Client location:

1. Requirements

• Pentium 90 with 32 Megs RAM
• Prudent amount of free disk capacity (at least 200 MBytes)
• Functioning tape or other backup system and procedures
• Windows 95/98 with Dialup Networking and modem installed
• Internet Explorer 3.02 or above
• Quickbooks 6.0 installed, with chart of accounts, customers, vendors, item lists, etc.
• Sufficient knowledge or training in Quickbooks to create invoices, write checks, or whatever tasks are required at your business location.

2. Set-up instructions

• If dialing directly to CPA firm's modem, create a Dialup Networking icon for it.
• Connect to CPA Firm's Web Site (through internet or direct dialup.)
• Navigate to Quickbooks Upload page.
• Enter your password
• Say "YES" when asked to install the ActiveX component. (This component is required to Zip your Quickbooks file and send it to the CPA Firm for review and adjustment.)

3. The upload process

• If you plan to download changes later, make sure you do not need to use Quickbooks in the interim. Any work you may enter locally between the time you upload your Quickbooks file, and download a revised version from your CPA Firm, will be lost.
• Choose a time when your computer is not needed for a while.
• Connect to the Upload page on the CPA Firm's Web Site
• Enter you password, and complete the submission form to the CPA firm.
• Enter your choice of services:

• UPLOAD FOR FAXED ADJUSTMENTS if you only want to receive adjustments in written form, by fax or email.
• UPLOAD FOR DIRECT ENTRY OF ADJUSTMENTS if you want the CPA to enter adjustments directly into your Quickbooks ledger, and send it back to you later. Warning: this choice will lock you out of your Quickbooks ledger. To remove the lock, you must telephone the CPA or visit the web site again to advise the CPA you're continuing to make entries. (This is for your benefit. Of course you can always defeat this feature by restoring your backup)

• According to your instructions, the ActiveX Component will make a Zipped copy of your Quickbooks data and save it on your hard disk for backup. This same Zipped file will be transmitted to the CPA Firm's FTP server. If you are connected over the internet, the Zipped file will be encrypted. If you are connected by direct dialup connection, no encryption will be applied.

CPA Firm location:

1. Infrastructure requirements

• Pentium Pro or Pentium II-200 processor, Windows NT 4.0 SP3, 128 Megs RAM
• At least 500MB free disk capacity. Two or more hard drives recommended.
• If you provide direct dialup connections (recommended), RAS service installed
• If your clients always connect to you by direct dialup, no internet connection is required. But you must operate your own web server, FTP services, etc. to provide an interface to your users.
• If your clients connect to you via internet, you must decide whether to operate your own Web server and FTP server via a permanent connection to the internet, or to hire a web hosting service (recommended as cheaper and more reliable).
• If you maintain a permanent connection to the internet, a firewall solution is required.

2. Software requirements

• Quickbooks 6.0 installed
• IAS's QB Delta Report data analysis utility based on Datablox, Inc.'s Qbooks Office data export utility

3. Procedures

• Adhere to firm procedures or notification mechanisms, which alert you when a client has uploaded a Quickbooks file, and to ensure that the level of review requested can be done by the deadline they requested.
• When a client's Quickbooks file has arrived on your FTP server (i.e. your web server), decrypt and unzip the file with the QB Delta Report program. This will maintain a log of all files that it Zips and Unzips, (transmits or receives), based on the submission form and options submitted by the Client which are Zipped into the Ledger File at submission time.
• Execute the Grand Analysis function within QBDelta. This program will open the clients Quickbooks QBW file natively, export all transactions to your MS Access or Oracle database, and compare it with the last version (or any other version you select from the archive control list).
• You will magically be provided with various lists of differences between the files ("Delta" lists) such as:

• ILLEGAL CHANGES LIST - list of all changes made by the client to previously reviewed transactions. The QB-DeltaList program automatically remembers the date of your last review, and the last Quickbooks Transaction number you reviewed, because it maintains them in the version log. Based on those data, QB-DeltaList will display or print all changes to amounts or key codes like vendor or customer, since the last time. You may decide to accept the changes, autogenerate a text message requesting any particular entry to be changed to the previous amounts/codes, or (ugh) you may input the change yourself directly into Quickbooks.
• LEGAL CHANGES LIST - list of entries dated or numbered later than your last review. This list provides you the same three choices as above: accept, autogenerate text reversal, or manually correct the entry in Quickbooks.

• After completing the automatic, guided tour of changes provided by QBDelta, you may either fax them to client or operate Quickbooks to enter adjusting entries -the whole range of entries and adjustments you've been making for the client.
• When you are finished adjusting the ledger, it must be analyzed and backed up by QBDelta again, regardless of whether you are sending it back to the client, so that your environment will remember all the changes and adjustments you've made. Print whatever reports are needed, and exit from Quickbooks. Operate QBDelta to analyze ending dates and transaction numbers, and Encrypt and/or Zip the file for backup into your designated archive directory.
• If the client plans to download the revised Quickbooks file, you must operate the FTP choices on the QBDelta to upload it to your FTP server (i.e. the client's private directory on your web site.)
• The QB Delta has options to email or fax a notification to your client that the data is ready for them to download.