Managing projects and finances separately often feels like trying to steer two ships with one compass. If your organization relies on BigTime as its PSA (Professional Services Automation) and project management platform and uses QuickBooks for accounting, keeping data synchronized between the two systems is critical to operational efficiency. Without a seamless connection, time entries live in one platform, invoices in another, and financial visibility gets lost somewhere in between. This is where BigTime QuickBooks Integration changes the game.
Whether you’re a consulting firm, professional services organization, or a growing business aiming to improve operational efficiency, integrating BigTime with QuickBooks can transform the way your teams manage projects and finances. The result is less manual work, improved data accuracy, faster financial processes, and greater visibility into your business performance.
In this blog, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about BigTime QuickBooks integration, including how it works, its key features and benefits, how to set it up, and the process for disconnecting the sync if required. Let’s walk through everything step by step.
An Overview of BigTime, QuickBooks, & Their Integration
BigTime is a professional services automation (PSA) platform designed for consulting firms, accountants, engineers, IT service providers, and other project-based businesses. It helps organizations manage projects, track billable hours, streamline resource planning, and improve financial visibility from project start to completion. Its key features include:
- Time Tracking
- Project Management
- Resource Management
- Expense Tracking
- Custom Dashboards
- Reporting and Analytics
On the other hand, QuickBooks is one of the most widely used and trusted accounting software solutions for businesses of all sizes. It helps organizations manage their financial operations by centralizing accounting, invoicing, expense management, payroll, and financial reporting within a single platform.
When integrated, BigTime and QuickBooks create a seamless connection between project operations and accounting. Project-related data such as time entries, expenses, clients, invoices, and payments can flow between the two systems, reducing manual data entry, and improving data accuracy.
If you’re looking to connect BigTime with either QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop, the following sections will walk you through the setup process, key requirements, and important considerations for each integration method.
How to Connect BigTime with QuickBooks Online?
Connect your QuickBooks Online with Bigtime to sync key processes like Customers, Jobs, Service Items, Employees, and Vendors.
Requirements for BigTime and QuickBooks Online Integration
Before setting up the integration, make sure you have the necessary permissions and tools in place.
- An active BigTime account with administrator privileges.
- An active QuickBooks Online subscription with Company Administrator access.
- Access to the QuickBooks Online company file you want to connect.
- A stable internet connection for a smooth synchronization process.
- Consolidate duplicate records within QuickBooks Online to improve data accuracy and reduce the likelihood of duplicate entries after the integration is enabled.
- Most importantly, before initiating the integration, create a backup of your QuickBooks company data.
6 Steps to Sync BigTime with QuickBooks Online
Once you’ve completed the prerequisites, you can proceed with connecting BigTime to QuickBooks Online. The following six steps will guide you through the setup process and help establish a successful sync between your project management and accounting data.
- Open your BigTime account and click on My Company.
- Then click on Integrations
- Note: This will open the list of applications that can be connected with BigTime.
- Scroll, find, and click on the QuickBooks icon. This is generally positioned in the middle section of the window.
- Now, click Enable to initiate the integration setup. This action will open a new authorization window.
- In the authorization window, select Connect to QuickBooks. When prompted, enter your QuickBooks Online account credentials.
- Note: If you are not currently signed in to QuickBooks, complete the login process and then click Sign In to continue.
- Finally, click Authorize to allow BigTime to access and synchronize data with your QuickBooks Online account.
Once authorized, the connection between BigTime and QuickBooks Online will be established. With the integration successfully enabled, you’ll need to initiate your first data sync. Simply use the sync tile available in the top-left section of the BigTime home dashboard to pull information from QuickBooks Online into BigTime.
The process of connecting BigTime with QuickBooks Desktop is largely similar to QuickBooks Online integration, with a few additional setup requirements. Let’s walk through the process step by step.
How to Integrate BigTime with QuickBooks Desktop?
To enable data synchronization between the two platforms, you’ll need to install and configure the BigTime Sync Agent, a desktop utility that facilitates communication between your QuickBooks Desktop company file and your BigTime account.
Prerequisites for Installing the BigTime Sync Agent
Before installing the BigTime Sync Agent, ensure the following requirements are met on the computer where the installation will take place:
- Windows Administrator Access: Sign in to the computer using an account with Windows Administrator privileges.
- QuickBooks Admin Login: Open QuickBooks Desktop and log in using the default Admin user account.
- Target Company File Open: Make sure the QuickBooks company file you intend to synchronize is currently open.
- Single Company File Session: Verify that no other QuickBooks company files are open during the installation process.
- Hosting Service Permissions: If you’re using a hosted environment such as Rightworks, confirm that you have permission to download and install the Sync Agent; otherwise, contact your hosting provider’s support team for assistance.
Once these requirements are met, you can follow the step-by-step instructions below to establish the integration.
9 Steps to Connect BigTime with QuickBooks Desktop
Use the following instructions to connect BigTime with QuickBooks Desktop, configure the Sync Agent, and establish communication between the two systems.
Note: If you switch between QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online, duplicate records may be created during synchronization. These duplicates must be reviewed and manually merged to maintain data accuracy.
- In BigTime, go to My Company and click on Integrations to access the list of available third-party integrations.
- Select QuickBooks Desktop from the integrations page.
- Note: This is where you’ll manage all QuickBooks Desktop connection and synchronization settings.
- Now, click Enable to create a secure cloud connection that allows encrypted data synchronization between BigTime and QuickBooks Desktop.
- When prompted, click Grant to authorize the BigTime Sync Agent to access and synchronize data from your QuickBooks company file.
- Download and run the Sync Agent installation file. The installation wizard will launch automatically and guide you through the setup process.
- After the installation is complete, click Begin, then sign in using your BigTime Administrator credentials to link the Sync Agent to your BigTime account.
- Click Connect and ensure you are logged in to the correct QuickBooks company file as the Admin user. The Sync Agent will then establish the connection.
- Finally, in the QuickBooks authorization window, select Yes, Always Allow to grant ongoing access to the Sync Agent.
- Once the setup is complete, click Continue to finalize the integration.
The Sync Agent will continue running in the background and automatically manage future synchronizations.
Tip: You can monitor Sync Agent at any time by clicking its icon in the Windows system tray and opening the link to your QuickBooks data file.
Even a properly configured integration can occasionally run into synchronization or connectivity issues. If your QuickBooks Desktop data is no longer syncing with BigTime, don’t worry. The following troubleshooting steps will walk you through reconnecting the Sync Agent and restoring normal operation.
How to Troubleshoot BigTime Sync Agent Issues?
The BigTime Sync Agent is responsible for maintaining data synchronization between BigTime and QuickBooks Desktop. While the application is generally reliable, configuration changes, permission issues, or interrupted connections can occasionally prevent successful synchronization.
If you’re experiencing sync failures or a disconnected QuickBooks integration, the following troubleshooting methods can help restore the connection.
Method 1: Reconnect the Sync Agent from BigTime
If the Sync Agent has become disconnected, the simplest solution is often to disable and re-enable the integration directly from BigTime. Here are the steps:
- Navigate to My Company and Integration Settings within your BigTime account.
- Locate the QuickBooks Desktop integration tile and click Disable to disconnect the existing Sync Agent connection.
- After disabling the connection, click Enable to reactivate the QuickBooks Desktop integration.
- Complete the authorization process to reconnect BigTime with your QuickBooks Desktop company file and restore synchronization.
Method 2: Refresh QuickBooks Cloud Access and Reconnect Sync Agent
If reconnecting through BigTime doesn’t resolve the issue, you may need to refresh the local Sync Agent configuration and QuickBooks permissions.
Note: Before proceeding, ensure QuickBooks is running in Single-User Mode and that you are logged in with Administrator privileges.
- Exit both QuickBooks Desktop and the BigTime Sync Agent.
- Then open Task Manager and verify that the QBConnectHost process is no longer running in the background.
- In QuickBooks Desktop, navigate to Edit, Preferences, Integrated Applications, and Company Preferences.
- Select the QuickBooks Cloud Service integration and click Remove to clear the existing connection before reconnecting the Sync Agent.
- Open File Explorer and navigate to your Windows user profile’s AppData directory.
- Now, browse to: C:\Users[Username]\AppData\Roaming\QBCloud
- Locate the QBConnect.config file and delete it. This removes the existing Sync Agent configuration and allows a fresh connection to be established.
- Open the BigTime Sync Agent application and sign in using your BigTime Administrator credentials.
- Click Connect and follow the prompts to establish a new connection with your QuickBooks Desktop company file.
- When QuickBooks requests authorization, select: Yes, Always; Allow Access Even If QuickBooks Is Not Running
- If prompted to select a QuickBooks user, choose the Admin account.
- Once the connection is complete, allow the Sync Agent to perform an initial sync and confirm that data is flowing correctly between BigTime and QuickBooks Desktop.
With the connection restored, let’s explore the types of data that can be synchronized between the two platforms.
How Data Moves Between BigTime and QuickBooks?
Once the integration is up and running, the next step is understanding how information is exchanged between the two platforms. BigTime offers two methods for transferring data with QuickBooks: Sync and Post.
While both functions help keep your systems connected, they serve different purposes and are used in different scenarios. Understanding when to use each method can help you maintain accurate records and avoid duplicate or missing data.
Let’s take a closer look at how Sync and Post work and when you should use each one.
Syncing Data from QuickBooks to BigTime
Syncing allows data created in QuickBooks to flow into BigTime automatically. This includes information such as customers, projects, employees, vendors, and service items, ensuring both systems stay aligned without the need for manual data entry.
The way syncing works depends on the QuickBooks version you’re using:
- QuickBooks Desktop: BigTime uses the Sync Agent to transfer data between the two platforms. The Sync Agent is designed to keep your data up to date automatically. It begins by checking for new updates 4 minutes after the last sync. If no changes are detected, the interval doubles to 8 minutes, then 16 minutes, and continues increasing until it reaches a maximum of 4 hours before the cycle resets and starts over again. If you need your data to sync immediately, you can also trigger a manual sync directly from the Sync Agent at any time.
- QuickBooks Online: Since BigTime connects directly to the Intuit cloud, no additional software is required. However, you’ll need to manually initiate a sync from the QB tile on the BigTime dashboard whenever you want to pull in the latest QuickBooks data.
The following table shows the type of data shared between the two platforms.
| QuickBooks Data | BigTime Data | Description |
| Company Info | Firm Info | Import your company name, address, and other business details from QuickBooks during the initial setup. |
| Customers | Clients/Projects | Converts QuickBooks customers into client and project records while maintaining a client-to-project hierarchy. |
| Jobs/Projects/Sub-Customers | Projects | Imports the lowest-level jobs from QuickBooks as projects in BigTime, with options to exclude unwanted jobs. |
| Employees | Staff Members | Imports active QuickBooks employees as staff members. You can choose whether to invite them as active BigTime users. |
| Vendors | Staff Members (Contractors) | Allows independent contractors listed as vendors in QuickBooks to be added as staff members in BigTime and linked to their vendor accounts. |
| GL Accounts | Integration Settings & Field Values | Uses QuickBooks GL accounts for invoices, expense codes, AP/AR accounts, and other accounting configurations throughout BigTime. |
| Service Items | Labor Codes | Converts QuickBooks service items into labor codes and imports default billing rates when linked. |
| Other Charge Items | Expense Codes | Converts “Other Charge” items into expense categories that can be linked to GL expense accounts or inventory items. |
| Various Items | Various System Fields | Use other QuickBooks item types across different BigTime picklists and settings. |
| Sales Tax Codes | Tax Rates | Automatically converts QuickBooks sales tax codes into tax rates and keeps them updated. |
| Classes | Various | Enables time entries, expenses, and invoices to be assigned to specific QuickBooks classes and default class settings. |
| Payroll Items | Payroll Items | Maps BigTime time entries to specific QuickBooks payroll items for more accurate payroll processing. |
| Terms | Invoice Terms | Automatically synchronizes invoice terms between QuickBooks and BigTime. |
| Time Activities | Time Entries | Allows timesheet entries to be posted to QuickBooks and imports historical time data into BigTime. |
| Bills/Checks | Expenses | Posts employee expenses as bills payable to vendors or checks payable to employees. |
| Credit Card Entries | Expenses | Transfers credit card charges and credits from BigTime to QuickBooks as credit card transactions. |
| Invoices | Invoices | Create invoices in BigTime and post them to QuickBooks for accounts receivable and income tracking. |
Posting Data from BigTime to QuickBooks Desktop
Posting allows you to send information created in BigTime directly to QuickBooks. This typically includes transactional data such as timesheets, employee expenses, and invoices, ensuring your accounting records stay up to date.
- Navigate to QuickBooks from the navigation menu and select either Post Timesheets or Post Expenses, depending on the type of data you want to transfer.
- In the Post Timesheets page, select the timesheet entries that you want to send to QuickBooks.
- Click Post Selected Time to transfer the chosen records.
- To post expenses, open Post Expenses, select the expense entries you want to transfer, and click Post Selected Expenses.
Important: Once a transaction has been posted to QuickBooks, changes made later in BigTime won’t automatically update the record. If you need to make edits, you’ll have to delete the transaction in QuickBooks and repost the updated information from BigTime.
Conclusion
BigTime and QuickBooks integration bridges the gap between project management and accounting by bringing your time tracking, expenses, invoices, and financial data into a connected ecosystem. Whether you’re using QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop, the integration can help reduce manual data entry, improve billing accuracy, and give your team better visibility into project performance and financial health.
By understanding how syncing and posting work, configuring the integration correctly, and following best practices, businesses can streamline their workflows and spend less time managing data across multiple systems.
