Enterprise represents an important milestone for growing businesses. With its robust feature set, Enterprise empowers you to streamline operations and access key insights for better decision-making.
Here are some tips to drive success after upgrading to Enterprise:
Leverage new features: Get training on Enterprise's advanced features like reporting and workflow customization. Apply them to solve pain points.
Clean up data: Take time after upgrading to clean up data, lists, and processes in Enterprise. Start with a solid foundation.
Review roles: With higher user limits in Enterprise, reevaluate departmental roles and access needs. Adjust permissions accordingly.
Expand integrations: Utilize Enterprise's broader integration capabilities, like EDI, to streamline data interchange with other systems.
Reassess processes. Look for ways to optimize workflows and reporting using enterprise tools. Automate manual tasks where possible.
Expand modules: Consider adding integrated enterprise modules like manufacturing or warehouse management as business growth dictates.
While the upgrade process takes effort, QuickBooks Enterprise equips you for the next chapter of business growth. By leveraging its potential fully, you can streamline accounting and unlock data insights to drive decision-making. The future looks bright!
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