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Xero Connect Settings
Updated over a week ago

Configure the mapping options available for customizing how contact, invoices, credit notes, supplier bill expenses, and staff expenses are synced from Synergy to Xero using Synergy Connect.

Setup required before use

Who can use it?

Where is it?

Assistant system administrator

System administrator

Connect to accounting > Xero Connect > Settings

What are Xero Connect settings?

Synergy applies the default settings to Xero Connect, for the most commonly used options. Use this area if you want to customize how the data is sent or will appear in Xero. The available settings are:

  • General settings - control what date from which the data is sent to Xero.

  • Invoice settings - customize what information is shown on the invoice and credit notes, such as the invoice text, invoice reference, inventory items, and account code mappings. Add filters to limit what data is sent to Xero.

  • Payment settings - choose if you are importing payments to Synergy (most common), or if you are exporting payments from Synergy to Xero.

  • Tracking categories - chose what Synergy data will be mapped to be sent for each of the Xero tracking category reporting options. Tracking categories selected are sent for invoices and expenses exported to Xero.

  • Bill settings - customize the details that are shown on the bill in Xero. Edit items such as the inventory item, line description, and account code mapping. Choose if bill payments are imported from Xero.

  • Staff expense settings - customize the details that are shown on the staff expense in Xero. Edit items such as the inventory item, line description, and account code mapping.

  • Tax settings - map the Synergy tax codes to the Xero tax code options.

Why use Xero Connect settings?

Control what data is synced, and how the items will be formatted in Xero for invoices, credit notes, supplier bills, and staff expenses.

Settings available

The 'Export from date' setting allows you to control how far back in Synergy that Connect checks for data like:

  • Invoices (Synergy invoice date)

  • Credit Notes (Synergy credit note date)

  • Payments (invoice payment date in either Synergy or Xero)

  • Bills (Synergy bill date)

  • Staff expenses (Synergy transaction date for cash and travel staff expenses)

The export date defaults to the first day of the current month when you first open Xero Connect. Update this date to be the date that you will start using Xero Connect from, e.g. the cut over date. Update the date using the calendar or by typing a new export from date.

Then this export from date should be updated to be either the end of the year (calendar or financial) or quarter. This ensures that Synergy doesn't try to lookup and send over data from a past period that is already locked in Xero. The other advantage to rolling this date forward is that the Connect Preview screen loads quicker, as there is less data to check between Synergy and Xero when preview is working out what to display. This is important as the before the preview sync screen is loaded it checks each item against Xero to see if already exists, and then only the items required to be sent are shown in the preview window.

Use the invoice settings to control what information will show in the Xero on the invoice and credit notes. Control different information for the top header section of the invoice, vs what information from Synergy is shown on the lines of the invoice.

Choose what details will be shown in the 'Reference' field on the Xero invoice. The options available are:

  • None - No detail will be sent to Xero for the 'Reference' field on the invoice.

  • Invoice Text - The invoice text entered on the Synergy invoice will be sent to Xero to be shown in the 'Reference' field. Send this detail to Xero to make sure that both Synergy and Xero users see the same note that was sent to the client on the invoice.

  • Project number - Default option applied. This will send the Synergy project number to show in the 'Reference' field on the Xero invoice.

  • Client reference number - This will send the Synergy 'client reference number' which is entered on the project details tab into the optional field of the same name. This can be sent to Xero, if you prefer to show the clients project numbers on the invoice. For example this can be used to keep track of the external reference number for a project that many large corporations require to have displayed on all invoice and credit documents.

Note: This option does not apply to credit notes. Credit notes will always show the original invoice number that the credit note is linked to in the reference field in Xero. This allows the user to know which Xero invoice to link the credit note to after the sync has been run.

Enable this option to create an invoice in Xero that matches how the invoice is displayed in Synergy.

This box is checked by default, to send the information typed into the 'invoice text' field on the Synergy invoice or credit note to Xero. The invoice text is added to the Xero invoice as an additional invoice line. The Xero invoice line is created with no inventory item code, and has $0 value. The line will be shown at the top of the Xero invoice before the invoice lines with value attached. If this box is unchecked then only the invoice lines with an invoice value are created in Xero, and the invoice text is not sent to Xero.

Tip: If the 'Invoice note' field is blank on the Synergy invoice, then the additional invoice line is not created in the Xero invoice.

You can select which group of invoices are sent to Xero by using filters. Filters are available for office, invoice and credit note prefixes.

For example if you tick 'SYD', all your invoices from your 'Sydney' office location will appear in the Preview for import to Connect.

Note: At this stage, filtering is only available on invoices on Connect. Office expenses and bills are not filtered.

Setup this filter by:

  1. Select the 'Filter synergy invoices' option

  2. If you want to include specific invoice prefixes, project prefixes or an invoice office, check them in the relevant dialog.

  3. Each box you tick will be included in the sync to Xero.

  4. Save the settings tab.

Tip: All the unchecked prefix settings options are not sent to Xero.

In Xero 'Inventory Items' are entered on each row of an invoice or credit note. Use this setting to control what will be used to create the inventory item for each invoice stage line shown on the Xero invoice. The required new Xero inventory items are created by Connect as part of the sync. Xero Inventory Items can be found in (Xero > Settings > Inventory Items).

The Inventory Item options are:

  • None - No inventory item will be sent to Xero. The 'item code' field will be blank on the invoices or credit notes created by Synergy within Xero.

  • Project number - Most Common -This will transfer the project number to be the Xero 'item code', and the project name will appear as the 'description' within Xero inventory items list. Use this option if you want to create the inventory Items in Xero using the project number, to be able to include options for reporting by project number in Xero for invoice sale revenue. The item code is shown on invoices and credit notes created by the Xero Connect interface.

  • Discipline - This will transfer the 'discipline code' entered against the discipline in Synergy to be the Xero 'item code', and the 'discipline description' appears as the 'description' for the Xero inventory item. On the invoice the discipline code in Synergy will be shown as the 'item code', and the description will show as the stage name. This applies or both invoices and credit notes created by the Xero interface.

  • Cost center - This will transfer the 'cost center code' entered against the cost center in Synergy to be the Xero 'item code'. The cost center description will appear as the 'Description' for the item in Xero inventory items list. On the invoice the stage name is shown as the description, and the cost center code in Synergy will be shown as the 'item code' on the invoice and credit notes created by the Xero Connect interface.

Tip: The inventory item description does not get displayed on the invoice / credit note. The project stage name from the invoice / credit will be shown in that field on the invoice in Xero.

The Account Code is used to define which 'revenue account' the invoice / credit notes will be transferred into within Xero. The demo Xero company file has a 'revenue account' with the account code of 200. You may have setup multiple extra revenue accounts in Xero, to track different revenue streams for different office locations or types of business.

Use the account code mapping options to sync the Synergy invoice revenue into the matching sales revenue account streams in Xero. Account code mapping options available are:

  • Fixed Xero account - All Synergy invoices and credit notes will be synced to the one fixed Xero account. Select this account from the drop down list. This is the default option to be applied, and it will default to the account #200.

  • Synergy discipline - Select this option and the invoices and credits are sent to the 'account code' listed on the discipline. The discipline is attached to each invoice stage line, which allows for the different stages on the one invoice to all appear in different revenue accounts in Xero. Add discipline details and related account codes in Synergy (Settings > Project Lists > Disciplines).

  • Synergy cost center- Select this option and the invoices and credits are sent to the 'account code' listed on the cost center. The cost center is attached to each invoice stage line, which allows for the different stages on the one invoice to all appear in different revenue accounts in Xero. Add cost centre details in (Settings > Project Lists > Cost Centres).

Tips:

  • See which accounts exist within Xero > Settings > Chart of accounts > Revenue tab.

  • Learn more about how account code mapping works.

Use Connect to sync the invoice payment details to avoid having to enter the same data in both Synergy and Xero. Payments entered in Xero for Synergy invoices will be transferred in the Xero Connect sync.

Payment options are:

  1. Import - Import payments entered in Xero to Synergy. Use this when the Finance team is entering all the invoice payments in Xero, and you want to be able to see the matching payments against the invoices in Synergy. Most commonly used option.

  2. Export - Export payments entered in Synergy to Xero. Use this when the Administration team are entering the invoice payments in Synergy, as they don't have access to Xero.

  3. Both - Enable both options to be used in the one Xero Connect run. This can be useful if one Administration user is entering payment details in Synergy, and other user in the Finance team is entering payments in Xero.

Tip: Xero payments for expenses (creditors) and payroll payments are not synced between Synergy and Xero.

Export all the Synergy entered invoice payments into either:

  1. Single Xero account - A fixed bank account number in Xero

  2. Specific Xero account - Map the payments exported from Synergy using the 'payment type' to a Xero 'bank account'. This allows for each payment type method in Synergy to appear in a different bank account location in Xero.

This is the default option, and the bank account will default to selecting the first available location in the list. Change the bank account to a different location if required and save the Xero Connect Settings page.

The payment drop down list is generated by your Xero database. The accounts shown in the list are either 'Bank' type accounts, or have been marked in Xero using the 'Enable Payments to this account' setting.

Map each of the payment types within Synergy to a bank account within Xero. A different bank account can be chosen for each payment type used in Synergy, to allow you to send different types of revenue to different bank accounts in Xero. These mapping options are shown only when payments are exported from Synergy to Xero using the specific Xero account option.

The Synergy payment types are setup in (Organization > Settings > Project lists > Payment types). Each active payment type is shown in this panel. Assign a Xero bank account to all the payment types shown in the list before running Connect.

This payment drop down list is generated by your Xero database. The Xero account column shows all accounts within Xero > Chart of Accounts, which are either a Bank account type, or are another type of account which has been marked with the 'enable payments' option.

Tip: Payment accounts are setup within Xero using the Xero > Settings > Chart of accounts function.

Group together similar types of revenue streams with tracking categories in Xero reports. In the Xero Connect use the settings tab to configure what type of Synergy data is mapped to each of the tracking categories in Xero. Tracking categories are used in Xero to show a revenue breakdown in reports such as the profit and loss report , account transactions report, and the tracking summary report.

Tracking category details can be sent from Synergy to Xero for invoices and credit notes. A maximum of two tracking categories can be setup in Xero, and the Connect settings area allows you map different types of Synergy data to each of the tracking category options. If tracking categories are not enabled in Xero then this panel in the settings area for connect will be blank. Learn more in the Xero help files about how to setup tracking categories: https://help.xero.com/au/Settings_Tracking

Step 1: Select a record type.

Select a Synergy record type option, and each of items available for that record type will be shown in the drop down list to map against the Xero tracking categories. Synergy record type options are:

  1. Project manager - The mapping option looks at the staff member is listed as the project manager for the project invoice being transferred by Connect. Each of the staff in Synergy that are 'Project Manager' access level or higher are shown in the Synergy value drop down for mapping.

  2. Stage manager - The mapping option checks the staff member is attached to the project stage in the work breakdown, and that stage is included on the project invoice that is being transferred by Connect. Each of the staff setup in Synergy are shown Synergy value drop down list for mapping.

  3. Contact account manager - This mapping option looks up the contact account manager that is entered against the invoice contact. This detail in entered on the contact details page, not in the invoice itself. Each of the staff setup in Synergy are shown Synergy value drop down list for mapping.

  4. Discipline - This mapping options checks the work breakdown stage for what discipline was entered, when that stage is included on the project invoice. Each of the Synergy discipline options that are 'active' are shown in the drop down list.

  5. Cost center - This mapping options checks the work breakdown stage for what cost center was entered, when that stage is included on the project invoice. Each of the Synergy cost center options that are 'active' are shown in the drop down list.

  6. None - Choose this when you don't want to sync any data to show with these tracking category options. This drop down will always then be blank on the invoices or credits notes created in Xero.

Step 2: Select the Synergy value.

Based on the record type selected the 'Synergy value' column is automatically populated. Select what Synergy data will be mapped to each of the Xero tracking category options. If one item is left blank, then no data will be sent with the invoice / credit note to that Xero tracking category option.

Example

Below you can see that the record type of cost center has been applied, and that the Synergy value has been chosen for each regional tracking category option in the Xero company file.

Tip: Select the 'Synergy record type' of 'None' if you don't want to use Xero tracking categories.

Control how the supplier or subcontractor bill details will be transferred from Synergy to Xero. Before a bill can be exported to Xero it must be:

  • Locked

  • Checked to be 'exported to Connect'

If either of the above it not true then the bill will not exported to Xero, and will remain in Synergy only.

Use the bill settings to control what details are sent to Xero, the account mapping, and the appearance of the Xero bill.

Check the option for exporting bills and the other options below are shown. This option should be checked if you want to export Synergy bills (supplier and subcontractor expenses) from Synergy to Xero. If this option is unchecked the other bill header and line settings below are hidden as you are not sending bills to Xero.

When exporting bills to Xero we provide you with default settings for the most commonly used options. Update these header and line settings as required.

If this option is checked then the text entered into the 'notes' field of the bill will be exported to Xero. The note will be added into the Xero bill as a $0 line, which then allows you to see the entire string of note text from within the Xero bill.

If this option is unchecked then the bill note is not exported to Xero. This option is enabled by default.

This option will import the bill payment details from Xero into Synergy. Synergy imports a summary payment line once the Xero bill is paid in full. This bill payment line includes the Xero payment date, and payment reference note text. The bill payment is marked as paid by Xero. If the bill is part paid in Xero, then the payment is not imported.

If this option is unchecked then the payment is not imported to Synergy, and the staff will need to update Synergy to match Xero manually.

This option defaults to be enabled.

In Xero 'Inventory Items' are entered on each row of a bill. Use this setting to control what will be used to create the inventory item for each line within the bill. The required new Xero inventory items are created by Connect as part of the sync. Xero Inventory Items can be found in (Xero > Settings > Inventory Items).

The Inventory Item options are:

  • None - No inventory item will be sent to Xero. The 'item code' field will be blank on the invoices or credit notes created by Synergy within Xero.

  • Expense type - Most Common -This will transfer the expense type name to be the Xero 'item code'. The expense type is entered against each line of the Synergy bill.

  • Discipline - This will transfer the 'discipline code' entered against the discipline in Synergy to be the Xero 'item code', and the 'discipline description' appears as the 'description' for the Xero inventory item. The discipline is entered in the header section of the bill in synergy, and the same item will be applied as the inventory item in Xero for each of the lines in that bill.

  • Cost center - This will transfer the 'cost center code' entered against the cost center in Synergy to be the Xero 'item code'. The cost center description will appear as the 'Description' for the item in Xero inventory items list. The cost center is entered in the header section of the bill in synergy, and the same item will be applied as the inventory item in Xero for each of the lines in the bill.

The Account Code is used to define which 'expense account' the bills will be transferred into within Xero. For example the demo Xero company file has a 'expense account' General Expenses with the account code of 429. You may have setup multiple extra revenue accounts in Xero, to track different expense types or streams for different office locations or types of business.

Use the account code mapping options to sync the Synergy expenses into the matching expense account in Xero. Account code mapping options available are:

  • Fixed Xero account - All Synergy bills will be synced to the one fixed Xero account. Select this account from the drop down list. This is the default option to be applied, and it will default to the account #429 "General Expenses'.

  • Synergy expense type - Select this option and the bills are sent to the 'account code' listed on the Synergy expense type (Settings > Project Lists > Expense Types). The expense type is attached to each bill line in Synergy, which allows of the different lines in the one bill to all appear linked to different expense accounts in Xero.

Tips:

Use this setting to select what text is shown on each of the bill lines in Xero. The Xero line description can be set to be the:

  1. Synergy bill line description - this is the text entered on the bill line. Default option applied. This makes the Xero bill look the same as the Synergy bill.

  2. Synergy expense type - the name of the expense type on the Synergy bill line will be used to create the Xero bill line description.

Staff entered cash and travel expenses in Synergy can be exported to Xero using Connect. Staff expenses will be sent to Xero to create a Xero bill so that the staff member can be reimbursed for their out of pocket expenses. The staff members must have a unique ID number assigned before they can have their expenses exported to Xero.

Use the staff expense settings to control what details are sent to Xero, the account mapping, and the appearance of the Xero bill.

Check the option for exporting staff expenses and the other options below are shown. This option should be checked if you want to export Synergy staff expenses (cash and travel expenses) from Synergy to Xero. If this option is unchecked the other staff expense settings are hidden as you are not sending staff expenses to Xero.

When exporting staff expenses to Xero we provide you with default settings for the most commonly used options. Update these settings as required.

If this option is checked then the 'note' entered against the staff cash or travel expense is sent to Xero. It will be added to the Xero bill as a $0 line, to allow you to read all the text for this expense from Synergy. If this item is unchecked then the staff expense note is not sent to Xero. This is checked by default.

In Xero 'Inventory Items' are entered on each row of a bill. Use this setting to control what will be used to create the inventory item for each Synergy staff (cash or travel) expense. The required new Xero inventory items are created by Connect as part of the sync. Xero Inventory Items can be found in Xero > Settings > Inventory Items.

The Inventory Item options are:

  • None - No inventory item will be sent to Xero. The 'item code' field will be blank on the invoices or credit notes created by Synergy within Xero.

  • Expense type - Most Common -This will transfer the expense type name to be the Xero 'item code'. The expense type is entered against each Synergy staff cash or travel expense.

  • Project number - This will transfer the project number to be the Xero 'item code', and the project name will appear as the 'description' within Xero inventory items list. Use this option if you want to create the inventory Items in Xero using the project number, to be able to include options for reporting by project number in Xero. The project must be selected in Synergy for each staff cash or travel expense entered.

The Account Code is used to define which 'expense account' the bills will be transferred into within Xero. For example the demo Xero company file has a 'expense account' General Expenses with the account code of 429. You may have setup multiple extra revenue accounts in Xero, to track different expense types or streams for different office locations or types of business.

Use the account code mapping options to sync the Synergy expenses into the matching expense account in Xero. Account code mapping options available are:

  • Fixed Xero account - All Synergy staff expenses will be synced to the one fixed Xero account. Select this account from the drop down list. This is the default option to be applied, and it will default to the account #429 "General Expenses'.

  • Synergy expense type - Select this option and the Synergy staff expenses are sent to the 'account code' listed on the Synergy expense type. The expense type is attached to each staff cash or travel expense entered in Synergy, which allows of the staff expenses to be entered with different expense types on the same days expense claim in Synergy. These expenses can then be matched to the Xero categories using the account codes within (Settings > Project Lists > Expense Types).

Tips:

Select what details will be shown on the Xero bill line for each of the Synergy staff expenses transferred. The options available are:

  1. Synergy project, stage, rate and expense type (default) - the details from the staff cash or travel expense are sent. This is the project name, stage name, rate name, and expense type name entered against that Synergy staff expense. Using this options gets the full expense details from Synergy into Xero.

  2. Synergy project and stage - send the project name and stage name entered on the staff expense in Synergy to be the line details in the Xero bill. Use this is a summary of the expense details are needed in Xero.

  3. Synergy rate and expense type - send the rate name and the expense type name on the staff expense in Synergy to be the line detail in the Xero bill. Use this option if you want a summary of the expense in Xero that doesn't show the project name.

  4. Synergy expense type - send the expense type name entered on the staff expense in Synergy to be the line details in the Xero bill. Use this option if you don't want the Synergy project or rate details to be shown in Xero.

  5. Synergy note - send the note entered against the staff expense in Synergy to be the line details in the Xero bill. When you use this option you normally disable the 'staff expense note' setting, as otherwise you get the staff expense note twice in the Xero bill.

Map the tax rates within Synergy to the matching tax rate in Xero. The invoice tax is used for invoices and credit notes transferred to Xero, and the expense tax is used for staff and supplier bill expenses transferred to Xero. For example match the Synergy 'Tax Free' tax rule to the Xero 'No GST' tax code.

Tax codes in Synergy are setup in the feature: Organization > Settings > Financial > Tax codes. Synergy creates the default tax codes for your region, but additional tax codes can be added in this feature if required. Synergy defaults the tax codes expected to be used into the Connect settings for the standard tax codes, but any additional tax codes that you have added will need the mapping to Xero setup manually.

In the below example you can see that Synergy has two tax codes, tax applicable for a 10% GST / VAT, and tax free. These tax codes are mapped to the matching item in the Xero company file for both invoices and expenses.

Tip: All Xero tax rates setup in Xero within the (Settings > Financial > Tax) feature are shown in the Synergy Connect tax code drop down list.

Each change to the connect settings is tracked in the audit. This means you can always see who changed each setting, and when. You can also see what the setting was before that user made that change to the connect settings. This feature is mostly used by your System Administrator, or Synergy Support when they are investigating why data is not being sent across to Xero as it had previously been sent.

Open the audit by:

  • Click the text 'Audit' In the top right of the screen.

  • In the open Audit screen click on a row, and another pop-up is shown with a full list of all the changes made in that edit set. This can be important when many items were edited at once.

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