Getting Started with Xero Integration
Content:
Screen Guide:
1. Prerequisites
Firstly confirm that
Workbench has been installed,
your Xero instance is ready,
and you know the Xero login credentials
then we are ready to set up the integration.
2. Setup Xero integration
Follow these steps to setup the integration.
A. Open the Xero Integration screen from the Administration - Data Transfer - Xero Integration menu.
B. In necessary select the applicable financial company to setup from Fin Co Code.
C. Click the [Connect to Xero] button to display the Xero login, and specify your Xero login details. If you are also using Xero Payroll, be sure the Xero login also has access to Xero Payroll.
D. After you have logged into Xero the access details will be saved by Workbench, and the Access Token and Company Name will be populated from Xero.
E. You can use the [Test] button to check the connection. A success message should display below the buttons.
F. Once complete click [Save] to retain your integration details.
3. Setup Company Groups
In Xero, the Contacts only become customers and suppliers after invoices are created against them, so Workbench uses membership in Contact Groups to designate Workbench AP and AR accounts.
A. Making the connection with Xero for the first time creates 2 Contact Groups:
Workbench AP (Suppliers)
Workbench AR (Customers)
Select the group to manage and the existing members will be listed.
B. Use the menu Options - Add to Group to add a company to the current group. This will allow the company to sync appropriately to Workbench.
The integration supports a Contact in Xero being either a Supplier or a Client in Workbench, but not both.
If it is both in Xero, it will only be imported as a Client in Workbench. The workaround solution is to manually flag the Company as a Supplier after it has been imported into Workbench, and manually populate the AP Account number.
4. Setup Account Numbers in Xero
Criteria for a Xero Contact to be imported to Workbench: the Xero Contact must have an Account Number and must belong to a particular contact group ("Workbench AP" for suppliers, "Workbench AR" for clients).
For all Xero Contacts (clients and suppliers) that must be exported into Workbench, an Account Number must be set in Xero. This will map to the Workbench AR or AP Account respectively.
To easily do this in Xero, you can use the Export function to export all Contacts into an excel file, where you can then set up their Account Numbers. You might want to follow a standard naming convention if you do not have one already. For example C00001,C00002, etc for Clients and and S00001,S00002, etc for Suppliers (or D and C for Debtors and Creditors). After setting them up, the file can be imported into Xero to populate the Account Number field.The Company address in Xero will be exported to Workbench as well as any Person contact details linked to the company in Xero. Where the Xero Contact does not have a Delivery address or Billing address, an empty address will be created for this Company in Workbench. Addresses are mandatory in a Company in Workbench.
Account Numbers are not mandatory in Xero. When you are setting up a new Contact, make sure a unique Account Number (a code that does not already exist) is set, so this new contact can be synchronized to Workbench.
In order to sync with Workbench, Xero Contacts also need to have an Account Number specified. The Xero Account Number maps to the Workbench AP or AR Account.
Next Steps:
Once configuration is complete, data export from Workbench to Xero is initiated for the respective batch types from Export Control.
If a company that has been synced to Workbench is archived in Xero, it has to be manualy flaged as inactive in Workbench, as this status is not synced. And the same if the company is removed from Archive in Xero, it needs to manually be made active in Workbench.