Is there a way to track your company's backlog through Quickbooks?

Hello there, svegroup.

Welcome to the Community. Allow me to lend a hand with your question about backlogs.

Can you share with me more if you're referring to sales backlogs? If so, the only options in QuickBooks Online are to use Delayed Charge or Estimate and rename the template to Sales Order.

I'm adding the steps below on how to rename an Estimate template:

1. Click the Gear icon.
2. Select Custom Form Styles.
3. Search for a template (estimate).
4. Click Edit or create a new template by clicking New style.
5. Go to the Design tab and rename it as Sales Order.
6. Go to the Content tab.
7. Below Form, change the name to Sales Order.
8. Click Done.

You also have the option to use Delayed Charge in QuickBooks Online by clicking the Plus sign and selecting the Delayed Charge option.

For more insights and detailed instructions, I'm adding this link for you:

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/ca/tutorials/delayed-charge-invoicing/.

Please be sure to let me know if you need further help. Any additional details will ensure a timely solution.

I own an engineering services company and my work is mainly project based.  What I want to know is when I get a signed PO from my client for work, how to I track that value (backlog) in QB?  Is there a way to do so.  Anything we attempt ends up affecting our A/R which is not how backlog should be calculated or tracked.

Example:  Client B is hiring me for a project starting in 2 months.  The contract amount is $40.  Client C is hiring me for a project starting in 1 month.  The contract value is $60.  I haven't started work on either project but I have a backlog of $100.

Hello CGKJRG,

We can record your backlogs as retainers in QuickBooks Online. Before that, there are a few things we need to set up:

1. Create a liability account
2. Create a retainer item
3. Create a sales receipt to record the contract amount.

Here are the detailed steps for Step 1:

1. Click Accounting on the left menu and go to the Chart of Accounts tab.
2. Click the New button and select Other Current Liabilities in the Account Type field.
3. Select Trust Accounts - Liabilities in the Detail Type field and enter the Name.
4. Click Save and Close.

Here are the detailed steps for Step 2:

1. Click Sales on the left menu and go to the Products and Services tab.
2. Click the New button and select Service as the item type.
3. Enter the liability account in the Income account field.
4. Make sure to select Nontaxable in the Sales tax category field.
5. Enter other details such as Name, Category, and Description.
6. Click Save and close.

Here are the detailed steps for Step 3:

1. Click +New on the left menu and select Sales receipt.
2. Enter the client details and the Sales Receipt date (when you receive the contract amount).
3. Select the Payment method and the bank account in the Deposit to field.
4. Enter the service item you created earlier and the contract amount.
5. Click Save and close.

Once you're ready to invoice your clients, make sure to include the service item with the negative amount. Here's how:

1. Click +New on the left menu and select Invoice.
2. Enter your client details and the invoice details (date and terms).
3. Enter the services you made to your client and enter the positive amounts.
4. Add the service item (backlogs) and enter the amount as negative (-).
5. Make sure the BALANCE DUE is a positive amount.
6. Click Save and close.

After that you can pay the invoices the usual way you do it. Then, deposit the payments if necessary.

You can also view the other information in recording retainer through this link: Record a retainer or deposit.

That's quite a process but I know you can do it. Get back to us if you require additional assistance.

I use the desktop version from 2016 at present and am looking at running a backlog report for the DESKTOP version of QB. Can anyone assist with this?

Hello, ShieldsH.

I'd like to assist you in running a backlog report in QuickBooks Desktop. 

Can you share more details about what data you would want in a backlog report? I'd appreciate if you could shed more light into it. This way, I'll be able to come up with the appropriate steps and helpful information on running the report. 

In the meantime, I've got some steps that'll help you get the report you need. 

Are you trying to run a report that lets you see a backlog of all of your backordered sales order in QuickBooks? If that's the case, we can use the Open Sales Order by Item report (Open Sales Order by Customer also works).

Here's how to run it: 

1. Go to Reports.
2. Hover your mouse on Sales.
3. Select either Open Sales Order by Item or Sales Order by Customer.
4. On the report overview, click the Customize Report button. 
5. Go to the Display tab.
6. Under COLUMNS, search for Backordered and check it.
7. Click OK. 

However, are you trying to see a report backlog for all of the aging unpaid invoices? If so, we can use the A/R Aging reports to see them.

From the Reports menu, hover your mouse on Customers & Receivables, then select either A/R Aging Detail or A/R Aging Summary. 

Though if you're referring to the backlog of all accumulated actions within your company, we can use the Audit Trail report. This will let you view all of the logs for all actions and entries.

From the Reports menu, hover on Accountant & Taxes, then select Audit Trail. 

Want to more about running reports in QuickBooks? We can take a look at this article for more details: Understand reports. 

If you need to see the same data on your reports in the future, we can memorize them in QuickBooks. This article highlights the steps and details on how to do it: Create, access and modify memorized reports.

You're more than welcome to drop by and reply to this thread if you have more questions in running reports in QuickBooks. If you'd like to add something, let me know and I'll gladly help you out. 

Thank you. I am looking for something along these lines to track what we have paid to vendors on jobs, versus what we have received from customers and what the balance is for each. I have no idea how this report was created, however.

Thanks for coming back and sharing details, @ShieldsH.

Currently, there isn't a way to view a direct backlog report to track what you have paid to vendors on jobs versus what you've received from customers.

In QuickBooks Desktop, you'll have to customize vendor reports to track balances and what you have paid for vendors on jobs and customize customer, job, and sales reports to see customer funds received.

In addition, I'd like to include this article as your reference for more details about tracking your company's financials in the system: Understanding reports and targets.

Let me know in the comment if you have other concerns about tracking your vendor payments and funds received from the customers. I'm always around to help. Take care always!

Hi, I am interested in the same report asked by 'ShieldsH'.  I read your response and discusses vendor payments but i doint think that was part of the question and its not what I am looking for.  As a consultant we have signed contracts with overall balances varying by new work and invoicing/payments.  We would like a report that carried a running balance of unbilled work carried in all of the active approved estimates.

The formula for this backlog would be overall estimates total value minus invoices linked to these estimates = backlog.  This backlog value will let us know running balance of future billings.

Thank you

Glad to see you here in the Community, @Jbart4.

Let me help you pull up a report in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) that shows the running balance of unbilled work carried in from approved estimates.

To do that, let's run a Job Estimates vs. Actuals Detail for Customer report. From there, we can see the overall estimates subtracted by the invoices linked to these estimates.

I'll show you how:

1. Go to the Reports menu.
2. Select Jobs, Time & Mileage.
3. Click Jobs Estimates vs. Actuals Detail.
4. From the Customer Job dropdown, select a customer.
5. Click OK.

You also have the option to customize it so you can filter the information you want to appear in the report. Additionally, if you want the same customization to be available for future use, you may also create a memorized report.

You're always welcome to leave a reply below if you have additional concerns with running reports. We're here 24/7 to back you up. Have a nice day!

Hi thank you but I do not see any tab or link for " Jobs, Time & Mileage."

Thank you for getting back to us, @Jbart4.

I’m here to guide you further regarding the reports you’re looking for in QuickBooks.

The steps provided by my colleague above, JaeAnnC, are guidelines to obtain this within your QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT). If this is not available on your end, it could be that you’re using QuickBooks Online (QBO). With that, I’ll provide you with the step-by-step process and enable you to obtain the details needed for the report.

Beforehand, ensure that the Progress Invoicing is turned on on your end. It is to enable you to apply partial invoices from a single estimate. To check, here’s how:

1. Go to the Gear icon and select Account and Settings.
2. Then, tap the Sales tab.
3. Hover your cursor to Progress Invoicing and toggle this on.
4. Once done, click Save and Done.
   

To run the report showing the backlog you are referring to, you can proceed to the steps below:

1. Navigate to the Reports menu and enter Estimates & Progress Invoicing Summary by Customer on the search bar.
   
2. On the reports window, press the Customize button to customize the Rows/Columns showing on your end.
3. If you already have the details needed, click Run report.

Additionally, you’ll want to check out this article for more details when customizing reports in QuickBooks Online. This way, you modify the data showing on your reports to focus on what matters the most: Customize reports in QuickBooks Online.

Moreover, you can utilize the memorize report feature in QBO. This way, you can use your previous customization.

Feel free to comment if you have more concerns about running reports. I’m just a post away. Have a good one!

Ok great thank you for this info!

You're always welcome, @Jbart4.
 

I'm happy to hear that we're able to help you out with your concern. Feel free to visit us again should you need help with anything else.

Have a great day!