This tutorial is designed to put you in the driver's seat of BillQuick Online. It gives you the basics to tackle data entry and processing in the program. We recommend that after you are comfortable with the basics presented here, explore its many other capabilities.
If you have previously used BillQuick Online on your system, it will automatically open the database that you were in last time you used the software. If you are running BillQuick Online for the first time, you have to create your database in which to store all your important client, project, and billing information. Please check the BillQuick Online Getting Started Guide for all the getting started details.
Enter Company Information:
After completing the new database wizard, the Company screen automatically opens. If not, then access it from the Settings tab.
From the Company File Options, click Company to open the company screen.
Enter your company name, address and other data.
After the information has been entered, click Save to save the data.
Finally, click Close.
Enter Employee Information:
The Employee screen enables you to create and maintain a profile of each employee. The information is used on reports and invoices and can be used when determining bill and cost rates on time entries or budgets. To create employees:
On the navigation bar, click Lists.
Click the Employee tab to display the employee records in your BillQuick Online database.
Click New on the Employee button panel to create a new employee record. The pointer will default to the Employee ID field.
Enter the Employee's ID. The field is alphanumeric, allowing both letters and numbers and in mixed case. Press the Tab key to move between the fields.
Enter information in all the relevant fields. BillQuick Online requires this information to track an employee effectively. The minimum you should enter is the first and last name.
Click the Rate tab and enter the Bill Rate and Pay Rate for the employee.
After the required fields have been entered, click Save.
Click Return to return to the Employee grid mode.
Enter Client Information:
The Client screen enables you to keep billing addresses and an unlimited number of contacts per client record. Client address is always pulled by invoices. It also provides detailed information concerning the hours, expenses, billable amounts, cost amounts, invoices and payments that you have generated for each client. To create clients:
On the navigation bar, click Lists.
Click the Client tab to display a list of client records in your BillQuick Online database.
Click New on the Client button panel to enter details for the new Client. The pointer will default to the Client ID field.
Enter the client's ID. Press the Tab key to move between fields.
Click the Details tab and enter your main contact information.
After the required fields have been entered, click Save.
Click Return to return to the Client list.
Enter Project Information:
From the Project screen, you can create and maintain a profile of each project, which can be used on reports and invoices. The information saved in the project record determines how the project is billed and managed. To create projects:
On the navigation bar, click Lists.
Click the Project tab to display a list of project records in your BillQuick Online database.
Click New on the Project button panel to enter details for the new Client. The pointer position defaults to the Project Code field.
Enter a code for the project. If the project has more than one phase, time for each phase can be tracked separately. You will notice that the Project ID field automatically records the Project Code and the Phase together with a colon. The Phase is not a required field.
Press the Tab key to move between fields. Select the contract type (Hourly, Fixed, etc.) from the Type drop-down list. If a lump-sum contract type is selected, be sure to fill in the Contract Amount field with the contract amount for the project.
After the required fields have been entered, click Save.
Click Return to return to the Project list.
Enter Activity Codes:
The Activity screen enables you to create and maintain lists of standard activities for your business. In this section, you can edit or add to them. You will later select from these activities when you make time entries. Defining your most common activities enables you to dramatically cut the time required to fill out time cards, generate invoices and produce project management reports.
To enter activity codes:
To delete an activity:
.
To edit an activity code:
Navigate to the Activity tab and click the ID of a listed activity.
Make the necessary edits and click Save.
Click Return to go back to the Activity list.
Enter Expense Codes:
The Expense screen enables you to create and maintain lists of standard expenses for your business. You will later select from these codes when you make expense entries. Defining your most common expenses enables you to cut the time required to fill out expense logs dramatically, generate invoices and produce project management reports.
To enter expense codes:
On the navigation bar, click Lists.
Click the Expense tab to open the Expense screen.
Click New on the Expense button panel to enter details for the new activity.
Enter expense code's description and other required information.
Click Save and then Return.
To delete an expense:
.
To edit an Expense code:
Navigate to the Expense tab.
Click the ID of the code to be edited and update the required information.
Click Save to save you changes.
Click Return to go back to the Expense list.
Create Service Fee Schedule:
To add a new service fee schedule:
On the navigation bar, click Management.
Click the Fee Schedule tab and then click New SFS on the button panel. A pop-up window displays.
Enter the Schedule ID and a brief description.
Click Save.
Click New to create a new record for the fee schedule.
Enter an ID for either an Employee or an Employee Group. Do not enter both.
Next, enter either an Activity ID or an Activity Group ID. If you enter an Emp ID, that employee's default bill rate and cost rate are brought forward. To modify the bill rate amount, just enter the revised amount in the Bill Rate field.
To assign bill rates based on a multiplier of the employee's cost rate, enter that multiplier in the Pay Rate Multiplier field.
To charge your client based on a multiplier of the employee's bill rate, enter that multiplier in the Bill Rate Multiplier field.
You must also enter each Activity ID that will be used while working on the project on this fee schedule; otherwise, the employee's default bill rates will apply.
Click Save to save the newly added Service Fee Schedule.
Click Return to return to the SFS list.
Create Expense Fee Schedule:
On the navigation bar, click Management.
Click the Expense Fee Schedule tab and then click New EFS on the button panel. A pop-up window displays.
Enter the Expense Fee Schedule ID and a description.
Click Save.
Click New on the Expense Fee Schedule button panel.
Enter either an Employee ID or an Employee Group. Do not enter both.
Next, enter either an Expense ID or an Expense Group. If you enter an expense ID, that expense's default cost rate will be brought forward. To modify the cost amount, just enter the revised amount in the Cost field.
Any markup on the expense or any tax amount can be assigned to the expense. The calculated Amount is displayed for the Schedule.
Click Save to save your settings.
Click Return to return to the EFS list.
Create Budgets:
On the navigation bar, click Management.
Click the Budget tab and then click New Budget on the button panel.
Enter an ID and a description and click OK.
Consider whether you want to pull bill rates from a fee schedule. If so, select it from the Service Fee Schedule or Expense Fee Schedule list.
Click the Services tab and click Add Activity on the button panel to enter details for the budget.
Select an Employee and Activity from the lists.
Enter the number of hours (Hours) budgeted for the employee-activity combination. BillQuick Online allows you to enter negative hours.
Accept the Bill Rate carried forward from service fee schedule (if you have selected it). Alternatively, enter a new rate for the employee-activity combination. The Amount is calculated automatically for the budget item (Hours x Rate).
Click Save and then Return.
Next, click the Expenses tab and click Add Expense from the button panel to enter expense details for the budget.
Select an Employee and Expense (or their groups) from the lists.
Accept the values carried forward from expense fee schedule (if you have selected it). Alternatively, enter the expected Units, Cost or MU % (markup) for the employee-expense combination. The Charge Amount is calculated automatically for the budget item [Units x Cost Rate x (1 + MU%)] x (1 + Tax 1 + Tax 2 + Tax 3).
Click Save. You can see the budget totals on the screen.
Enter Time:
The time entry screen is where you enter and review time entries. There are two time entry screens available in BillQuick Online-Simple Time Card and Sheet View. In these screens, you record and review time. Since all time entries are recorded in the same database, you will be able to review entries made in one screen in the other.
Do the following to record time:
On the navigation bar, click Time-Expense.
Click the Sheet View tab.
Click New on the button panel to create a new time record.
The View By drop-down list is used to specify the person (Employee or Vendor) or item (Project) for which the Time Entry is being made. Select Employee option drop-down list.
Select the employee for whom the time entry is being made from the Employee drop-down list.
Enter the date for the time entry.
Select the desired project and activity from the drop-down lists.
In the B-Hours/Hours field, enter the time the employee spent on this project on this date. Use decimals if needed. When you finish entering other information, click Save. You are returned to the Sheet View list screen.
To approve the entry, select the time entry and click Submit on the button panel. If you don't see the entry in the list, make sure the Period Included date is correct and click Refresh.
Choose Approve and click OK.
Click OK on the confirmation dialog.
Enter Expenses:
The Expense Log screen is where you enter and review expense entries. Do the following to record expenses:
On the navigation bar, click Time-Expense.
Click the Expense Log tab.
Click the New on the button panel to create a new expense record.
The View By drop-down list is used to specify the person (Employee or Vendor) or item (Project) for which the Expense Entry is being made. Select Employee option drop-down list.
Select the employee for whom the expense entry is being made from the Employee drop-down list.
Enter the date for the expense entry.
Select a project and expense from the drop-down lists.
Enter the expense units for this project on this date. Use decimals if needed. When you finish entering other information (for example, Cost).
Click Save and then Return.
When you are ready to approve an expense entry for invoicing, on the Expense list, select the check box of the entry and click Submit on the button panel. If you don't see the entry in the list, make sure the Period Included date is correct and click Refresh.
Choose Approve and click OK.
Click OK on the confirmation message to return to the Expense Log list.
Generate Invoices:
BillQuick Online enables you to generate invoices quickly by client, client group, project, project group, project manager, project manager group and by whatever billing period you want. You can then display as much or as little detail as you want on your invoices when you print them and mail or email them to your clients. Follow these steps to generate invoices:
On the navigation bar, click Billing and then click the Billing Review tab.
Use the filter panel below the Billing Review button panel to select criteria to view billing records to process. Make a selection from the View By drop-down list (for example, client, project, etc.).
Specify the range of records to display using the From/To fields.
Make a selection from the Period drop-down list to specify your billing period and click Refresh.
Review all of the listed billing records
before processing. Click Info 
to view record details.
Edit the Net Bill and other values as needed.
Select the Bill check box to flag a billing record for processing.
Click Process on the button panel to process the bill and generate invoices. The rows you process will disappear and the invoices will display in the Invoice Review screen.
Click Close to return to the home page of BillQuick Online.
Review and Print Invoices:
You can review all of the invoices that you have created and print, email or reverse them in the Invoice Review screen.
To review and print your invoices, do the following:
On the navigation bar, click Billing and then click the Invoice Review tab.
Use the filter options below the Invoice Review button panel to display only invoices you want to view. Or, leave the filters blank and click Refresh to display all of the invoices.
Select a row and click Print on the button panel to print or preview the invoice. The report viewer displays.
When you are ready to print, click the Print button. Close the viewer.
Click Close.
Apply Payments:
The Payment screen enables you to directly input new payment information, as well as review previously recorded payments. When recording payments, you can distribute the payment among multiple invoices on either a client or project basis. This enables you to closely track all payment information related to your business. The following procedure covers the steps for applying received payments:
On the navigation bar, click Billing and then click the Payments tab.
Select Project from the View By drop-down list.
Choose the project from the Project ID list.
Specify the Date and Payment Method. Today's date is already selected. Select the type of payment from the Pay Method drop-down list.
Enter the total amount of payment in the
Amount field.
A payment
can be applied to multiple invoices.
In the Payment grid, select the check boxes
adjacent to invoices to be paid. Type the amount applied to each invoice
in the column labeled Amount Applied. BillQuick Online automatically
updates the net balance for this project as you apply the payment,
as you can see in Balance field.
You
can also select the Auto Apply check box to apply the payment automatically
to older invoices.
Review your entry and click Save. If there's a remaining amount, you will be prompted to apply it as a project retainer.
Click OK on the confirmation message and then click Close.
Print Reports:
BillQuick Online provides you with huge variety of reports. Depending on the type of information you want to view, BillQuick Online has classified the reports accordingly.
Select
the Legacy View check box if you want
to view the list according to the older/traditional categorization. You
can view a list of similar reports as well. After
you are comfortable with the basics presented in this tutorial, click
Help on the Button panel. Click Contents button to open the Table
of Contents for the BillQuick Online Help. To understand the BillQuick
Online quickly and speedup your evaluation, please access the BillQuick
Online Tutorial on the BQE Website.