How can I connect ApprovalMax to my accounting system?

To get started using ApprovalMax, the first step is to connect your ApprovalMax Organisation to your accounting system.

Xero

This is how you connect ApprovalMax to Xero

In the main menu, find your ApprovalMax Organisation. Then open Approval workflows under Workflows and settings.
Click on the CONNECT button next to ApprovalMax Workflows for Xero.
Select the respective Xero Organisation and authorise ApprovalMax.

There is another way to connect your ApprovalMax Organisation to a Xero Organisation

In the main menu, find your ApprovalMax Organisation. Then open Organisation settings under Workflows and settings.
Click on the CONNECT button next to "ApprovalMax workflows for Xero".
Select the respective Xero Organisation and authorise ApprovalMax.

Now, your ApprovalMax Organisation is connected to the Xero Organisation, and you can set up approval workflows.

Security note: ApprovalMax does not store your Xero credentials. We are using oAuth, the open standard for authorisation, which enables 100% safe and secure delegated access.

QuickBooks Online

This is how you connect ApprovalMax to QuickBooks Online

Open the main menu, select your Organisation and go to Approval workflows under Workflows and settings.

Click on the button Connect next to "Approval workflows for QuickBooks Online".
Authorise ApprovalMax in QuickBooks Online.

Select the QuickBooks Online Organisation you want to connect to.

Alternatively, you can connect from the Organisation Settings page

Now, your ApprovalMax Organisation is connected to the QuickBooks Online Organisation, and you can set up approval workflows.

Security note: ApprovalMax does not store your QuickBooks Online credentials. We are using oAuth, the open standard for authorisation, which enables 100% safe and secure delegated access.

Feel free to watch our video on how to connect to QuickBooks Online.

NetSuite

ApprovalMax connects to NetSuite using token-based authentication (TBA). An Administrator generates the required tokens in the NetSuite user interface and then copies them into ApprovalMax to complete the connection.

ApprovalMax supports two connection methods for NetSuite:

SuiteApp connection (recommended) –You install the ApprovalMax SuiteApp in NetSuite.The SuiteApp automatically creates the integration record and a role with all the required permissions, so there's no manual setup on your side. You only need to generate Access Tokens
Legacy connection – You manually create the integration record, create a role and assign all the necessary permissions yourself, and generate a Consumer Key, Consumer Secret, and Access Tokens.

Before you start

Make sure that:

You have Administrator access to your NetSuite account.
You have permission to manage integrations in ApprovalMax.

Regardless of which connection method you choose, you first need to enable token-based authentication and SOAP web services in NetSuite.

Go to Setup > Company > Enable Features > SuiteCloud. Tick the TOKEN-BASED AUTHENTICATION checkbox under Manage Authentication and the SOAP WEB SERVICES checkbox under SuiteTalk (Web Services).
Save your changes, then follow the steps for your chosen connection method below.

Connect using the ApprovalMax SuiteApp

The SuiteApp connection is the recommended option for all new NetSuite integrations. Installing the ApprovalMax SuiteApp automatically creates the required integration and permissions, so you only need to generate Access Tokens before completing the connection in ApprovalMax.

Step 1. Install the ApprovalMax SuiteApp

Sign in to NetSuite as an Administrator.
Open the SuiteApp Marketplace.
Search for ApprovalMax.
Install the ApprovalMax SuiteApp.

Once the installation is complete. A new integration record and roles will be created automatically.
You can find the integration record under Setup>Integrations>Manage Integrations.

Step 2. Assign the ApprovalMax role to a user

This is the user ApprovalMax will act as in NetSuite. All changes made by ApprovalMax (like Vendor Bill updates) will be logged in the history on behalf of this user.

Under Setup > Users/Roles > Manage Roles, you'll see a new role called ApprovalMax.
To assign this role to a user, go to Lists > Employees > Employees, and click Edit next to the desired user's name.

Go to the Access tab in the employee record, and in the Roles dropdown select ApprovalMax, then click Add.
After adding the role, click on Save.

Step 3. Generate Access Tokens

In NetSuite, go to Setup > Users/Roles > Access Tokens > New.
Select the ApprovalMax application.
Select the user with the ApprovalMax role you assigned in the previous step.
Click Save.
Copy the Token ID and Token Secret.

Please note: The Token Secret is displayed only once. Store it securely before leaving the page.

You now have everything you need for the SuiteApp connection. Continue to Finish the connection in ApprovalMax step below.

Connect using the legacy method

This method requires you to create the integration record, role, permissions, and tokens manually.

Step 1. Create an integration record

Go to NetSuite Setup > Integration > Manage Integrations, tap the New button, and create a new integration.
Tick the TOKEN-BASED AUTHENTICATION checkbox, and uncheck both the TBA: AUTHORIZATION FLOW and AUTHORIZATION CODE GRANT options.
A Consumer Key and Consumer Secret will be generated after the integration record is created. Copy both values to use later in ApprovalMax.

Please note: The Consumer Key and Consumer Secret values are displayed only once, so make sure you copy them before going to another page.

Step 2. Create a role and assign it to a user

Go to NetSuite Setup > Users/Roles > Manage Roles and click New Role.
In the Accessible Subsidiaries section, select ALL, or choose SELECTED to customise which subsidiaries you want.

Then assign the permissions listed in the table below. Open each tab and add its permissions manually: select the permission from the PERMISSION dropdown, set the LEVEL, and click Add. Repeat for every row, then move on to the next tab.

Permissions tab	Permission	Level
Transactions	Bills	Full
Transactions	Expense Report	Full
Transactions	Find Transaction	Full
Transactions	Invoice	Full
Transactions	Invoice Approval	Full
Transactions	Invoice Sales Orders	Full
Transactions	Item Receipt	Full
Transactions	Make Journal Entry	Full
Transactions	Pay Bills	Full
Transactions	Purchase Order	Full
Transactions	Return Auth. Approval	Full
Transactions	Return Authorization	Full
Transactions	Sales Order	Full
Transactions	Sales Order Approval	Full
Transactions	Vendor Bill Approval	Full
Transactions	Vendor Return Auth. Approval	Full
Transactions	Vendor Return Authorization	Full
Reports	SuiteAnalytics Workbook	Edit
Lists	Accounts	View
Lists	Accounts Payable Register	View
Lists	Address List in Search	Full
Lists	Amortization Schedules	View
Lists	Classes	View
Lists	Currency	Edit
Lists	Customers	View
Lists	Departments	View
Lists	Documents and Files	Full
Lists	Employee Record	View
Lists	Employees	View
Lists	Expense Categories	View
Lists	Items	View
Lists	Locations	View
Lists	Projects	View
Lists	Subsidiaries	View
Lists	Tax Records	View
Lists	Units	View
Lists	Vendors	Create
Setup	Accounting Lists	View
Setup	Custom Body Fields	View
Setup	Custom Column Fields	View
Setup	Custom Segments	View
Setup	Deleted Records	View
Setup	Manage Accounting Periods	View
Setup	REST Web Services	Full
Setup	SOAP Web Services	Full
Setup	User Access Tokens	Full

Once the permissions are added, assign the role to the user who will be used for the integration.
Go to Lists > Employees > Employees > Edit User > Access tab > Roles sub-tab and add the role.

Tokens will be generated for this user, and all changes made by ApprovalMax in the NetSuite account (like Vendor Bill updates) will be logged in the history on behalf of this user.

Step 3. Create an access token

Go to NetSuite Setup > Users/Roles > Access Tokens > New.
Create an access token for the combination of integration record, user, and role.
Once saved, the Token ID and Token Secret will be generated after the access token is created.

Please note: Keep the Token ID and Token Secret safe, they are visible only once.

For the legacy method you'll need all of the following when connecting: Consumer Key, Consumer Secret, Token ID, and Token Secret.

Finish the connection in ApprovalMax

Once you've completed the NetSuite setup for your chosen method, go back to ApprovalMax to complete the connection.

If you've already created an ApprovalMax Organisation and skipped connecting an accounting system:

Open your ApprovalMax Organisation.
Go to Approval workflows under Workflows and settings.
Next to Approval workflows for NetSuite, click on Connect.

Alternatively, you can connect NetSuite while creating a new Organisation:

Click Create an organisation from the Organisation selector in the left-hand navigation panel.

Or go to the Organisations tab under Billing and subscriptions, then click on ADD ORGANISATION.
Select NetSuite as your accounting system, then click Connect to NetSuite.
In the NetSuite account connection window, use the SuiteApp connection toggle to choose how you want to connect.

SuiteApp connection enabled: Connect using the ApprovalMax SuiteApp. Enter your NetSuite Account ID, Token ID, Token Secret, Subsidiary ID, and Time zone.
SuiteApp connection disabled: Connect using the legacy method. In addition to the fields above, you'll also need to enter your Consumer Key and Consumer Secret generated from the NetSuite integration record.

Use the table below to find each value:

Parameter	Description
NetSuite Account ID	In NetSuite, go to Setup > Company > Company Information, or copy the account ID from the URL.
Consumer Key	Legacy connection only. Generated when you create the NetSuite integration record (see the legacy method above).
Consumer Secret	Legacy connection only. Generated when you create the NetSuite integration record (see the legacy method above).
Token ID	Generated when you create the access token in NetSuite (see the steps for your connection method above).
Token Secret	Generated when you create the access token in NetSuite (see the steps for your connection method above).
Subsidiary ID	In NetSuite, go to Setup > Company > Subsidiaries and find the ID for the selected subsidiary in the INTERNAL ID field.
Time zone	In NetSuite, go to Home > Set Preferences and find the time zone selected for the user on behalf of whom the API tokens were generated.

Click Connect to complete the connection.

Now, your ApprovalMax Organisation is connected to the NetSuite subsidiary, and you can set up approval workflows.

For a quick walk-through of the steps covered in this article, watch our how-to video below.