Implementation Tips Specific to Sage Intacct

Implementing a new accounting software application requires significant investments in time, energy, and financial resources. A proper implementation plan is key to maximizing the long-term value of your new system. In a previous blog, AAFCPAs’ Business & IT Consulting practice outlined best practice recommendations to ensure clients get the most out of the new system. 

Many clients utilize Intacct as their accounting/financial application system. Below are tips for your convenience to ensure a successful implementation of Intacct:

• All Chart of Accounts (COA) should use standard categories so that the built-in financial reports are meaningful and can be used to easily verify historical imported balances.
• Rename any dimensions to terminology that fits your organization, i.e., Project can be relabeled to Grant, or Customer renamed to Funder.
• After importing historical data, turn on “Disallow Direct Posting” for control accounts such as Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Net Assets (Retained Earnings).
• Activate all reporting periods including Inception to Date.
• Intacct provides the ability to customize the entry screens in journal entry, AP Bills, and other frequently used screens. Update the screen layouts to facilitate data entry.
• Do not use leading zeros in any ID fields and remember that IDs cannot be changed once saved; however, descriptions can be.
• Customize each user’s preferences for navigation, menus, and list views.
• Utilize the power of Smart Rules and Smart Events.
• When importing data, always import the employee dimension first (if utilizing). Employees create a contact record and you cannot reference an existing contact record on the employee upload.
• Enforce “balance by location” whenever possible even if you only have one company. It will be much easier later to move to a multi-tenant shared environment later if needed.  Likewise, enforce “all transactions must have a Location ID,” i.e. no transactions with blank location IDs.

AAFCPAs provides strategic guidance on the selection and deployment of key business applications and technologies to meet corporate objectives and drive productivity.  If your organization is considering implementing a new system, or has already started on the implementation journey, and would like to discuss your approach, please contact Dawn M. Pantano, CPA, CITP at 774.512.4086, dpantano@nullaafcpa.com, or your AAFCPAs Partner.