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Transfer Data & Accounting

Learn how to add data and accounting from a previous accounting or project management software and create opening balances in Design Manager

Bobbie Combs avatar
Written by Bobbie Combs
Updated over 5 months ago

When moving from one software to another, for example if you previously used QuickBooks and are moving over to Design Manager, you can have some of your data imported and you can reproduce your account balances from your previous accounting software into Design Manager.


The data that can be imported into Design Manager are Client list, Vendor list and a list of Ship-To addresses. To have this information imported, you'll need to export these lists individually as a CSV or Excel file. Then you can email these lists to our Support Department at support@designmanager.com and they will import these lists for you and let you know when they are imported.

Before you start reproducing your previous accounting software into Design Manager, you'll want to follow the Getting Started tips below. Then you can begin to enter client balances, vendor balances, outstanding checks and deposits, and general ledger account balances. The steps to enter these are listed under the below steps.


1. Pick a start date for when ALL work will be further completed in the Design Manager system - we suggest the first day of the month; for example: 6/1/24. Once you have picked a date, ALL new Items and entries will be entered in Design Manager ONLY from this date forward. NOTE: ALL of the entries below should be entered the day before this transition date (the prior months' end or 5/31/24 for example).

2. Create a list of Clients with open receivables from your old accounting system (aged accounts receivable, customer balance detail or equivalent report that show Clients and the Invoices that the Client has not yet sent payment for)

3. Enter a new Project and Client into Design Manager for each Client on the list. It may be a good idea to enter any outstanding Invoice numbers and Purchase Order numbers into the Project notes, as Design Manager will assign its own numbers to these documents. You may also use the Transaction Description area of the new Invoice in Design Manager

4. Create a list of open Client deposits (deposits collected from Clients but not applied to an Invoice yet)

5. Enter a new Project and Client into Design Manager for each Client on the list- unless they have already been entered as per above

6. Create a list of open accounts payable (aged accounts payable, Vendor balance detail or equivalent report that show Vendors and payees to which money is owed) from your old accounting system

7. Add a Vendor in Design Manager for each vendor on your list above

8. Create a list of open Vendor deposits (deposits sent to Vendors but you have not received a final bill yet)

9. Enter a new vendor into Design Manager for each Vendor on the list - unless they have already been entered as per above

10. Create a list of outstanding checks and deposits that have not cleared the bank

11. The balances from the last bank statements of each account you have; including Credit Cards (these bank statements should have already been reconciled in your old system)

12. A trial balance (list of accounts with the current balance in each account) from your old accounting system. (Review the Design Manager list of General Ledger accounts found under General Ledger and Accounts to be sure the necessary accounts are already in Design Manager. If not, add them)

Enter Client Balances

1. Client Deposits - Add a new Retainer through Cash Receipts for the Client's entire open deposit amount. You will be able to allocate this retainer manually, as needed, when you create Invoices for the Client. Once all are entered, the Open Client Deposit report in Design Manager should match your Open Client Deposit report in your old accounting system. You can learn how to enter a Retainer here

2. Client Invoices - Enter a line Item/specification in the newly created Projects for each Invoice on the Client's open receivable list from your old accounting software. All you have to fill in is the price field under the component. Make sure the price is equal to the total amount of the Invoice from your list. Create a new Invoice for each of these Items. Next print the Design Manager Aged Accounts Receivables report and make sure that it matches your old accounting system report. You can learn how to enter an Invoice here

Enter Vendor Balance

1. You will need to enter an Operating Expense for each bill listed on your open accounts payable report from your old accounting system. On each entry use the appropriate expense or cost of goods sold account. After you make the entries, print a Design Manager Aged Accounts Payable report and check to make sure that the report matches your old accounting system report. You can learn how to enter a Vendor Invoice here

Enter Checks and Deposits

1. Enter another Operating Expense for each outstanding check written that has not yet cleared the bank. When entering the Expense, use the hand check button to fill in the number and date of the check already written from your previous program. Make sure that you use either expense or cost of goods type of accounts when making these entries

2. Enter a miscellaneous Cash Receipt for each bank deposit that has not cleared the bank. Next, enter one final miscellaneous cash receipt to serve as your opening cash balance. On this entry make the amount equal to the ending balance on your last bank statement. It is a good idea to use the retained earnings account for the miscellaneous cash receipts

Entering General Ledger Accounts

1. Compare the trial balance for your old accounting system to your trial balance from Design Manager. Your cash, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and Client deposit account balances should already match if you have correctly followed the steps above. Write the correct numbers/amounts next to the accounts on the Design Manager Trial Balance printed. Add a new Journal Entry for each account that does not match to make the two (Design Manager and old accounting) Trial Balances match. You can learn how to enter a Journal Entry here

Entering Client Payments and Vendor Bills as they come into your company

1. When a Client payment comes in for an Invoice that was in your old system, enter it against the new Invoice that you have created in Design Manager. Make sure that you put it against the correct Invoice in Design Manager, as the Invoice numbers will not match the Invoice numbers from your old accounting system

2. When a bill comes in from a Vendor, enter it as you normally would into Design Manager. If the bill is for a PO that was created in your old accounting system, you will have to create an operating expense for it because there will be no PO. If a Vendor deposit is involved, enter that as a negative amount on the bill's distribution using the Vendor deposit account. Enter the total amount of the Invoice as positive numbers to the appropriate cost of goods sold or expense accounts

All items that have not yet been invoiced in your old accounting system will need to be re-created in Design Manager under their respective Projects. You can do this by adding new Items/Specifications into the respective project to get started.

Here is a list of default Accounts already set-up in the Design Manager system for your review. If your previous accounting software has additional accounts, you'll need to add these accounts. You can learn how to add a General Ledger account here

Account Number

Account Name

Account Type

10010

Cash - Checking

Asset (Bank/Checking)

10090

Petty Cash

Asset (Bank/Checking)

10900

Un-deposited funds

Asset

15000

Accounts Receivable

Asset

16000

Vendor Deposits

Asset

17000

Inventory

Asset

17100

Work In Process

Asset

19100

Equipment

Asset

19110

Accum. Depreciation - Equipment

Asset

20000

Accounts Payable

Liability

21000

Sales Tax Collected

Liability

22100

Federal Income Tax Withheld

Liability

22200

Social Security Tax Withheld

Liability

22300

Medicare Tax Withheld

Liability

22400

State Income Tax Withheld

Liability

22500

Local Income Tax Withheld

Liability

23000

Client Deposits

Liability

23100

Credits/Gift Certificates

Liability

31000

Common Stock

Equity

32000

Retained Earnings

Equity

33000

Owner's Draw

Equity

39000

Suspense

Equity

40000

General Revenue

Revenue

41100

Accessories

Revenue

41200

Antiques

Revenue

41300

Art

Revenue

41400

Craftsmen & Artisans

Revenue

41500

Equipment & Fixtures

Revenue

41600

Employee Time

Revenue

41700

Finishes & Trim

Revenue

41800

Floor Coverings

Revenue

41900

Furniture

Revenue

42100

Lighting

Revenue

42200

Plantings

Revenue

42300

Crating

Revenue

42400

Wall Treatments

Revenue

42500

Window Treatments

Revenue

49000

Freight Revenue

Revenue

49100

Installation/Labor Revenue

Revenue

49200

Design Fees/Markup

Revenue

49300

Finance Charges

Revenue

49900

Bad Debt/Write Off

Revenue

50000

General Cost of Goods Sold

Cost of Goods

51100

Accessories

Cost of Goods

51200

Antiques

Cost of Goods

51300

Art

Cost of Goods

51400

Craftsmen & Artisans

Cost of Goods

51500

Equipment & Fixtures

Cost of Goods

51600

Employee Time

Cost of Goods

51700

Finishes & Trim

Cost of Goods

51800

Floor Coverings

Cost of Goods

51900

Fabric

Cost of Goods

52000

Fabric

Cost of Goods

52100

Lighting

Cost of Goods

52200

Plantings

Cost of Goods

52300

Crating

Cost of Goods

52400

Wall Treatments

Cost of Goods

52500

Window Treatments

Cost of Goods

59000

Freight Costs

Cost of Goods

59100

Installation/Labor Costs

Cost of Goods

59200

Design Fees/Markup

Cost of Goods

59300

Vendor Discounts

Cost of Goods

61000

Salaries

Expense

61010

Social Security

Expense

61020

Medicare

Expense

61030

FUTA

Expense

61040

SUI / State DBL

Expense

61050

401K Matching

Expense

61300

Medical Insurance

Expense

61400

Life Insurance

Expense

61500

Workman's Comp Insurance

Expense

61600

Gas / Electric

Expense

62100

Office Supplies

Expense

62200

Repairs & Maintenance

Expense

62300

Office Rent

Expense

62400

Telephone

Expense

62500

Postage

Expense

62600

Travel & Transportation

Expense

62700

Printing

Expense

63000

Professional Services

Expense

63100

Bank Service Charges

Expense

63200

Insurance

Expense

64000

Advertising

Expense

64100

Meals & Entertainment

Expense

67000

Depreciation

Expense

68000

Taxes

Expense

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