Using the e-conomic integration for invoicing

Forecasts integration with e-conomic allows for additional financial monitoring and accessibility. With the integration in place, users will be able to export invoices, import purchase orders, and more. The main purpose of the integration is the ability it grants to export invoices to e-conomic from Forecast. 

This article includes:

• Exporting and Synchronizing Invoices
• Unlinking Invoices from e-conomic

Exporting and Synchronizing Invoices

The export and synchronization of invoices are available as soon as the integration with e-conomic is configured. This allows the user to both export invoices they create in Forecast, and update them after changes have been made in e-conomic, by using the Synchronize button. 

Exporting Invoices

With the e-conomic integration, it is possible to export invoices created in Forecast to e-conomic. The only prerequisite to exporting an invoice from Forecast to e-conomic is that e-conomic customers need to be linked to Forecast clients so that the invoice falls under a client that has a profile in your e-conomic account. To learn more about this, see Linking Clients between e-conomic and Forecast. 

To export invoices from Forecast to e-conomic

1. Click Finance in the top bar.
2. Click All Invoices.
3. In the dropdown on the top left, select the time period that covers the project you wish to export. You can also select Custom Range and input a range of dates.
4. Click on New Invoice on the right hand of the screen next to the Synchronize button if it is necessary to create the invoice. If the invoice already exists skip to step 8.
5. Select the project that should be exported. If uncertain as to how to create an invoice please review our article Creating Invoices for your Customers.
6. Once the invoice is created return to the Invoices page where all created invoices appear.
7. Click on the Export button at the end of the invoice line.
8. From the window that appears, select the customer that this invoice is for. If the client you are looking for does not appear make sure that their profile is linked with their profile in e-conomic.
9. Select the e-conomic Client the invoice should be associated with.
10. Select the e-conomic Product the invoice should be associated with.
11. Click on Export to finalize the process.

Once the invoice is exported to e-conomic, the invoice status in Forecast will show as Exported.

Synchronizing Invoices

Once you export an invoice from Forecast, that invoice is un-editable in Forecast. Conceptually, exporting an invoice is handing over control of that invoice to e-conomic. Any changes made to the invoice, its entries, and payments in e-conomic are imported back into Forecast on synchronization. 

To synchronize an invoice

1. Click Finance in the top bar.
2. Click All Invoices.
3. In the dropdown on the top left, select the time period that covers the project you wish to export. You can also select Custom Range and input a range of dates.
4. Once the invoice is found, click on the Synchronize button on the right of the screen.

After a few seconds of loading (depending on the load), all updated information that resides in e-conomic will come over and appear in the invoice in Forecast. 

Invoice Statuses

The e-conomic for Forecast integration also allows users to view certain statuses reflected back from e-conomic in Forecast. In Forecast this synced status can be seen in the category e-conomic Status. This gives account and project managers better visibility into the statuses of invoices on their projects and means finance managers spend less time communicating with project/account teams about these statuses.

Overview of e-conomic statuses

• PAID: The customer paid the invoice in full. 
• OVERDUE: Payment is overdue on this invoice.
• BOOKED: The invoice has been booked.
• DRAFT: A draft invoice.

Unlinking invoices from e-conomic

Once an invoice is exported to e-conomic no changes can be made to it. It will no longer be possible to edit or delete it. It is possible, however, to unlink it and then edit it or delete it. 

To unlink an invoice from e-conomic

1. Click Finance in the top bar.
2. Click All Invoices.
3. In the dropdown on the top left, select the time period that covers the project you wish to export. You can also select Custom Range and input a range of dates.
4. Once the invoice appears on the screen click on the three dots that appear when you hover over at the end of the invoice line. 
5. Click on Unlink. This will trigger the confirmation window.
6. Click on Unlink again if the unlinking should proceed.

This will allow for the invoice to be edited in Forecast and also for it to be deleted. Once done it is possible to re-link it to e-conomic.