Adjusting the mapping between your accounting solution and LivePlan

Mapping is the process of associating your accounting solution's chart of accounts with the corresponding forecast categories in LivePlan. Once these two data sets have been mapped together, you'll see a side-by-side comparison in the Dashboard. 

Note: The mapping interface is only accessible if connected to an accounting solution. Also, it's important to know that the account owner and any contributors with access to the Dashboard can make changes to mapping. 

If you started a company file by connecting LivePlan with your accounting solution, the software automatically created a starting set of forecast categories for you. It also mapped those forecast categories to your accounting solution's chart of accounts so that the two data sets can be compared side by side.

Note: If your chart of accounts contains any accounts that don't have data, LivePlan will ignore those accounts during the import.

If you later make changes in your chart of accounts or your LivePlan forecast, then you'll need to update the mapping between them so your data comparison stays accurate. 

Mapping your accounting solution to LivePlan

1. Make sure you are successfully connected to either QuickBooks Online or Xero.
2. Click Edit Mappings, located in the accounting menu near the lower-left of your LivePlan window:
    
3. The account categories are listed along the top of the Account mapping menu. Unmapped Accounts appear at the top of each category; select the one you'd like to map first:
   
4. Your accounting solution's chart of accounts will be listed for each category. Here you can move mapped accounts from one LivePlan Forecast Item to another, create new forecast items to contain these mapped accounts, or exclude the accounts from LivePlan:
   
5. The Account will be mapped to the Forecast Item upon selection.
   

Updating mapping after changing your chart of accounts

If you make changes to your chart of accounts in your accounting solution, such as adding, removing, or re-naming accounts, then you'll need to re-sync your accounting solution with LivePlan.

1. Click Sync, located near the lower-left of your LivePlan window:
   
2. After re-syncing, click Edit Mapping, located in the accounting menu near the lower-left of your LivePlan window:
   
3. Your updated chart of accounts will be shown in the Account mapping menu:
   
4. Click the Move button next to the Account you wish to update:
   
5. Select the new Forecast Item from the drop down menu:
   

If you have added, removed, or re-named any of the categories in your LivePlan forecast, then you may need to update the mapping between these and your accounting solution's chart of accounts.

1. Click Edit Mapping, located in the accounting menu near the lower-left of your LivePlan window:
   
2. The drop-down menus on the right side of the page represent your forecast categories. Click on any of these menus to update how these forecast categories are mapped to your accounting solution's chart of accounts:
   
3. Changes will be applied immediately. Click anywhere outside of the Account mapping pane to return to your forecast.

Adding revenue streams, direct costs, or expenses during mapping

While you are mapping your accounts, you may discover that a revenue stream or expense exists in your accounting solution's chart of accounts that don't exist in your LivePlan forecast yet. This is no problem. You can add the revenue stream or expense from the mapping screen instead. However, don't forget that you'll need to go back into your Forecast tab later and enter the data for that added revenue stream or expense.

1. Next to the account that you want to map to the new revenue stream or expense, click the Move button. Select Create new to add a new forecast item for this account:
   
2. LivePlan will create a new forecast item using the existing account name. This, and other details, can be edited in the forecast entry.

Notification of unmapped accounts

If you've already mapped your accounts and then you add a new account to your accounting solution, LivePlan will notify you that you have unmapped accounts:

There are two options to choose from here:

• If you want to review the accounts that are unmapped, click Fix issues.
• Click Ignore to dismiss the notification. You will always be able to return later to update the mappings by clicking Edit Mappings.

When you go to the mapping interface to review your unmapped accounts, you will see all unmapped accounts displayed in red. Map these to an account or to Ignore:

Once you map any unmapped accounts to the appropriate LivePlan data, the banner will be dismissed and the sidebar will return to normal.