What is our primary use case?
In my previous company, we utilized QuickBooks Online (QBO) in an unconventional manner by integrating it with various e-commerce platforms and payment gateways, such as Amazon, EBizCharge, PayPal, and others. We used this approach to serve our US-based clients for the past two years.
QBO is used by some companies to manage the ordering and processing of their products. When a customer places an order through the company's website, QBO integrates with different payment gateways to facilitate the transaction. The customer can then view the status of their order through the processing stages, such as delivery and shipment.
When the order is delivered, the customer can provide feedback on the product and service. Customers can also share their feedback on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter if they choose to do so. This is made possible through the integration of QBO with third-party services.
I mostly deploy QBO on cloud environments. Sometimes, customers have their own on-premises data centers, in those cases, I deploy QBO in those environments as well.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of QBO are its order processing and sales capabilities, as well as its invoice and batch processing capabilities. It allows for multiple batch processing and integration with other platforms, such as SAP V1, Oracle, and Dynamics BC. This makes the solution versatile and effective for customers, and they are satisfied with its integration with different platforms. The integration of this solution is not fixed, it can be based on the user's requirements.
What needs improvement?
QBO could be improved by adding more flexibility in its invoice and sales order processing capabilities. Customers have requested the ability to integrate with different retail services and the ability to easily integrate with different payment gateways, such as PayPal, by providing API and credentials, with the system automatically processing the integration.
It would be helpful if QBO can have built-in plug-ins or feature sets to make these integrations more seamless and easier for customers, as some of them had to build custom solutions to fulfill their needs. Additionally, some advanced features for better integration and workflow with AWS Cloud Environment could be an added value for the customers.
It would be beneficial if QBO had a dedicated tab for integrations, where users could easily connect the solution with different services, making the process of integration more straightforward.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using QBO for approximately two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of QBO is good, based on my experience of using it over the past two years. During that time, I have not encountered any issues with downtime or stability. This is likely due to the fact that we have implemented multiple clusters for the application, including load balancer and database clusters, which helped to ensure that the system remains stable and efficient. Even during high-traffic periods such as holidays, the system continued to function without any issues.
In summary, having a well-designed and stable architecture for the application and infrastructure helps to ensure that the system runs smoothly, which is what we have achieved with QBO. The system is stable and I did not face any issues regarding downtimes or performance.
I have experienced one issue with QBO in the past, which occurred during a high-traffic period, specifically on Christmas Day. The issue occurred during a batch processing of invoices, and the system got stuck. However, this was an isolated incident and the system was otherwise stable and functioning properly, with no other reported issues.
I rate the stability of QBO a seven out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
QBO is possible but it can depend on the client's requirements. For a technically proficient person with good algorithm development skills, scaling is easy, however, it could be more challenging for someone less experienced or familiar with QBO's architecture. Overall, it is doable, but the ease of scaling may vary depending on the individual's level of expertise.
We have three people using the solution, they are senior staff.
I rate the scalability of QBO an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support for QBO is mainly through searching online resources such as Google and various blog websites. There are a variety of people, including tech students and other companies, who have shared their solutions and experiences with QBO.
If I encountered any problems that I couldn't solve through online resources, I would submit a ticket through the support portal provided by the provider, and typically receive a response promptly.
I rate the support from QBO a seven out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I did not use a similar solution to QBO.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of QBO is relatively easy from a technical perspective, however, for a non-technical user who is unfamiliar with the platform, there may be a learning curve. They may need to take some time to understand what QBO is and how it works before setting it up. From a technical point of view, the setup process is straightforward and user-friendly.
The implementation process does not more than one hour with one DevOps person to complete.
I rate the initial setup of QBO a nine out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
This is a very popular solution in Europe and the USA.
I rate QBO an eight out of ten.