This article details the upcoming changes in our Q4 2024 major release, including potential impacts on your synchronization process.
Autotask Contacts to Xero Customers - UDF Position Required
What's changing?
If there are multiple active contacts associated with an Autotask company, you must designate one of them as the Accounts Position via the UDF for syncing with Xero.
Previously, setting a UDF was recommended but optional. Now, it is mandatory to designate one of the active contacts as the Accounts Position for syncing with Xero.
Failure to set the UDF can result in a synchronization error.
FAQ
Q. Will I need to manually update all of my customers and set the UDF position?
A. A new report is now available that can export a CSV file, automatically mapping to your Xero companies. This report generates Autotask contacts using the Xero primary contact data and assigns them the 'Position' UDF for you.
Q. Do I need to set the UDF position if I have only one contact for the customer?
A. No, a single contact for a Autotask customer will not cause the sync fault, however if you had two or more contacts without the UDF set you will get a sync error.
Q. If I have opted not to update Xero customers in Cloud Depot, am I still required to set the UDF position?
A. You are still required to set up the Position UDF. However, if the synchronization successfully identifies an existing Xero customer that does not require any updates at the time of sync, the enforcement of the UDF position requirement is relaxed. This means it may not be necessary in such cases. Please note that this exception does not apply to multi-sync (parent/child) environments.
Q. Why have you made this change?
A. There have been cases where customers unintentionally deleted the UDF position in Autotask, leading to billing problems. While this change may require extra effort from your team initially, it will ultimately enhance the accuracy of your billing processes.
Please be aware that currently, the synchronization does not allow for the specification of multiple Account Positions. You are only able to designate one per Autotask Company.
Purchase orders
Purchase orders will now also utilize the Position UDF logic above, but unlike a sales invoice the PO will not require a contact to synchronize.
Migration strategy:
A new report is available to help you identify any customers that do not match and contacts that are missing active UDFs. This report can be exported as a CSV file for easy import into Autotask, allowing it to automatically generate the necessary UDF contacts for you.
Billing items with no attached line items
What's changing?
Typically, a billing item without any linked line-items is usually a configuration problem, although there are cases where it is intentionally done to avoid syncing certain items. Previously, the invoice would be skipped over, but with the latest update, it will now immediately show an error instead.
Migration strategy:
To disable this configuration option and return to the previous status where the invoice was skipped over, please reach out to our support team for assistance.
New After Hours Quiet Mode
What's changing?
To help you stay within the strict API limits of Autotask and Xero, we have introduced a new feature called Quiet Mode. By enabling quiet mode (turned on by default) and setting your time zone with Cloud Depot, our synchronization tool will automatically reduce the number of API calls made between the hours of 9pm and 6am (based on your local time). This will help prevent your API limits from being exceeded and ensure smooth operation of the integration.
Migration strategy:
Although you have the option to turn off quiet mode if needed, we highly recommend keeping it turned on for optimal performance.