V8 - Sync menu
The Task bar's Sync menu allows data to be exchanged between SOS Inventory and QuickBooks Online. The menu allows you to perform a manual sync, preview data records in the queue that are awaiting synchronization, identify sync errors, view synced accounting data, and access the Classes and Departments lists (if tracking for those features has been enabled in QuickBooks).
Manual versus automatic synchronization
SOS Inventory and QuickBooks Online synchronize via a two-way, server-to-server data sync. You do not need to be logged in to both programs (or even into either program) for them to sync properly.
Synchronizations normally take less than 30 seconds to complete. It does not happen immediately upon saving a transaction.
You can initiate a manual sync anytime by going to Sync menu > Sync now--or allow SOS to trigger an automatic sync based on your specified schedule.
The automatic sync feature allows you to configure SOS to sync with QuickBooks Online hourly, daily, or weekly. To set up automatic synchronizations in SOS, go to Settings > QuickBooks setup and set the desired sync frequency. Setting the Automatic sync setting to Never means that if you sync, you always sync manually.
Preview sync (Sync queue)
To see what will be sent to QuickBooks Online the next time you sync, go to Sync menu > Preview sync. This opens the Sync queue, with transactions listed in the order that they will be sent. If a data record is queued that you do not want to sync to QuickBooks Online, you can remove that line from the list.
Sync errors
Sometimes the synchronization with QuickBooks Online will fail. This can be due to a data error or something as simple as a temporary server outage. Whenever the sync fails, the Sync button will display an X instead of the checkmark. Go to Sync menu > Sync errors to see the error message associated with the sync failure. Usually it will tell you how to resolve the error. You can also use the Preview sync (Sync queue) option as described above to see exactly which transaction is causing the problem. The error message pertains to the top row of the Preview Sync.
The SOS sync algorithm is very sophisticated. On a sync error, it waits three sync cycles to give the user a chance to resolve the error. If the error persists, the system will attempt to correct the error automatically. Sometimes it takes longer than others, depending on system load and the nature of the error. If you are unable to resolve a sync error and the problem persists, please contact Support.
Sometimes the synchronization with QuickBooks Online will fail, but no reason for the error is displayed in the Sync errors list. For information on how to handle this situation, see Troubleshooting sync errors with the Sync column.
See the list under the Sync and system errors folder for help with troubleshooting specific sync errors.
SOS Inventory also offers a Troubleshooting sync errors class to our customers. Register for this free training to learn more about handling sync errors.
Synced accounting information
The bottom section of the Sync menu includes a section of accounting information that has been synced with QuickBooks Online: Accounts, Bills, Credit memos, Employees, Journal entries, Purchases, and Tax codes. In SOS Inventory, this information is for viewing only and requires the appropriate user permissions to see it. Any changes to the data must be made in QuickBooks Online.
Also in the accounting section of the Sync menu are Classes and Departments. Although class and department (in QuickBooks, called location) tracking must be enabled in QuickBooks Online, clicking Classes (Sync Menu > Classes) or Departments (Sync Menu > Departments) will take you to their respective lists in SOS Inventory. Classes and departments can be added, edited, and deleted, and they sync to QuickBooks Online. For more information, see Class and department tracking.