Account Connector - Sage

This page has been created to detail how to setup the Re-flow Accounting Connector.

Please complete and check the following setup within your instance of Re-flow to ensure it is setup correctly, ready to talk to your cloud-based Sage software.

 Setting up the Connector

Go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Cloud Accounting Connector’ and select Sage. Click on the ‘AUTHORISE” button and you will be asked to enter your Sage username and password. 

Open

Open

Once you have logged in you may be asked to allow Re-flow access as seen here with the Sage connector. Select the Organisation in Sage you would like to link with Re-flow and click ‘Allow Access

Once connected you are presented with some additional options within the Re-flow ‘Cloud Accounting Connector’ page. Select a default Nominal Code that will be used by Re-flow when loading your Invoice. The Nominal code will be used for all item lines on the invoice - Please note that you’ll be able to amend those codes with Sage if required. All invoice lines will be posted with the same Nominal account code. You also need to set a default Purchase Ledger Account code for products and services created when exporting Invoices.

Within the Sync Settings please consider the following options.

 ·      ‘Create Invoices in draft state’ is an option available to do just that – Invoices passed from Re-flow to Sage will load in a ‘Daft’ status (Sage).

 ·      ‘Create line items when exporting invoices’ is an option available where line items added to your invoice in Re-flow can be create, on the fly, within Sage if required. In those instances where you’ve added something in Re-flow but not yet updated Sage. 

·      Invoices: You must set this to ‘Export’, this will ensure Re-flow attempts to Export the invoices you created within the Accounts section. 

·      Companies: Options available here are ‘Import’ and ‘Sync’. ‘Import’ will extract the details of the companies within Sage and Import them into Re-flow. Any new companies added to Sage will be added to Re-flow when the Connector syncs. Please note that any new companies added to Re-flow will not be passed to Sage using this setting. The ‘Sync’ option allows Re-flow and the Accounting Platform to create companies in both directions. 

·      Products: The ‘Import’ Option ensures that products created in Sage are passed to Re-flow and created when the systems sync. 

·      Services: These link to your Service records in Sage and represent Labour cost passed to Sage. 

·      The ‘SYNC NOW’ button forces the sync process whereas typically the sync will occur every 30 minutes. 

Once you have made your selection Click on the ‘SYNC NOW’ button to force the sync and then Save using the SAVE button in the bottom right of the page.

Key Checks and Considerations 

Before you start sending your invoices, there are some key consideration that need to be checked to ensure they are successful. 

• The Client you are creating the Invoice for MUST exist within Sage. Ensure that you have set the ‘Import’ or ‘Sync’ option within the ‘Cloud Accounting Connector’. Login to your Accounting system and check for those clients against your clients listed in Re-flow.

• The Client within Re-flow must have a Contact linked to it and set as the “Accounts Contact’ as shown below.

• The Items within your invoice (Invoice Lines) need to exist within your Accounting Platform. Ensure that the Products and Services have Imported using the ‘Cloud Accounting Connector’ – Please note that you should only use this if you want items and Services imported into Re-flow. Re-flow will attempt to create the Invoice line items within your Accounting Platform if they do not already exist. Re-flow will use the item ‘Title’ and a manufactured product code derived from the ‘Title’ (a field that is mandatory for a number of Accounting Platforms).

• Your Items in Re-flow will be given a ‘Sage Product Code’ when they have been imported successfully – see below. If you Item has been used on an Invoice and is new to Sage, it will get created within Sage ‘on the fly’ and the Sage Item Code field will be populated with a Re-flow generated item code based on the Title of the item. 

• Re-flow will automatically create an Invoice number for each Invoice created. It is possible that the number created will conflict with an existing Invoice within your accounting platform. If the Invoice number already exists, you will be prompted by Re-flown – it is recommended that you change the Invoice Number starting position or set a prefix or suffix to ensure it is unique.

Sending an Invoice to your Sage Accounting Platform

1. Create your new Invoice within the Account section, entering the client and Invoice Line items. Once the Invoice is ready click on the ‘Send to Sage button on the right-hand side.

    

2. If the invoice has been successfully sent to Sage the ‘Send to Sage’ button will change to highlight it being sent with a unique token from Sage. The status of the invoice will also change to ‘Sent’ and if there are any issues you will be prompted on screen with a note highlighting the issue (If the resolution is not obvious please contact the Re-flow Support Team with details).

    

3. A ‘Sent to Sage’ column can be included within the Invoice section under accounts to highlight when the export was made.

Within Sage itself you will see the Sales Invoice in ‘Created’ status where you can make amendments, if required, including changing the Nominal account codes for each line time if they differ from the default.