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.

Furthermore, rather than treating all company types in one chapter (as most computerized accounting books do), service, merchandising, and project-based companies are broken out separately. This approach helps students learn how the software applications would be implemented in a business environment, so they can practice computerized accounting as they would in the real world.

Clear Writing

The author’s focus on clarity and readability is a cornerstone of the text, and review feedback has been overwhelmingly positive about the quality of the writing and student comprehension. The book is written clearly to aid student understanding of difficult concepts. Clear explanations of why certain procedures are used in QuickBooks 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. Williams’ Computerized Accounting 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 (project) costing, 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 how to work in Quickbooks.

WARNING Boxes

WARNING boxes highlight common 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 every section in the first ten 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 a fictional but realistic company that provides accounting services to small business clients.  The Practice Exercises can be done in class, with the instructor, as part of the lecture component of the course or can be done by the students, on their own, as part of the lab component of the course. 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 that are a combination of accounting concepts and QuickBooks application questions.
• End-of-chapter assignments featuring realistic companies. Two sets of assignments are included per chapter, allowing the instructor the ability to change the material assigned to various course sections.

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

End-of-Book Assignment

An optional assignment is provided at the end of the book that instructors can assign as an extra credit assignment. It includes two separate assignments requiring students to identify and correct errors in realistic sets of company files.

Appendices

There are a number of additional topics that are helpful to students as they master QuickBooks, 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 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 QuickBooks. It also covers cash versus accrual accounting. Other end-of-book appendices review accounting principles and mechanics, including:

Certiport-Mapped

The book has been reviewed by Certiport and maps to the 10 domains that comprise the exam objectives for the QuickBooks Certified User Exam.

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. The author has prepared a map correlating the chapter content to the Certiport domains. See preface page x.

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. Furthermore, rather than treating all company types in one chapter (as most computerized accounting books do), service, merchandising, and project-based companies are broken out separately. This approach helps students learn how the software applications would be implemented in a business environment, so they can practice computerized accounting as they would in the real world.

• Section One—Introduction
  • The first chapter introduces students to the basic structure of QuickBooks 2018.
    • File types
    • Lists
    • Navigational tools
    • Preferences

• Section Two—Service Companies
  • The next three chapters (Chapters 2, 3, and 4) cover the sales, purchase, and end-of-month cycles in a service company.
  • Students are introduced to accounting for basic accounting transactions in a computerized environment.
    • Sales on account and cash sales
    • Purchases on account and cash purchases
    • Customer collections and vendor payments
    • Bank reconciliations
    • Standard end-of-month adjusting entries
    • Financial statement reporting

• Section Three—Merchandising Companies

• • The section introduction includes a description of internal controls in QuickBooks.
  • Chapters 5, 6, and 7 cover the sales, purchase, and end-of-month cycles in a merchandising company.
  • Students are introduced to accounting for more complex transactions in a computerized environment.
    • Purchase and sale of inventory
    • Sales tax
    • Sales and purchase discounts
    • Inventory tracking, adjustment, and valuation
    • Sales of equipment
    • Bad debts and bounced checks

• Section Four—Payroll, Project Costing, and Billing for Time
  • Chapter 8 covers basic payroll functions that would be used in all types of companies (service, merchandising, and manufacturing).
    • Compensation (salaried and hourly)
    • Paycheck creation
    • Payroll taxes (withholding and remittance)
  • Chapter 9 covers job costing and billing for time.
    • Tracking time
    • Billing for time and expense
    • Tracking and reporting profitability by project

• Section Five—Beyond the Basics
  • Chapter 10 covers budgeting and segment reporting.
    • Creating budgets
    • Budget variance reports
    • Use class tracking to report on business segments
  • Chapter 11 covers a number of special tools in QuickBooks
    • Memorizing reports and transactions
    • Customization of forms
    • Custom reporting
    • Exporting reports to Excel
    • Creating reversing entries
  • Chapter 12 covers the initial set up of companies in QuickBooks and the conversion of existing companies to QuickBooks.
    
  • Chapter 13 provides an overview of QuickBooks Online.

For Instructors

• Solutions Manual files prepared by the author contain solutions to all the assignment material.

• QuickBooks backup files for each assignment are available.

• PowerPoint presentations illustrate chapter concepts and outline key elements with corresponding screenshots for each chapter.

• Test Bank questions written by the author includes true/false and multiple-choice questions for each chapter.

• Two Midterm and Two Final Exams prepared by the author are provided and are designed to test students’ understanding of the fundamentals of accounting and the mechanics of computerized accounting in a small service business. The midterm exam covers the material included in Chapters 1 through 4. One of the final exams covers the material included in Chapters 1 through 8. The other final exam covers the material included in Chapters 1 through 10. The exams are to be completed using QuickBooks and can be completed in a two-hour class session

• Extra Credit project suggestions

• myBusinessCourse: A web-based learning and assessment program intended to complement your textbook and classroom instruction (see separate tab). This easy-to-use course management system includes question banks comprised of practice exercises, test bank questions, and assignment questions related to the end-of-chapter content that can be graded automatically. eLecture videos created and narrated by the author are also available (see below for list). myBusiness Course provides students with additional help when you are not available.

For Students

• Access to 140-day trial of QuickBooks 2018 Premier software with purchase of each new copy of the book.

• myBusinessCourse: (See separate tab about features.) A web-based learning and assessment program intended to complement your textbook and faculty instruction. This easy-to-use program grades assignments automatically and provides you with additional help when your instructor is not available. Access is free with new copies of this textbook (look for the page containing the access code towards the front of the book).

• eLecture Presentations created and narrated by the author and available in myBusinessCourse cover essential topics and procedures in QuickBooks, including:

■ Creating, opening, and backing up files

■ Setting up accounts

■ Setting up customers

■ Recording sales and customer payments

■ Setting up vendors

■ Setting up employees

■ Setting up payroll items

■ Setting up items (one for service, one for product)

■ Recording purchases and vendor payments Using Timesheets

■ Paying employees

■ Setting up 1099 vendor tracking

■ Reconciling bank and credit card accounts

■ Preferences in QuickBooks

■ Financial statement presentation hints

■ Customizing reports

■ Finding errors in company files

• QuickBooks Student data files (as .QBB files) are available for download from the book’s website.

• Check Figures are included for assignments, allowing students to focus on the process and reduce frustration.