Please note: This feature is only available on inFlow for Web

Creating the CSV template

To begin, you’ll need to create a CSV import template. You can do this by exporting a blank template from inFlow, or you can manually add the headings to your spreadsheet. 

Exporting a product group CSV template 

1. From the inFlow Homepage, click on the Main menu, then Export.
2. In the Data type list, select Product group.
3. Click Export and save the file to your computer. 
4. Open the CSV in the spreadsheet software of your choice. 

Creating your own product group CSV template

On a spreadsheet, add the following product group headings

• ProductGroupName (Required) 
• ProductGroupCategory
• Product

You can import up to six variant options into the CSV file. Add the headers for the number of options needed. 

• Option1
• OptionValue1
• Option2
• OptionValue2
• Option3
• OptionValue3
• Option4
• OptionValue4
• Option5
• OptionValue5
• Option6
• OptionValue6

You might have noticed that the headings don’t have any spaces. Leaving the headings like this will enable inFlow to read the information from the CSV more efficiently. 

Editing the CSV template

1. Once you have a CSV file with the appropriate headings, fill in the rows and columns, starting with ProductGroupName. 
2. To import variant options, fill out the Option1 field with the name of the option, followed by filling out OptionValue1 with the available values, for example, size or color. 
3. Repeat the previous step by adding the remaining options and option values. 
4. When done, save the file as a CSV file to import into inFlow. 

The Product Group Name field is required and can’t be left blank. This field also serves as a “unique identifier,” so the name must be different from other products and product group names. 

Example import file

Below is an example of an import file containing one product group and two variant options. 

The import file above creates the following products:

×1 product group: 

• T-Shirt

×9 Product variant products: 

• T-Shirt – Small – Red
• T-Shirt – Small – Green
• T-Shirt – Small – Blue
• T-Shirt – Medium – Red
• T-Shirt – Medium – Green
• T-Shirt – Medium – Blue
• T-Shirt – Large – Red
• T-Shirt – Large – Green
• T-Shirt – Large – Blue

Import field breakdown

Sample variant CSV files 

If you’d like to take a look at a CSV template with sample data, download the CSV file below to view what the import template should look like. This template includes sample data from this article for importing a T-shirt with two options and their corresponding option values.

If you’d like to review a larger CSV import file, download the CSV file below, which includes four variant options and corresponding option values. In this example, one product group has been created, along with 26 product variants.

Because of the number of options in the CSV, inFlow can generate up to 124 variants based on the options provided. inFlow will create placeholders in the product group for the additional variant options, which will display No product assigned, indicating that there is no matching product in inFlow for that exact variant.

If you’d like inFlow to generate the remaining variant options, scroll to the bottom of the product group and select Add new product(s) to fill this group.

Importing to inFlow

If you have your import file ready to go, read on for how to import your file into inFlow.

1. Click on Main Menu>Import.
2. In the Data type drop-down menu, select Product groups.
3. Below, select the CSV file from your computer, then click Next.
4. A preview of your import file will appear at the top of the import settings, showing the number of line products in your file.
5. Below match the inFlow fields on the left to the fields in your CSV file that are in the drop-down menus.
6. Once you’re satisfied that all the necessary fields match, click Import.
7. A confirmation message will be displayed, noting that your import is in progress. You’ll receive an email when the import is complete. 

The post How to import variants/product groups to inFlow appeared first on inFlow Inventory.

Web

For the latest variant tracking, take a look at how inFlow uses product groups to organize variants.

Let’s take an example: you have a T-shirt that comes in 2 colors (orange and blue) and 3 sizes (small, medium, and large). This means you have 6 different variations of your T-shirt. To track each variation, create a separate product record for each one.

Depending on your naming convention, consider using the unique SKU number as the product name, or you can include the size and color when naming your variations. Because inFlow sorts your items alphanumerically, it can be a good idea to add your style number to the beginning of your product name for better sorting and tracking (see below):

1043-S-BL | 1043-M-BL | 1043-L-BL

1043-S-GLD | 1043-M-GLD | 1043-L-GLD

Tip: you can use the Copy button to duplicate the record and simply change the details which are different (either size or color). For example:

1. Open a new product record and enter the details for a Small Blue T-shirt (Eg, Item Code = 1043-S-Bl).
2. Click Save.
3. Click Copy.
4. Change the details in the Item Name and Description, which differ for the medium-sized shirt (e.g., 1043-M-Bl).

Continue this process until you have a different record for each shirt size.

Tracking your product variations together

If you’ve included the style number in your product name, you can use it to search for your product in the tables by typing it into the search field. This will bring up all of your products with that style number in their name:

If you prefer not to include the style number in your product name, you can track your product variations altogether by using the product category field and/or create a custom field in your product record. You can use these to filter your product tables and reports!

Using the product category field

You can assign the same product category to each of your variations, allowing you to track them together. We suggest using the style name/number or model as your category. If you’re already using the Category field, you can create a subcategory instead!

| E.g., Your parent category can be “T-shirts” and your subcategory can be your style number  “1043”.

Using a custom field

You can create a custom field in your product record to input the style name/number, model or any other linking feature:

Once you’ve added your product categories/custom field, you’ll be able to use them to filter your product tables and reports:

If you have any questions, get in touch with the support team – we’d be happy to help!

Windows

Let’s take an example: you have a T-shirt that comes in 2 colors (orange and blue) and 3 sizes (small, medium, and large). This means you have 6 different variations of your T-Shirt. To track each variation, create a separate product record for each one.

Depending on your naming convention, consider using the unique SKU number as the product name, or you can include the size and color when naming your variations. Because inFlow sorts your items alphanumerically, it can be a good idea to add your style number to the beginning of your product name for better sorting and tracking (see below):

1043-S-BL | 1043-M-BL | 1043-L-BL

1043-S-GLD | 1043-M-GLD | 1043-L-GLD

Tip: you can use the Copy button to duplicate the record and simply change the details which are different (either size or color). For example:

1. Open a new product record and enter the details for a Small Blue T-shirt (Eg. Item Code = 1043-S-BL).
2. Click Save.
3. Click Copy.
4. Change the details in the Item Name and Description which are different for the medium sized shirt (Eg. 1043-M-BL).

Continue this process until you have a different record for each shirt size.

Tracking your product variations together

If you’ve included the style number in your product name, you can use it to search your product tables by typing it into the search field. This will bring up all of your products with that style number in their name:

If you prefer not to include the style number in your product name, you can track your product variations altogether by using the product category field and/or creating a custom field in your product record. You can use these to filter your product tables and reports!

Using the product category field

You can assign the same product category to each of your variations, allowing you to track them together. We suggest using the style name/number or model as your category. If you’re already using the Category field, you can create a subcategory instead!

For example, your parent category can be “T-shirts” and your subcategory can be your style number, “1043”.

Using a custom field

You can create a custom field in your product record to input the style name/number, model or any other linking feature:

Once you’ve added your product categories/custom field, you’ll be able to use them to filter your product tables and reports:

If you have any questions, get in touch with the support team – we’d be happy to help!

The post Tracking variants in inFlow (Legacy) appeared first on inFlow Inventory.

Labeling your products is crucial for any business, and the inFlow Portable Printer makes it effortless! Print barcodes to organize your inventory on the go, free from the limitations of a single printer location. Enhance your operations with convenience today!

What’s included?

In the package, you’ll receive:

• Portable Printer
• Label spool
• USB-C charging cable
• AC charger
• Sample printing labels 3” x 1” (76mm x 25mm) labels

Compatible labels

The portable printer supports label sizes of 3″ x 1″ (76 mm x 25 mm), ensuring high-quality printing for your needs. Feel free to explore even taller labels for your products. 

Printer setup

1. To open the paper cover, press the [Cover Open] button. 
2. Assemble the spool (as seen in the image below)
3. Add the labels to the spool. The labels should unroll from the bottom. 
4. Place the spool in the printer.
5. Once the paper is in place, close the cover. Then, press and hold the [Feed] button until the printer begins to feed the paper. When the feeding stops, tear off any excess paper.

Now you’re ready to install the printer driver to start printing labels!

Before installing the Portable Printer driver

Take a moment to review the list below to confirm you’re all set to set up label printing with inFlow.

Which computer should you use? 

When deciding which computer to install the portable printer driver on, make sure that the computer meets the following criteria: 

• Operating systems: Windows or macOS.
• A computer with a reliable internet connection.

System requirements

• Windows 10 and higher.
• macOS 14+, Intel or Apple Silicon.

Installing the printer driver (Windows)

To start, you’ll need to download and install a driver on a Windows computer to set up the printer:

1. Download the inFlow Portable Printer driver file.
2. Once downloaded, double-click on inFlow Printer Setup.exe.
3. If prompted Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device select Yes.
4. Continue the setup process:
   • Plug in the printer when prompted and ensure it is powered on. For best results, use a USB-C to USB-A cable.
   • Select your connection type: Choose a wired or wireless connection for your printer.
   • Your printer will print your internet connection details during this stage.
   • Optionally, click Test printout to view a sample printed label.

5. When done, click Close.
6. Disconnect the printer from your computer if you selected the wireless option.
7. To print labels in inFlow, be sure to also install and run the inFlow Print Helper (IPH), which enables printing labels using inFlow’s Label Designer.

Congratulations! Now you can print labels from any computer or mobile device when the IPH is running!

inFlow Print Helper download files

Select the appropriate inFlow Print Helper installation file for your operating system to print labels using inFlow’s Label Designer.

• Windows IPH
• Mac IPH

Installing the printer driver (Mac)

1. Download the inFlow Portable Printer driver file.
2. Once downloaded, double-click the inFlow Portable Printer Installer file.
3. You may get a warning that the inFlow Portable Printer Installer was downloaded from the internet. Click the Open button to continue.
4. Continue the setup process:
   • Plug in the printer when prompted and ensure it is powered on. For best results, use a USB-C to USB-A cable.
   • Select your connection type: Choose a wired or wireless connection for your printer.
   • You’ll be prompted for additional administrator access to continue the installation. Enter your macOS password to proceed.
   • When the setup is complete, the printer will print a test label. You can print additional test labels by selecting Print Test Page.

5. When done, click Finish.
6. Disconnect the printer from your computer if you selected the wireless option.
7. To print labels in inFlow, be sure to also install and run the inFlow Print Helper (IPH), which enables printing labels using inFlow’s Label Designer.

Congratulations! Now you can print labels from any computer or mobile device when the IPH is running!

inFlow Print Helper download files

Select the appropriate inFlow Print Helper installation file for your operating system to print labels using inFlow’s Label Designer.

• Windows IPH
• Mac IPH

Connecting multiple Portable Printers

Do you need to use more than one printer? You can connect multiple printers to the same computer or network by following these steps:

1. To add each new printer, rerun the inFlow Portable Printer driver.
2. During installation, assign a unique name to each printer, such as “Warehouse Printer 1” or “Receiving Station Printer.” This makes it easier to select the correct printer when printing labels.

Once everything is set up, all printers will be listed in your inFlow print options, allowing you to direct labels to the appropriate printer based on your workflow.

Consider this setup if you have multiple workstations or need to print various types of labels from different locations.

Printing labels from inFlow

Now you’re ready to print the labels made from inFlow’s Label Designer from anywhere, without being tied to a specific printer location. Print labels as you go, using any computer, Smart Scanner, or mobile device.

You can easily print labels from various areas in inFlow! Ensure that the InFlow Print Helper (IPH) is installed and running, and you’re all set!

Refer to the lists below to determine which inFlow areas you can print labels from per device.

inFlow for Web (Windows or Mac)

• inFlow Designer
• Product records
• Purchase orders
• Sales orders
• Manufacture orders 

inFlow for Windows

• Product records
• Current Stock
• Manufacture orders 
• Purchase orders

inFlow for Mobile

• Purchase orders
• Product records

inFlow Print Helper download files

Select the appropriate inFlow Print Helper installation file for your operating system to print labels using inFlow’s Label Designer.

• Windows IPH
• Mac IPH

Quick Guide document

The printer comes with a Quick Guide. If you’d like to take another look, simply check out the image and download the link below.

Appearance 

Install the print paper

1. Press the [Cover Open Button] to open the paper compartment cover. (as shown in Figure 1)
2. Place the print paper into the paper cabin, with the printing side facing down. (as shown in Figure 2)
3. Close the cover and tear off the excess paper. (as shown in Figure 3)

Performance specifications

Basic functions introduction

Boot/Power-on

1. Press and hold the Power button for at least two seconds; the power indicator will brighten, and the printer will play the boot-up tone. 
2. Next, release the [Power Button]. The printer will enter the Ready mode, and the battery indicator light will show the battery power.

Shutdown

1. With the printer powered on, press and hold the power button for at least two seconds.
2. The printer will play the shutdown tone, and the power indicator will turn off.
3. Release the power button.

Paper feed

Continuous paper:

1. In the powered-on state, press the [Feed Button].
2. The printer will start to feed paper.
3. Release the [Feed Button] to stop the paper feed.

Black mark and gap paper:

1. In the powered-on state, press the [Feed Button] for more than 1 second, the printer starts to feed the paper and stops at the position of the black mark/gap.
2. If continuous paper is installed in the printer, which will automatically stop after feeding 26cm, the printer will prompt an error. This error can be cleared by opening and closing the paper compartment cover again.

Self-test

• When powered off, press and hold down [Feed Key].
• Then, press the [Power Button] until the printer is powered on; it will then play the boot/power-on tone.
• Release the [Power Button] and [Feed Key], and the printer configuration will print.

Indicator

Battery charging indicator

• Green light: Charging completed.
• Red light: Battery charging.
• Green and red Light: Charging Error. Please check the battery and ensure the battery temperature is normal.
• Green light flashing: Low battery.

Power error indicator

• Green light: In ready mode.
• Red light on: Out of paper
• Red light flashing: Printer error.
• Detection checks from S310 specifications.

Troubleshooting

Labels are printing between the label gaps

If the label prints in the gaps, refer to the suggestions below to resolve this issue.

• Double-check that the label size you’re printing matches the physical size of the label paper. The default label size for this printer is 3″ x 1″ (72 mm x 25mm) labels.
• Press and hold the feed button to set the starting point for the next label to print.

Labels are cut off on the left or right side

If your labels are getting cut off while printing, take a moment to check the printing settings on the computer where the inFlow Portable Printer driver is installed.

1. On your computer, search for Printer & scanners.
2. Select Printer preferences, then Label settings.
3. In the Offset section, adjust the measurements, then print a test label. Adjust the offset setting until the labels print correctly.

I’m unable to reconnect to the Wi-Fi network I was previously using

When installing the printer driver for wireless use, you entered your network details. If you no longer have access to that network, you can reinstall the printer driver to connect to a new network. Follow the steps below for guidance.

1. On your computer, search for Printers & scanners > Remove printer.
2. On the Printers & scanners screen, select Print Server Properties > Driver tab > Find printer > Remove driver and driver package. (If unable to, restart your computer, then repeat this step.)
3. Reinstall the printer driver with your current Wi-Fi connection.

Can I use the same printer on multiple Wi-Fi networks?

Yes, you can use the same printer with multiple wireless networks by reinstalling the printer driver. This will establish a connection between the printer and the desired Wi-Fi network you’re using.

Do the printer and computer have to be on the same Wi-Fi?

Yes, they both need to be on the same network.

If a printer is connected to Wi-Fi, does it still require a computer to be turned on and connected to the inFlow Printer Helper (IPH)?

Yes, the computer with IPH connects inFlow’s label printing features to the printer, whether connected via Wi-Fi or USB.

The post Labeling made easy: go anywhere with the inFlow Portable Printer! appeared first on inFlow Inventory.

Review inFlow administrators & team members

To ensure your inFlow account remains secure and up to date with the appropriate users, we recommend reviewing the following:

• Verify the list of active inFlow administrators. These users should have the necessary permissions to manage team members, access key account information, and make system changes. 
• Review all existing administrators on your account. inFlow admins can assign or remove admin rights from other users. We recommend that senior-level staff be inFlow administrators.
• Remove users who no longer need access to inFlow. Take a look at the How to remove team members section of this article for complete details. 

When the inFlow Administrator leaves your team

• If your team has time to prepare for changes (such as a retirement or resignation notice), during the transition period, have the current inFlow admin create a new team member account to serve as the new admin, or grant an existing user inFlow admin rights.
  
• If the previous administrator was the only inFlow account holder and their email is no longer accessible, please contact the inFlow team so we can initiate the security protocol for admin changes.

Avoid replacing a team member’s email address with a new one, as this will alter historical data. Always remove inactive users and add new ones following the steps outlined in the link above.

Review notification & email settings

While in the transition period, the existing administrator should review their inFlow & email 

1. Disable any low-stock notifications. 
2. Confirm that the correct email is set in your inFlow profile settings. This is the email address to which low stock alerts or reply-to emails are addressed.

If this email address is set to a personal email address, and not a work email address, make the changes before leaving the team. You can follow this link to our help article for guidance on adjusting email settings.

Update billing information

1. Log in to inFlow using an administrator account.
2. Navigate to inFlow’s Account settings (Main Menu >Settings > Account > Manage Billing).
3. Review and update billing details, including name and contact information.

Have more questions?

Although staff changes can be challenging, please remember that the inFlow team is always here to provide support and guidance. Feel free to reach out to inFlow at any time with any questions or concerns you may have. 

The post Managing inFlow administrator and user accounts as staff evolves appeared first on inFlow Inventory.

Creating a sales order

1. From the Main Menu, click on the Create button (plus icon), then Sales order.
2. Select a customer from the list, or click Start with new customer.

Order details 

At the top of the screen are all the details for your sales. This section shows:

• Your company’s internal ordering information (order number, date, fulfillment location, etc.)
• Customer name, billing, and shipping addresses. 
• Sales order status and payment information.

Product table

The product table is where you’ll add the products your customer is ordering or returning.

1. Click on Add Products. The product picker will stay open, allowing you to select multiple products at once. To increase the quantity of a single product, click on it repeatedly. 
2. If you’re using a barcode scanner, select Scan to add.

3. If needed, edit the quantity and unit price. 
4. You can change the sorting on the product table by clicking on the table headings or by selecting the grab handles to rearrange the products.
5. Next to the Save button, you can print, email, or add an attachment to the order.
6. Click Save when done.

Picking products

1. In the product table, select the Pick tab.
2. Select the products that have been picked, or select Pick all to pick all the products on the sales order.
3. If you are using a barcode scanner, click Scan to pick. 
4. Save the order.

Shipping & completing the order

Shipping orders with a single box 

1. After picking, toggle on Ship order from the order summary (top of the order). 
2. Select the Ship tab. 
3. Click Ship order and enter the shipping details, then click Ship order to continue.

Shipping orders with multiple boxes

1. Use the Pick tab to pick the products that are ready to ship. 
2. Toggle on Ship order from the order summary (top of the order), then click on the Ship tab. 
3. Select Ship with multiple boxes to ship products into different boxes or containers. 
4. Click on Ship this box to enter the shipping details, then complete the shipping portion of the order. 

Paying the order

On the order tab, enter the payment in the Paid field. If the order is paid in full, select Mark paid. 

Completing orders without shipping

Picked orders

For orders where the products are picked, enter a payment in the Paid field. Or to pay the order in full, select Mark paid to complete the sales order. 

Unpicked orders 

If the products on the order aren’t picked, click the Mark paid and Fulfill buttons to complete the sales order.

The post Improved sales orders ✨ appeared first on inFlow Inventory.

Check out the reports below to help you manage your purchasing and vendor relationships in inFlow!

Order reports

Vendor reports

Purchase order status reports

Purchasing tax

Which report should I use?

If you’re unsure about which inFlow report to choose, the inFlow Report Comparison tool can help! This tool allows you to select the specific columns you want to include in your report, and it will instantly display a list of relevant reports on the left side of the screen.

Just click on any report title, and you’ll be taken directly to the information you need and get the insights that matter!

The post Purchasing reports in inFlow appeared first on inFlow Inventory.

In general, Lead Time is the amount of time it takes for your vendor to ship items to you. To get the best estimate for inFlow, we recommend entering the total lead time (i.e., number of days to arrive + any additional days you spend waiting to order).

For instance, if it takes two days for ordered products to arrive, but you order weekly (rather than as needed), you’ll need to include your own wait time, too. So, two days + seven days wait time = nine days total lead time.

In inFlow, the lead time is tracked in days.

Default vendor lead time

If your vendor has a general or default lead time, you can enter this on the vendor profile to apply to all the products you purchase from this vendor.

1. Open a vendor record from the vendor list.
2. In the Overview tab, select the Default lead time field under Preferences. Enter the lead time in days.

Vendor product lead times

If your vendor has different lead times for their products, you can set the different lead times in the Vendor products tab of the vendor record.

1. Open a vendor record from the vendor list.
2. Select the Vendor products tab, and enter the days in the Lead time column. The lead time field will be prefilled if a default lead time has been added to the vendor profile.
3. Save the vendor record when done.

The post Setting product lead times appeared first on inFlow Inventory.

Where to view QuickBooks Online alerts

If you are having trouble using QuickBooks Online with inFlow, go to inFlow’s Integration settings and look at the error messages that are preventing your orders from syncing. (Main Menu > Options > Integrations.)

We currently support QuickBooks Online US, Canada, UK and AUS.

What if the product exists in inFlow but not in QuickBooks Online?

If a product on an order doesn’t exist in QuickBooks Online, inFlow will create the product in QuickBooks Online as a non-inventory item when an invoice/bill is pushed. Depending on which setting you enable, it’ll also fill in either of these checkboxes in QuickBooks Online:

• “I sell this item” and sets the income account for this product to the same one that is mapped in the inFlow setup. 
• “I purchase this item,” and set the expense account for this product depending on the inFlow product type:
  • stocked products: Inventory Asset account
  • non-stocked products: Adjustments / Other Costs account
  • service products: Adjustments / Other Costs account

At the moment there isn’t an option for inFlow to push all product information to create new products in QuickBooks Online. New products can only be made when invoices/bills are pushed from inFlow.

Does this sync inventory quantities?

No – the integration only pushes purchase orders, sales orders, total Cost of Goods Sold, and total Inventory value from inFlow to QuickBooks Online. 

If I make changes to an order, product, vendor, or customer in QuickBooks Online, will it be updated in inFlow?

No – the integration is one-way. All data is pushed from inFlow to QuickBooks Online (no data gets pushed back from QuickBooks Online to inFlow, with the exception of payments with the Push and pull payments option). 

Seeing duplicate payments?

Duplicate payments can happen if payments are made directly into inFlow and QuickBooks Online (or another software integration) when the payment settings are set to Push payments. See the steps below to correct this issue.

1. Go to the inFlow’s integration settings and click on QuickBooks Online.
2. Select Sales orders, Purchase orders, and inventory values.
3. Under Payment settings, select Push and pull payments. This setting makes sure payments stay in sync between inFlow and QuickBooks Online to avoid discrepancies.
4. Click Save.

How to create new accounts & make accounts inactive in QuickBooks Online

To connect inFlow with QuickBooks Online, it’s important to have all the right accounts set up in your QuickBooks chart of accounts. Check out the video below for steps on creating a new account and how to make any accounts inactive if you don’t need them anymore.

The inFlow team does not offer official support for QuickBooks Online. For the most current instructions, refer to the QuickBooks Online support center.

Creating a new account

1. In QuickBooks Online, click on Settings, then Chart of Accounts. 
2. Click New, then fill out the fields on this screen. 
3. Click Save when done. 

How to remove an account

1. In QuickBooks Online, click on Settings, then Chart of Accounts. 
2. On the chart of accounts screen, locate the account you want to make inactive, then select the down arrow to the right of the screen and select Make inactive. 
3. On the confirmation screen, select “Yes, make inactive.”

How to enable shipping for sales in QuickBooks Online

1. Click on the settings icon > Account and Settings.
2. Select the Sales tab.
3. In the Sales form content section, select the toggle next to Shipping.
4. Click Done.

How to set the accounting period in QuickBooks Online

1. Click on the Settings icon
2. Account and settings, then click on Advanced
3. Select the toggle next to Close the books, and select the Closing date below.
4. Click Save, then click Done.

Common alerts/errors

If you have saved orders in inFlow and you don’t see those orders in QuickBooks Online, check inFlow’s Integrations screen to see what is causing the orders not to sync. You can also look below for common errors and how you can fix them.

Once you have made the changes, click on the Retry all button to sync your orders.

[Product] has different SKUs in inFlow and in QuickBooks Online. The SKU in inFlow is [xxxx], and the SKU in QuickBooks Online is [xyxy].

Reason: inFlow and QuickBooks have the same product, but there are different SKUs. 

Solution: Correct the SKU in either inFlow or QuickBooks Online so that the product has the same SKU in both systems.

Customer [Name here] has spaces at the start or end of the name, which QuickBooks Online does not allow. Please remove the extra spaces and try again.

Reason: An extra space at the end of the customer name prevents the order from being pushed to QuickBooks Online.

Solution: Go to the customer profile, remove the extra space, and save the customer record. When you’re done, click the Retry button.

Business Validation Error: Enter a transaction amount to continue.

Reason: This can happen when multiple transactions make changes to the same accounts receivable/accounts payable account (saving an order multiple times or multiple edits).

Solution: Check if the inFlow order has created a matching invoice/bill in QuickBooks Online. If it has, and payments/changes also push to QuickBooks Online, then you can click the Dismiss button from inFlow’s Integration settings.

The QuickBooks Online payment must have only one invoice/bill selected.

Reason: Multiple invoices/bills were paid at the same time in QuickBooks Online.

Solution 1: Remove the bulk payment in QuickBooks Online and process payments on the outstanding invoices/bills individually.

Solution 2: Go to the following QBO url where 1234 = the payment number shown in the error and ensure the payment is only applied for one invoice/bill.

• For invoice payments, go to https://qbo.intuit.com/app/recvpayment?txnId=1234
• For bill payments, go to https://qbo.intuit.com/app/billpayment?txnId=1234

Product/Service assigned to this transaction has been deleted. Before you can modify this transaction, you must restore [Product name]

Reason: The product on this inFlow sales order has been deleted or marked inactive in QuickBooks Online.

Solution: Log into QuickBooks Online and make this product active/available in order to sync this sales order.

The “[Name]” Payment Term details in inFlow and QuickBooks don’t match

Reason: The Days Due in inFlow and QuickBooks are different.

Solution: In the inFlow Windows app, check the Days Due by going to

1. Main Menu>Options>Settings>References>Payment Terms (Windows). Or go to the inFlow Order settings and click on Payment terms (Web).
2. Besides the terms that aren’t syncing, check the Days Due. Now in QuickBooks, go to Settings>All lists>Terms>Click edit beside the term you just checked for in inFlow that the Days Due match. If they don’t update them, too.

The name supplied already exists. : Id=X

1. This is a generic QuickBooks Online error that may be caused by a vendor with the same name as a customer (QuickBooks Online doesn’t allow this).

Solution: Check if you have a customer or vendor in QuickBooks Online with the same name as the customer or vendor on the order you’re trying to sync. If you do, QuickBooks Online recommends adding an indication to the names so it can handle them as two different entries: E.g., DebraC (C for customer) and DebraV (V for vendor).

2. This error can also occur if the Product name, Customer name, Categories, or Payment Terms have extra spaces in between or after them.

Solution: Please check your Product List/Customer/Vendor in inFlow and see if you can find that extra space at the end of the name. Once found, remove it, save the product/customer/vendor, and retry the error.

If there are several products in the same order, you can also check it through an export. If there are extra spaces, please remove them and import the products back again with the updated CSV file (of course, you could also do the same process manually in every product on your account). The system should recognize the changes, and you can then retry the error on the Integration page.

3. There are some characters that QuickBooks does not accept. For example, product names containing the colon “: ” will cause this error.

Solution: Go through the Product names, Customer names, and Categories to see if there are characters other than the accepted ones listed by QuickBooks Online.

The name supplied already exists. Another product or service is already using this name. Please use a different name.

Reason: If a product on your inFlow order has a different name than the product in QuickBooks Online, e.g., there is an extra “space” at the end of the name like “Apple ” vs. “Apple,” QuickBooks Online reads it as a different product.

Solution: check the product in the affected sales order in inFlow to see if there is an extra “space” at the end of the product name.

The name supplied already exists. Another customer, supplier, or employee is already using this name. Please use a different name.

Reason: If a customer’s name in inFlow is different from the name in QuickBooks Online. e.g., the customer name in inFlow has an extra “space” at the end of it, like “John” vs “John “, QuickBooks Online reads it as a different customer.

Solution: check the customer in the affected sales orders in inFlow to see if there is an extra space at the end of the customer name.

Business Validation Error: You must set a transaction amount.

Reason: This error appears whenever there is a payment entry for either a Sales Order or Purchase Order with the value of 0 as the payment amount/amount applied.

Solution: On the order page, click on Paid, and on the Payment Details page, then delete that row. After that, you can retry the error on the Integration page, and the error should disappear.

Element contains invalid characters.

Reason: This error means you have an invalid character either in your company name, Customers, Suppliers, Products and Services, or the Chart of Accounts.

Solution: Please check and remove any special characters. You can check for QuickBooks Online acceptable characters here.

String length specified does not match the supported length.

Reason: Some fields have limited character lengths in QuickBooks, but no limit in inFlow. If there is a field on the inFlow order that has reached the character limit for the matching field in QuickBooks Online, the sync will fail.

Solution: The error will specify a field’s character limit in QuickBooks (there is a list of their fields and character limits here). Check the corresponding field in inFlow to see that it hasn’t exceeded this character limit.

Object Not Found: Something you’re trying to use has been made inactive. Check the fields with accounts, customers, items, vendors, or employees.

Reason: There’s a customer, product, or vendor on the order that has been deactivated in QuickBooks Online.

Solution: check to see if the customer or product in the affected sales order in inFlow has been deactivated in QuickBooks Online and then reactivate them before retrying the sync.

 Business Validation Error: You are not allowed to modify the quantity of an inactive stock item.

Reason: A product or service on the inFlow order is inactive in QuickBooks.

Solution: Check that the products or services that are on the inFlow order are not deactivated in QuickBooks Online and activate them if necessary. You can find more details here.

Invalid account type: You can’t associate a product or service with accounts of certain types (such as Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable). If the product or service is something you sell, use an income account. If the product or service is something you buy, use an expense account.

Reason: Products inside QuickBooks Online have an account associated with them. An item on the affected order has an account associated with it that is not allowed.

Solution: Check the accounts that are set up for the items on the affected order in QuickBooks Online. The accounts should be set up as income and/or expense accounts (depending on whether it’s a sales order or a purchase order). Here’s how you can change the account associated. 

This transaction has been deposited. If you want to change or delete it, you must edit the deposit it appears on and remove it first.

Reason: This error may be due to an inFlow sales order that had previously synced with QuickBooks Online, and the payment was marked as deposited, but the payment was updated in inFlow after the initial sync to QuickBooks Online.

Solution: Remove the payment deposit in QuickBooks Online or click “dismiss” on the error in the integration page to clear it.

Email Address does not conform to the syntax rules of RFC822.

Reason: There are issues with the syntax/format of the email in question. (e.g., extra white spaces or rogue symbols like “,com” instead of “.com”)

Solution: check the specific sales order, and look at the email of that order to see if there are any obvious extra spaces or incorrect email symbols. (easier to see on the Windows application)

Product has a duplicate SKU in QuickBooks Online.

Reason: QuickBooks Online allows different products to have the same SKU, while inFlow does not. When a sales order is pushed to QuickBooks Online, inFlow will look at items on the order to see if they already exist in QuickBooks Online by matching the SKU in both programs first. If you have more than one product with the same SKU in QuickBooks Online, inFlow doesn’t know which product it should match. Instead, it will match the first product in QuickBooks Online that has the corresponding SKU, which may be incorrect.

Solution: Check QuickBooks Online to see what items have the same SKU as the one in the inFlow error. Make sure that you don’t have duplicate SKUs in QuickBooks Online. You will also need to correct any sales orders that were pushed to QuickBooks Online with the item listed in error and swap out the incorrect product for the intended one.

Business Validation Error: there is no account associated with “[Product name]”. Is it marked for purchase, and has an account associated with it?

Reason: QuickBooks Online requires confirmation that the product or service is allowed to be sold or purchased.

Solution: Go to the item’s settings in QuickBooks Online and make sure the item is marked for sale and/or purchase. You can do this by checking the appropriate box: “I purchase this product/service from a supplier” and/or “I sell this product/service to my customers” in the item’s settings.

Transactions with inventory (QOH) products can’t be dated earlier than the Inventory Start Date for the product.

Reason: Only Inventory type items in QBO have an Inventory Start Date. This means that some items on the sales order are set as Inventory type in QuickBooks Online.

Solution: You’ll need to delete the original item in QBO (mark it as inactive), then click Retry on the error in inFlow. This should prompt inFlow to create a new version of the item in QuickBooks Online automatically.

You can only use one foreign currency per transaction.

1. Sales order: QuickBooks Online only allows one currency per customer. If a customer already has transactions in a specific currency (e.g., USD), you won’t be able to push transactions in a different currency (e.g., CAD) for that same customer, and vice versa.

Solution: Make sure each customer only has transactions in one currency. If you need to work with a different currency, you’ll need to create a new customer in both inFlow and QBO with the correct currency.

2. Purchase order: This error can happen when a vendor in inFlow has a currency different from your default QBO currency (e.g., EUR, GBP), but multi-currency wasn’t enabled in QuickBooks Online at the time of sync. As a result, QBO creates the vendor and their bills using the default currency (e.g., USD).

Later, if multi-currency is enabled in QBO, inFlow will try to push new orders using the vendor’s actual currency, but QBO doesn’t allow changing a vendor’s currency after they’re created.

Solution: Create a new vendor in both inFlow and QuickBooks Online using the correct currency. This new vendor should be used for all future transactions, and syncing should work without issues.

Change this transaction currency to match what you use for your accounts receivable and accounts payable.

Reason: In inFlow, you can create sales or purchase orders for the same customer or vendor in different currencies. However, QuickBooks Online doesn’t support this — each customer or vendor can only be set up with one currency in QBO.

Solution: You’ll need to make sure that each customer or vendor in inFlow uses only one currency for all their orders. That currency should match the one set for them in QBO. If you need to use a different currency with a customer or vendor, please create a new customer or vendor record for that specific currency. This way, each one will have only one currency assigned to it, as required by QBO.

Invalid Reference Id : An item in this transaction is set up as a category instead of a product or service.

Reason: This error shows up when an invoice/bill in inFlow tries to sync to QuickBooks Online, but one or more of the item names on the invoice/bill match a Category type in QBO.

In other words, the item is being used as a regular product/service in inFlow, but in QBO it’s set up as a Product or Service Category, not an actual item. For example, if you’ve set up a category in QBO called “Delivery”, you can’t also use “Delivery” as a line item on an inFlow invoice/bill — QBO won’t accept it.

Solution: Double-check your Product and Service categories in QuickBooks Online, and compare them to the item names on your inFlow invoice. If you spot a category name that matches an item name on your invoice/bill, you have two options:

Option 1: Go to inFlow and rename the item to something slightly different (e.g., add a letter or number).

Option 2: Rename the category in QBO instead.

Parent Reference Invalid: Select a category.

Reason: This error likely appears because one or more of the items on the invoice or bill in inFlow is not assigned to any category in QuickBooks Online.

Solution: Check each item from the invoice or bill in inFlow and make sure that all of them are assigned to a category in QBO.

Business Validation Error: You need to activate this item before updating the quantity.

1. This error can happen if the item in inFlow is trying to sync with a product in QuickBooks Online that has been deactivated.

Solution: Check if the item in QBO is deactivated. If it is, reactivate it and then try syncing again.

2. It can also happen if multiple items in QBO have the same name or SKU, but with different types (Inventory and Non-Inventory). This confuses the sync, and inFlow may try to match to the wrong one.

Solution: If the item isn’t deactivated, check for any other items in QBO with the same name or SKU. If there are duplicates, rename them slightly so inFlow can match the correct one during the sync.

No matching A/P account found for currency of this Purchase Order.

Reason: QuickBooks Online creates a foreign currency Accounts Payable (AP) account only after a bill is created in that currency. In inFlow, a bill is sent to QBO only when the order is fulfilled or partially fulfilled. So, if nothing has been received yet, the bill won’t be created, and the AP account won’t exist in QBO.

Solution: You have two options:

Option 1: Partially fulfill the order in inFlow (e.g., receive one or two items). This will trigger the bill to be created in QBO, and the AP account will be set up automatically.

Option 2: Manually create a bill in QBO using that vendor and the correct currency. This also forces QBO to create the AP account for that currency.

The account period has closed. Txn Date=xx/xx/xxxx is before book closing date=xx/xx/xxxx

Reason: This error appears when an invoice you’re trying to sync from inFlow has a date that falls within a closed accounting period in QuickBooks Online. QBO doesn’t allow changes in periods that are already closed.

Solution: You’ll need to temporarily reopen the closed period in QBO so the transaction can sync. After syncing, you can re-enter the closing date to close the books again. You can find the steps on how to reopen the closing period in QuickBooks Online.

QuickBooks Online bill payment must have only one bill selected. Your inFlow payment still exists, if you need to remove it, please do so manually

OR

QuickBooks Online payment must have only one invoice selected. Your inFlow payment still exists, if you need to remove it, please do so manually

1. This error can occur if a payment originally pushed from inFlow is edited in QuickBooks Online and applied to multiple invoices or bills, or if the payment was directly applied in QBO to multiple invoices or bills. inFlow only supports payments linked to one invoice or bill at a time, so syncing will fail if the payment is spread across more than one.

Solution: To fix this, go to QBO and edit the payment so that it’s applied to only one invoice or bill.

1. It can also happen if you refund an invoice in full. This brings the invoice total to $0 in QBO, and any linked payments become unapplied, which can also trigger the error.

Solution: Please double-check for any discrepancies between the invoices or bills in QuickBooks Online and inFlow. If anything is missing, manually adjust the payments. If everything looks correct, you can safely dismiss the error.

Business Validation Error: Not a valid product or service name. Names must have at least one character and cannot include tabs, newlines or ‘:’.

Reason: This error usually occurs when one or more of your items in inFlow have disallowed characters (such as ‘:’) in their names.

Solution: Go to the orders with errors and check the names of all the items. If you find an item with a colon ‘:’ in its name, go to that item in inFlow and update its name. Avoid using ‘:’ in the item’s name when syncing with QBO.

The customer you have specified has been deleted. You cannot create or edit a transaction with a deleted customer.

Reason: This error occurs when the customer associated with the order has been deactivated or merged with another customer in QuickBooks Online

Solution: Check for any merged or deleted customers in QBO and reactivate them. After reactivating, retry the sync.
Note: If the customer was merged, the reactivated customer will not have any transaction history.

Business Validation Error: Select an account for this transaction.

Reason: This error is likely caused by some accounts not being mapped in the integration settings (for example, “Payments (Credit Card)” account) for both sales and purchase orders.

Solution: Go to the QBO settings on the Integrations page in inFlow. Ensure that all accounts are properly mapped and that no fields are left empty — each should have an account assigned.

Tax Inclusive transactions are not supported in US QuickBooks editions.

Reason: This error can occur if the pricing scheme (for sales orders) or vendor (for purchase orders) is set to tax inclusive in inFlow.

Solution: Check the pricing scheme (sales) or vendor (purchase) settings in inFlow and make sure the tax-inclusive option is disabled. If clicking the Retry button doesn’t push the order to QBO, follow these steps:

For Sales Orders:

1. Open the sales order linked to the error.
2. Change the pricing scheme to a different one.
3. Save the changes.
4. Change the pricing scheme back to the correct one.
5. Save again.
6. If needed, click Retry on the Integrations page.

For Purchase Orders:

1. Open the purchase order linked to the error.
2. Change the vendor to a different one.
3. Save the changes.
4. Change the vendor back to the correct one.
5. Save again.
6. If needed, click Retry on the Integrations page.

Sales Shipping is disabled in QuickBooks but specified in the inFlow transaction.

Reason: QuickBooks Online needs to have Shipping enabled so shipping information can be synced from inFlow to QuickBooks Online.

Solution: In QuickBooks Online, find the cogwheel on the top right. Click Account and Settings. Click Sales on the left bar. Edit the Sales form content section so that the Shipping setting is on.

QuickBooks Online can’t connect

If too many sales orders are saved in inFlow at the same time (for example, while importing sales orders), you may get an error saying: “Cannot connect to QuickBooks Online at the moment.” This error will also be accompanied by a red exclamation mark on the top right-hand corner of the QuickBooks Online image and a warning on the inFlow for Windows app.

Don’t panic! QuickBooks Online has a system that prevents too many orders from being synced at once, so your orders are still able to sync. You’ll just need to wait a little, then click the Retry all button to sync again.

 If the Retry all option doesn’t work, please contact the inFlow team so we can further assist you.

The post QuickBooks Online order sync troubleshooting appeared first on inFlow Inventory.

Manufacturing reports

Work in Progress cost breakdown

The cost listed in this column is calculated by the total of the following: 

• Other costs field
• Cost of picked non-stocked raw materials
• Completed operations (quantity x per unit cost) + (per-hour cost x hours of labor)

Estimated material cost breakdown

This is an optional column that is hidden by default in this report. Select the Customize headers button to add this column to the report.

This column is calculated by the cost of stocked raw materials on the MO that have already been picked. This amount is based on the current cost at the time you generated the report.

The estimated material cost shouldn’t be added to the QTY picked column in the Inventory summary report, as those values are already included.

Product costs & quantities

For a detailed look at how product costs are calculated, take a look at this guide.

inFlow provides various quantities displayed in its reports. Look at this article to learn more.

Accessing manufacturing reports

1. From the Main Menu > hover over the Reports button > Manufacturing.
2. Select a report from the list.
3. Select All filters to add searchable fields, and click the Customize headers button to change the headings on the report.
4. Click Generate to view the report.

Which report should I use?

If you’re unsure about which inFlow report to choose, the inFlow Report Comparison tool can help! This tool allows you to select the specific columns you want to include in your report, and it will instantly display a list of relevant reports on the left side of the screen.

Just click on any report title, and you’ll be taken directly to the information you need and get the insights that matter!

The post Manufacture order reports appeared first on inFlow Inventory.

Inventory reports

Historical inventory reports

Inventory aging

Reporting on current inventory levels in inFlow

You can view your inventory at a glance with the Inventory details report.

1. Hover over the Reports button, then Stock Levels.
2. Select Inventory > Details.
3. Click on Select to open the report.
4. Click Generate to view your inventory levels.

Which report should I use?

If you’re unsure about which inFlow report to choose, the inFlow Report Comparison tool can help! This tool allows you to select the specific columns you want to include in your report, and it will instantly display a list of relevant reports on the left side of the screen.

Just click on any report title, and you’ll be taken directly to the information you need and get the insights that matter!

The post Stock levels & inventory reports in inFlow appeared first on inFlow Inventory.