Learn how to establish the connection to Xero and establish the necessary mappings to link Projectworks to your Xero organizations.
Getting Started
It literally only takes a couple of minutes to connect Projectworks to Xero and complete the required connections.
This article covers the steps that need to be followed to establish the connection between Projectworks and Xero. It also covers the mappings that need to be set up so the data can flow accurately between both systems. The set up only needs to be done once and that will allow users with the required permissions to export invoices to Xero and reconcile Projectworks with Xero.
This article covers:
How to set up Projectworks
Setting up Projectworks to integrate with Xero is an administrator task and is done on the Integration - Accounting page within the Admin section. Setting up the Xero connection is a one off task and Projectworks will remain connected to Xero as long as the credentials remain valid.
Establishing the connection to Xero and completing the necessary configuration should take less than 5 minutes.
Before you start you will need:
- The credentials for Xero
- To understand what Projectworks GL Codes map to Xero Account Names
Connecting to a Xero organisation (authorising connection)
How to Connect to a Xero organisation
Connecting Projectworks to your Xero organisation is easy. The connection is initiated from the Integration - Accounting page in the admin section.
- Click "Connect to Xero"
- Enter the credentials for Xero (and authentication steps as needed)
- Select the Xero organisation you wish to connect to
This will establish the connection between Projectworks and Xero for the selected Organisation. To complete the integration a number of mappings need to be set to enable the correct data in Projectworks and Xero to be aligned.
Using multiple Xero organisations
Projectworks can be configured to connect to multiple Xero organisations. This is useful if you are running separate General Ledgers for offices/locations within a single Projectworks instance. For example, within a single instance of Projectworks you have three offices set up; Wellington New Zealand, Auckland New Zealand and Seattle USA.
The Wellington and Auckland offices both use the same General Ledger while Seattle has their own General Ledger. Once multiple Xero organisations have been successfully connected to Projectworks, you can specify which Xero organisation a Projectworks office is associated to. This is done by editing the mappings for the Projectworks Offices.
Set Xero organisation mappings
Once Projectworks has been connected to Xero and authorised you need to set up various mappings. The mappings are needed to link the relevant pieces of information in Projectworks to the corresponding entries in Xero. The mappings only need to be set up once but can be edited at any time.
Mapping Reference Field
Projectworks invoices include a reference field. This is typically used to include the Purchase Order from the customer which relates to the work conducted. This is important to show on the invoice that goes to customers, but may not necessarily be the most relevant piece of data to export to Xero.
For each office in Projectworks you can choose to either map the Projectworks Reference or the Projectworks Project Name to the Xero Reference Field.
Specify which piece of Projectworks data will be used for the Xero Reference field.
- Each Office in Projectworks is listed, with the Xero Organisation it is linked to, and which Reference filed is mapped
- The Reference filed options are:
- Invoice reference - the value entered as the "Reference" on a Projectworks invoice
- Project name - the Projectworks Project Name the invoice is for
- The Xero Reference field will be populated with the selected data from Projectworks.
Note: Each office can be configured to use a different reference field if required.
Mapping tax types
Tax Types are set up in Projectworks to allow the correct tax types and rates to be applied to invoices generated within Projectworks. Tax Types are also set up and managed within Xero and used for invoices generated from within Xero. The same set of tax types don't need to exist in each system, however linking the tax types in both systems allows for seamless integration as data moves between systems.
To map the Tax Types you need to choose the Xero Tax Type that corresponds to the Projectworks Tax Type:
- Each Tax Type within Projectworks is listed, showing the name, jurisdiction and rate
- The Xero Tax Name field lists all Tax Types present for that Xero organisation
- Select the corresponding Xero Tax Type to establish the mapping
Note: It isn't mandatory to map every Projectworks Tax Type to a Xero Tax Type. If required you can also have multiple Projectworks Tax Types mapped to the same Xero Tax Type.
Mapping GL Codes
GL Codes are set up in Projectworks to categorise revenue from invoices. The GL Codes should align with GL Codes within your accounting system (Xero). Each invoice line on a Projectworks invoice is tagged with the GL Code and when exported to Xero ensures that revenue is correctly categorised and to the appropriate Xero account name (GL Code). The same set of GL Codes don't need to exist in each system, however linking the GL Codes in both systems allows for seamless integration as data moves between systems.
To map the GL Codes, you need to choose the Xero Account Name that corresponds to the Projectworks GL Code:
- Each GL Code within Projectworks is listed, showing the type Services or Non Services) and the GL Code
- The Xero Account Name field lists all Account Names present for that Xero organisation
- Select the corresponding Xero Account Name to establish the mapping to a Projectworks GL Code
Notes:
- It isn't mandatory to map every Projectworks GL Code to a Xero Account Name.
- If required you can also have multiple Projectworks GL Codes mapped to the same Xero Account Name.
- If an invoice line is for a GL Code which isn't mapped to a Xero account the export will fail.
Make sure you map the GL Code to and income Account. All invoice lines need to be mapped to income accounts, not expense accounts.
Mapping Currencies
Projectworks can accommodate multiple currencies for budgets and invoices, allowing different offices or projects to have their financials tracked in the appropriate currency.
There is no need to map the currencies from Projectworks to Xero as both systems have the same master set of currencies.
To have multiple currencies set up for your Xero organisation you need to have bank accounts that can accept each currency.
Only invoices for a currency which exists in Xero can be exported from Projectworks