Outstanding Features of This Book

Structure

The 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's 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.

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 assignment material includes:

• Chapter shortcuts
• Chapter review with matching section 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.

Appendices

There are a number of additional topics that are helpful to students as they master QuickBooks are 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 ac- counting  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 found on the book’s website. The  map helps students  focus their  review for the QuickBooks User Certification exam so they can streamline their exam preparation.

Structure

• Section One - Introduction
•  The first chapter introduces students to the basic structure of QuickBooks 2020.
• 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 setup of companies in QuickBooks and the conversion of existing companies to QuickBooks.
• Chapter 13 provides an overview of QuickBooks Online.