Recent Improvements to OE Companion

Those of you who regularly send us feedback know that we are extremely responsive to customer issues. We certainly don’t implement every suggestion that comes our way, but we do our best to incorporate your comments into the product. Here are a few nuggets we’ve added to OE Companion in recent weeks based on your feedback. Thanks again for sending it, and keep it coming.

• Added a discussion group (accessible via help menu)


• Improved display of sub-items and sub-customers


• Added estimated ship date to purchase orders


• Added ability to display purchase order numbers on packing slips


• Enabled an approval process for purchase orders


• Added ability to customize email messages sent with POs, sales orders, and packing slips


• Modified list screens so that they remember sort order


• Improved structure of help menus


• Modified purchase orders to include separate column for vendor part number


• Added setting to automatically CC all purchase orders to a specified address


• Added ability to specify that certain items should not synchronize with QuickBooks Online

What if QuickBooks Online adds inventory and purchase orders?

I get that question a lot when talking about OE Companion. It’s a good question. Here are my thoughts.

First, I assume that the question is “when,” not “if.” I would be stunned if Intuit has no plans to add those features to QuickBooks Online at some point in the future. So I’m proceeding on the assumption that they will.

What does that do to OE Companion and what would happen to your inventory data in OE Companion?

First, your data. If QBOE introduces inventory and purchase order features, OE Companion will give you the ability to export your existing inventory data to QBOE (assuming of course that QBOE allows us to do it). OE Companion sends all the data you need for inventory accounting to QBOE already, so it shouldn’t be a big problem.

Now, what happens to OE Companion? Keep in mind that inventory and purchase orders are just the first thing that was implemented in OE Companion. There is much more to come, and frankly the other stuff is much cooler! The bottom line is that OE Companion is a supplement to QuickBooks Online. If QBOE adds an inventory feature two years down the road (or whenever), then I encourage you to use it and I will do everything I can to support it. OE Companion will focus on other things. I assure you that there is plenty of functionality that we can add-on to QuickBooks Online.

OE Companion is Online!

The beta version of OE Companion is now available. To create your free beta account, go to http://www.oecompanion.com/.

This release includes mainly the inventory and purchase order functionality of OE Companion. Other features will be added as soon as they are available.

The beta trial will last somewhere between six weeks and several months. As described in a previous post, a monthly fee will be required to continue to use the service after the trial ends. Active beta testers (those who send us feedback) will receive a 50% discount on the first three months of service after the beta trial ends.

Certainly I want to eliminate any bugs or errors in the software, but most importantly I want your feedback on how well OE Companion works in your business. Your input will drive the future direction of the product.

I can’t wait to hear your feedback.