Files in KashFlow with Dropbox
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on November 1, 2011
We’ve just added integration with Dropbox into KashFlow accounting software.
This means you can upload and attach files to all sorts of accounting records such as your quotes, invoices, customer and supplier records. Even Journal entries.
You can enable the integration with just a couple of clicks by going to Settings -> External Services -> Dropbox
What is Dropbox?
Dropbox is a service that can mirror a folder (and its sub-folders) from your computer to the cloud.
You can then access those files from other computers that you’ve installed Dropbox on, mobile devices (iPad, iPhone, etc) as well as via the web at dropbox.com
It also stores previous versions of files so if you mess something up you can retrieve an old version. You can also share specific folders and files with other people.
You get 2GB of storage space for free – but you can increase that to 8GB by referring others to the service. Or even up to 100GB is you’re willing to pay for it.
If you don’t already have a Dropbox account then sign up now (which will give me an extra 250mb)
How does KashFlow integrate with Dropbox?
When you authorise KashFlow to access your Dropbox account, you’re giving us access to a new folder in <your Dropbox folder>/apps/KashFlow. We don’t have access to any of other files you store in Dropbox.
Within the Dropbox settings in KashFlow you choose which areas you’d like use Dropbox file storage – ie, invoices, Customers, etc.
Let’s take Customers as an example.
If you have a customer with the code JOEB01 then when you visit that customers page in KashFlow you’ll see a section labelled “Notes & Files”. From there you can upload files and delete or see any previously uploaded files (either download them in full, or for some file types just see a preview).
The files are physically stored in /apps/KashFlow/Customers/JOEB01. As you might expect, you can add files to this folder via any other method (ie, on your computer, mobile device, etc) and they’ll also show in KashFlow.
Things you should know
If you change a customer code (ie from JOEB01 to JOEB02) or re-number an invoice then your files wont show. We’ll be looking for a folder called JOEB02 instead of the old JOEB01 folder where the files actually are.
You can rename the folder in Dropbox to JOEB02 and all will be fine.
Receipts already allowed the uploading of files, and these are not stored on Dropbox. Our QuickSnap iPhone app for example allows you to upload a photo of a receipt.
We’ll eventually be upgrading the app to use Dropbox instead, but in the meantime the “old” file listings will still be shown on the Receipts pages.
Tell us what you think
Once you’ve had a play with it, let us know what you think of it in the comments section below.
If there are other areas in the software that you think it’d be useful to be ale to store files then let us know.
It’s relatively easy for us to add files to pretty much any section of the software.
Sign up for a free Dropbox account.
5/11/2011 – Update
We’ve added a few extra features based on feedback received.
You can now:
- attach files to bank accounts
- attach files to bank transactions
- preview files using Google Docs View
The above can all be enabled in Settings –> External Services -> Dropbox.
Additionally when you preview a PDF (Invoices, Remittance Advice, Reminder Letters, etc) you’ll see a button to save the file to the Customer/Supplier Dropbox.
34 Responses to Files in KashFlow with Dropbox
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No, afraid not.
And if you manually create a folder in the structure then it wont show in KashFlow.
We may add the ability to do this in the future though.
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It would be great to be able to send a KashFlow-generated PDF of an invoice, statement, credit note, etc. to the customer’s folder in Dropbox.
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Tony Edgecombe
I’d like to see this, currently the backup doesn’t include these files so putting them in DropBox would solve that problem.
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Steven
The dropbox integration on the bank module would be helpful for attaching direct debit schedules etc for bank payments and receipts where invoices are not provided. Examples would be car leasing payment schedules (particularly for VAT), car insurance and business insurance.
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1. DropBox has had well documented security issues recently
2. Folders are not password protected, hence can be ‘discovered’
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Great idea, I’d really like to see it support dropping bank statements in their and having them attached to the bank accounts.
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Arber Pacarada
Damn it. Just a week ago I signed up with SugarSync, because they have slightly better deals. Perhaps you should reveal a roadmap of updates to us.
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RE Road maps, see http://www.kashflow.com/blog/buy-what-we-have-today-not-what-we-might-have-tomorrow/
Whenever I’ve gone against my own advice there, I’ve regretted it!
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I read that blog that is why I said it. What I want to know is are you going to make it possibble to integrate with Google Apps (Gmail, Calendar etc.) because I want to ditch my CRM.
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Gavin Henry
I’ve just testing and can’t see any files in my dropbox folder on my MacBook Pro but can on KashFlow. It says it’s sync’d too. They are not showing on the DropBox website file browser either :-(
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It sounds like KF is connected to a different Dropbox account then. DO you have more than one? In Settings -> Dropbox it will show you the account details (name, email address)
Are they the same as what you see when logged in at dropbox.com?
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Dup Doxbox account, nevermind!
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Stuartdenton
Hi, I use KashFlow for my accounts and Payroo for my payroll – I don’t suppose any chance of linking Payroo to KashFlow at some point in the future – I know you recently linked to another payroll service (i can’t remember the name) but it has a limit of 10 employees, hence Payroo (which offers more) is the one I use for my business. Also, once this Dropbox linkage is all up and running, it would be really useful to see some detailed examples on how customers are intergrating the Dropbox feature into their daily workflows. Keep up the great work Mr Jackson – its thanks to you I ditched Sage and their extortionate prices and having to stick with Windows (yuck!).
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Hi Stuart,
Integration with Payroll is always done from the Payroll software end, rather than ours. We have documents that help them do it. I think we’ve been in touch with them before but I’ll get in touch again to see if I can encourage them to integrate.
I was hoping to get some detail on how people are using the Dropbox integration. But all we (as KashFlow) will ever know from our data is whether or not it’s enabled – not what files, if any, they’ve uploaded. The integration is so secure that we have no idea about any of that!
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Mark
Sugar Sync is a stronger product, with lower pricing.
Dropbox has had some file corruption isues in the past, where as I haven’t found any problems in two years of using Sugar Sync.
Here’s a review comparing Dropbox with Sugar Sync
http://www.groovypost.com/howto/review/sugarsync-vs-dropbox-alternative-you-never-asked-for/Personally Sugar sync has it for me, more functions with lower costs (free account gives you 5Gb!)
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Rob
Hi Duane and team.
This seems like a fantastic feature.
It would be even more useful if you can develop in interlinking kind of system that creates a web of all records (for example:- You upload a file to an purchase receipt, and at the moment it only shows on that invoice. It should also show on the corresponding suppliers record, and also on any related job references. Similarly a file on an estimate should also show on the related customer and job reference pages. Also files uploaded against sales invoices should also show in the corresponding customers record. Files uploaded on a bank transaction should be linked to the supplier/customer as appropriate and also the corresponding purchase receipt or sales invoice.)
With the current system of separated files it makes record keeping in the cloud more labour intensive and therefore less attractive. If you are able to integrate and link these features as suggested then you will increase the benefit to the end user of using dropbox over keeping their own records.
2. Are you able to address the security issue mentioned earlier with regards to ensuring that the uploaded files on dropbox are as difficult to access as the kashflow system itself.
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Hi Rob,
That’s a really good suggestion. I’ll give it some thought to see how we could go about implementing it.
Re point 2, have you read http://www.dropbox.com/help/27
Files uploaded with KashFlow to Dropbox are possibly more secure than other files, as stuff in the “/Apps” directory can’t be shared even if you want to.
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“stuff in the “/Apps” directory can’t be shared even if you want to”
Maybe I misunderstood previously.
So this Dropbox integration is not to share files with customers, just for our own benefit? -
Rob
Hi Duane,
Just wondered if you had made any progress (or are planning to soon) on the suggestions above about the full integration of dropbox files between customers/ invoices/ purchase/ssuppliers/ notes etc///
Also now that you have added dropbox for the purchase receipts it is even more important that i can separate my different kashflow accounts into different folders in dropbox … will this be possible any time soon.
Thanks!! Keep up the good work!
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Duane,
Another user problem (I don’t think this will be too hard to overcome).
I have 3 kashflow subscriptions for 3 small businesses that I run. I want to enable kashflow to sync with dropbox on all 3 off these accounts. This is going to create a problem as each kashflow account wants to connect to the apps/kashflow folder, and therefore the records and files are going to get mixed up (and there’s possible conflict of file names/clientnames/suppliernames.
What we need is a way of choosing what the kashflow folder is going to call itself (from within the kashflow side of the drop box settings menu). Then under each kashflow account I can enable a different drop box target folder.
Please help with this if you can!!
Thanks
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Hi Rob,
That’s not easily resolved. The “KashFlow” folder name is set at the Dropbox side of things for the entire integration.
The solution would be for us to let you create sub folders withint he KashFLow folder.
IE /apps/KashFlow/Company1/… and /apps/KashFlow/Company2/…
I was thinking it would also be nice for users to be abel to choose the folder name for “Customers” and even set the folder name per customer, etc too. Perhaps some sort of Advanced Settings.
It wont happen any time int he immediate future, but I’ll log it as a request and see if we can do it at some point.
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Ann Dartnall
As accountant this would be great to store 64-8s copy & antimoney laundering copies so I can get rid of some of that dratted paper & stop having to produce it in the first place.
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Ok, this is nearly brilliant. I’ve got it working, but what would be really ahndy is if the invoices/receipts themselves would connect the document to the actual page, rather than going back up through the supplier/customer page each ite.
If that’s not clear, what I mean is, if I save KF01417 in the right supplier folder, when I then look at receipt 01417, that file should be in the notes section for that invoice.
As it is, it is still handy, but not quite killer. Yet.
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Great addition. Another benefit of cloud based accounting is the frequent upgrades that just keep coming.
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Previously, when scanned in receipts were added, an icon would show up to see that this had been done.
Now with dropbox there is no easy way to see from the list of purchases within Kashflow that there is an accompanying scanned receipt. Can you add that?
Apart from that I find the integration with dropbox far easier in terms of getting my scanned receipts into Kashflow.
Many thanks… -
Previously, when scanned in receipts were added, an icon would show up to see that this had been done.
Now with dropbox there is no easy way to see from the list of purchases within Kashflow that there is an accompanying scanned receipt. Can you add that?
Apart from that I find the integration with dropbox far easier in terms of getting my scanned receipts into Kashflow.
Many thanks… -
Tony
Please can we add docs to journals?
Quote ‘It’s relatively easy for us to add files to pretty much any section of the software.’ Thanks-
You already can. It was one of the many areas we added to Dropbox to soon after this integration was released.
Just enable it in Settings -> Dropbox
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Suggestion: number the folders with leading zeroes. As things stand, receipt 1999 will be shown in Dropbox before receipt 2.
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