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QuickBooks Shopping Cart Integrator

QuickBooks AaaTeX’s Shopping Cart Integrator
How it Works

‘White Paper’
(Learn and Work Smarter not Harder)

January 14, 2012

 

We are always asks ‘How it Works?’.  We always answer ‘Very Well’ but that not seem to satisfy them.

 

To this end will try answer this with what the problem is and what our solution is.

 

Problem:         How to get their Web eCommerce orders sales into QuickBooks?

First there are thousands of systems in the market place. Some are called Shopping Carts some eCommerce systems.  Some are commercially available that you get from the web either via a purchase, rental or free. But not matter what they are called they are get customer orders from the Internet.  These customer orders (sales) must eventually get into their accounting system i.e. QuickBooks.

 

Solution:         The AaaTeX Shopping Cart Integrator (‘Integrator’)

Our Integrator (actual it is a family of products).  The AaaTeXShoppingCartIntegrator for QuickBooks Desktop versions and QuickBooks Online and databases, our POSeIntegrator for QuickBooks Point of Sale and our newest eIntegrator for QuickBooks desktop and online that is a function replacement for our AaaTeXShoppingCartIntegrator).

 

  1. Platform:   Windows either on a workstation, server or a cloud environment.  It is a Windows based program that is started like any other Windows application i.e. Start Programs menu or a shortcut on your desktop. Future versions of the Integrator will be web/cloud based. These should be available by 3rd quarter 2012.
  2. Interface/transport method:  This is the technique used to ‘talk to’ or communicate with your eCommerce system.  The one used depends on what functions or tools your eCommerce system has.
  3. Database Remote connection via ODBC/ADO.  This just means that the cCommerce database is accessed as if it were a local database via ODBC/ADO.  You don’t have to know exactly what the acronyms are or mean but the Integrator can connect to the database using it.  Normally the database is either mySQL or MS SQL Server but can be any that support ODBC/ADO.  This include just about all the commercial and Open Source systems (i.e. osCommerce, MIVA, ZenCart, etc. etc).  The database needs to be accessible to the Integrator from your system. This are usually the most flexible.
  4. Web Services –  This is where the eCommerce system has provided the tools (also known as XML Services or API for Application Program Interface).  These vary greatly is complexity and functionality.
  5. FTP (File Transfer Protocol). Although not yet implanted in the Integrator it will soon be implemented into the newer eIntegrator as it is in our TransImporter2012.
  6. Files.  This is where the Integrator just reads a file that was obtain externally. This could include exports from your eCommerce system.  It is usually either a spreadsheet supported format as csv (comma separated values), tab delimited text or Excel xls, xlsx) or some XMLs.  Usually if the eCommerce system does not have a database that is accessible nor a web service this is used. It is the users responsibility to get the file.  It does not support IIF files. Our IIFImporter can be used for IIF files for QuickBooks desktop and Online but not for QuickBooks Point of Sale.

 

  1. QuickBooks Interface. The Integrator uses the Intuit provided and supported QuickBooksSDK Foundation Class (QuickBooksFC). This does not require Admin/Single user mode. It is an API for QuickBooks (there are different QuickBooksSDKs for QuickBooks and QuickBooks Point of Sale). There is no support for QuickBooks on the MAC.
  2. Actual Process
  3. Download from eCommerce site. The program can be started and it will ‘pull’ orders from each of the eCommerce systems defined (max of 3 for Premier/Gold, 5 for Premier+/Platinum or 20 for Enterprise/Diamond Editions) and put them into a tab delimited text file (which you normally do not have to touch. All done under the covers).
  4. Import -After the download it will import the file.
  5. Upload/updated – It can also update various eCommerce objects depending upon the eCommerce system i.e Quantity on hand, add/update items.
  6. Configurations – Different configurations can setup
  7. Manual – You start the program and click on a couple of buttons.
  8. Automatic – You start our polling every nnn minutes
  9. Started from command prompt with command arguments
  10.       System scheduler to start at a particular time
  11.       Startup Folder to start when user logs on.
  12. Flexibility – the program is EXTREMELY flexible due to the large number of settings and external map files.
  13. Basic Map – Your eCommerce store will have a map file for the store’s field to our/QuickBooks name
  14. Lookup Mapping – which will call Lookup/Replacement for dozens of different list types, i.e.item names, payment methods, accounts, etc.
  15. Sales Tax Mapping – Where any field from your eCommerce store can be used to map to a QuickBooks Sales Tax Item, etc.
  16. Customizations – can be done.

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