New to This Edition

• Section Six—Cognitive Technologies, Data Analysis, and QBO—has been revised and updated. The section now includes a chapter on big data, artificial intelligence, and cognitive technologies and one on data analysis and visualization.
• A new appendix, Keyboard Shortcuts in QBO, has been added to Chapter 1.
• A new appendix, FIFO Layers in QBO, has been added to Chapter 7.
• Math Revealed! and Salish Software Solutions homework companies have both been updated with new transaction dates. Math Revealed! has also been updated with new transaction amounts.
• Chapter road maps of tasks and transactions are now available to instructors.
• The book has been updated for changes to QBO software.

Outstanding Features of This Book

Structure

The book is designed in such a way that the accounting  concepts, as well as the software mechanics, get more complex with each section. Other books focus primarily on software data entry. This book allows the students to see why events are recorded the way they are in a computerized accounting system while refreshing  students’ knowledge of accounting concepts and reinforcing  the accounting and journal entries behind transactions.

• Section One—Introduction
• Chapter 1 introduces students to the basic structure of QuickBooks Online Plus (QBO).
• Chapter 2 discusses the process of creating company files in QBO.
• Section Two—Service Companies
• The section introduction includes suggestions for finding errors in QBO.
• Chapters  3, 4, and 5 cover basic transactions in the sales, purchase, and end-of-month  cycles of a service company.
• Section Three—Merchandising Companies
• The section introduction includes a description  of internal controls in QBO.
• Chapters  6, 7, and 8 cover more advanced transactions including those found in the sales, purchase, and end-of-month cycles of a merchandising  company.
  
• Section Four—Beyond the Basics
• Chapter 9 covers budgeting, segment reporting, and automated entries.
•  Chapter 10 covers tracking and billing for time and expenses.
• Chapter 11 covers a number  of special tools in QBO such as saving customized reports,  customizing forms, managing attachments, exporting to Excel, and uploading receipts.
  
• Section Five—Paying Employees
• Chapter 12 covers basic payroll functions.
  
• Section Six—Cognitive Technologies, Data Analytics, and QBO
• Chapter 13 covers big data, artificial intelligence,  cognitive technologies, and QBO.
• Chapter  14 covers data analysis and data visualization.
  

Clear Writing

The book is written clearly to aid student  understanding of difficult concepts.  Clear explanations of why certain procedures are used in QBO are supported by relevant examples and relatable end-of-chapter assignments, serving to bridge the gap between computerized accounting concepts and real-world application.

Real-World Scenarios

Most computerized accounting textbooks on the market approach the teaching of QuickBooks in a prescriptive manner,  going through the procedures of the software while overlooking how an accountant  would actually utilize the software in the real world. The book takes a practical approach and shows the student  how the software is used in a business environment. In addition to the standard financial reports, students are exposed to job, segment, and variance reports.

Unique Pedagogy

The book’s four-color format facilitates student understanding and draws attention to the key concepts and pedagogy. Ample screenshots provide students realistic snapshots of what they will see when working in the software. A host of pedagogical elements serve as helpful illustrations, providing additional context and further  concept reinforcement.

HINT Boxes

HINT boxes appear throughout to provide helpful quick tips and tricks for working more efficiently in QBO.

WARNING Boxes

WARNING boxes highlight common technical pitfalls to avoid.

BEHIND THE SCENES Boxes

BEHIND THE SCENES boxes provide additional context in support  of the accounting that is going on inside the computer.

QuickChecks

When students are learning accounting application software, it’s natural for them to focus on the software mechanics and forget that they’re taking an accounting course. To help put some of their focus back on accounting, students are periodically asked a question related to material covered in the chapter. The questions are intended to remind them, either directly or indirectly, of underlying accounting concepts. The answers are included at the end of each chapter.

Key Terms

Appearing in red, bold font in the first instance, key terms are defined for the student in the margins of the text for a quick refresher.  A comprehensive glossary is included in the back of the book. 

Practice Exercises

Practice Exercises are included  at the end of sections in the first eleven chapters.  The exercises provide students an immediate  opportunity to practice  the material  they just learned and prepare them for completing  the chapter assignments. The exercises use the QBO test drive company,  a fictional company called Craig’s Landscaping  and Design set up by Intuit.

The Practice Exercises can be done in class, with the instructor, or can be done by the students, on their own, as part of the lab component of a face-to-face course or in online courses. Check figures are included with the exercises to reassure students that they are recording  the transactions accurately.

End-of-Chapter Material

End-of-chapter review material includes:

• Chapter shortcuts
• Chapter review with matching of terms to definitions and multiple choice questions related to chapter content
• Essay questions focused on issues faced by accounting and information systems managers, related to chapter content.
• A choice of two end-of-chapter assignments featuring fictional companies that move from services exclusively in the early chapters to selling both services and products in the later chapters.

The assignments include transaction and end-of-assignment check numbers for students. This allows them to focus on the process and reduces student frustration.

Appendices

There are a number of additional topics that are helpful to students as they master QBO, and these have been included as end-of-chapter and end-of-book appendices. Instructors may wish to cover these topics in class or have students go over them on their own time. End-of-chapter appendices on special topics include:

Students often have a difficult time seeing any similarities between computerized accounting systems and the more manual systems they saw in their  introductory financial accounting classes (the journal entries, T-accounts, and general ledgers). To help students connect the two, Appendix A (Is Computerized Accounting Really the Same as Manual Accounting?) is an accounting refresher that  compares  manual  and computerized accounting and provides examples of how journal entries, journals, T-accounts, and trial balances show up in QBO. It also covers cash versus accrual accounting.

Certiport-Mapped

The book has been mapped to the 10 domains that comprise the exam objectives for the QuickBooks Certified User Exam. A map correlating the chapter content  to the Certiport domains is available to students  on the book’s website so they can streamline  their exam preparation. A practice exam question bank is included in myBusinessCourse.

What Is the QuickBooks Certified User Exam?

The Intuit®  QuickBooks  Certification exam is an online exam that is proctored at Certiport  Authorized  Testing Centers. The certification  program  validates QuickBooks  accounting  skills while providing  students  with credentials  that  demonstrate real-world abilities to prospective employers. Once passed, test takers receive an official digital certificate representing their skills in QuickBooks.

Technology That Improves Learning and Complements Faculty Instruction

myBusinessCourse is an online learning and assessment program intended to complement  textbook and faculty instruction. Access to myBusinessCourse (MBC) is included with the purchase of a new textbook and can also be purchased separately.

MBC is ideal for faculty seeking opportunities to augment their course with an online component. MBC is also a turnkey solution for online courses. Following are some of the features of MBC.

Increase Student Readiness

• Auto-graded question banks comprised  of practice exercises and assignment questions related to the end-of-chapter content  provide immediate feedback to students. Assignments available in MBC are denoted by the  icon.
• Test Bank questions can be incorporated into your assignments for additional quizing and tests.
• Instructor gradebook with immediate grade results
• eLecture videos created and narrated by the author provide extra coverage of essential topics and procedures.  eLecture videos in MBC are denoted by the  icon.

Make Instruction Needs-Based

• Identify where your studetns are struggling and customize your instruction to address their needs.
• Guage how your entire class or individual students are performing by viewing the easy-to-use gradebook.
• Ensure your students are getting the additional reinforcement and direction  they need between class meetings.

Provide Instruction and Practice 24/7

• Assign homework from your textbook and have MBC grade it for you automatically. 
• Assignments with the  logo in the margin are available in myBusinessCourse.
• With the author-created eLecture videos, your students can revisit accounting topics as often as they like or until they master the topic. 
• Topics with the  logo next to it in the margin are available as an eLecture video in myBusinessCourse.
• Offer students multiple homework attempts giving them valuable practice finding and fixing accounting errors.