Branches & Locations

Manage multiple business locations, branches, and warehouses in QoBooks.

Overview

The Branches & Locations module allows you to:

• Create and manage multiple business locations
• Configure branch-specific settings
• Assign users to specific branches
• Track inventory by branch
• Generate branch-specific reports
• Manage inter-branch transfers

Creating a Branch

Basic Information

1. Navigate to Branches

   • Go to Settings > Branches & Locations
   • Click "Add Branch"

2. Branch Details

   • Branch Name: Unique name for the branch
   • Branch Code: Short code for identification
   • Branch Type: Store, Warehouse, Office, etc.
   • Status: Active or Inactive

3. Location Information

   • Address: Physical address
   • City: City or town
   • State/Province: State or province
   • Postal/ZIP Code: Postal code
   • Country: Country
   • Phone: Branch phone number
   • Email: Branch email address

4. Save Branch

   • Click "Save" to create the branch
   • Branch appears in branch list

Branch Configuration

Branch Settings

Configure branch-specific settings:

• Currency: Branch default currency

  • Can differ from organization default
  • Used for branch transactions
  • Auto-conversion to organization currency

• Timezone: Branch timezone

  • Can differ from organization timezone
  • Used for branch-specific timestamps
  • Affects scheduling and reporting

• Tax Rate: Default tax rate

  • Branch-specific tax rate
  • Overrides organization default
  • Used for branch transactions

• Locale: Regional formatting

  • Number and date formatting
  • Currency display format
  • Selected from configured locales

Branch Hours

Set operating hours for the branch:

• Business Days: Days of operation
• Opening Time: Business start time
• Closing Time: Business end time
• Break Time: Lunch break (optional)
• Holidays: Branch-specific holidays

Branch Contact

Configure branch contact information:

• Manager Name: Branch manager
• Manager Email: Manager email
• Manager Phone: Manager phone
• Support Email: Support contact email
• Support Phone: Support contact phone

Branch Users

Assigning Users to Branches

1. Navigate to Branch Users

   • Go to Settings > Branches & Locations
   • Select a branch
   • Click "Users" tab

2. Add User to Branch

   • Click "Add User"
   • Select user from list
   • Set user role for this branch
   • Save assignment

3. User Roles by Branch

   • Users can have different roles per branch
   • Permissions apply per branch
   • Users only see assigned branch data

Branch Permissions

Configure what users can do at each branch:

• View Access: Can view branch data
• Create Access: Can create records
• Edit Access: Can modify records
• Delete Access: Can delete records
• Approve Access: Can approve workflows
• Export Access: Can export branch data

Branch Inventory

Inventory by Branch

• Stock Levels: Track inventory per branch
• Items: Items available at branch
• Categories: Branch-specific categories
• Transfers: Inter-branch stock transfers
• Adjustments: Branch stock adjustments

Branch Warehouses

Create warehouses within branches:

• Warehouse Name: Warehouse identifier
• Warehouse Type: Storage, picking, shipping
• Location: Physical location within branch
• Capacity: Storage capacity
• Manager: Warehouse manager

Branch Reports

Branch-Specific Reports

Generate reports for individual branches:

• Sales by Branch: Sales performance per branch
• Inventory by Branch: Stock levels per branch
• Purchases by Branch: Purchasing activity per branch
• Expenses by Branch: Operating costs per branch
• Profit by Branch: Profitability per branch

Comparative Reports

Compare branches:

• Branch Comparison: Side-by-side comparison
• Performance Ranking: Branch performance ranking
• Trend Analysis: Branch performance over time
• Benchmarking: Compare against targets

Inter-Branch Transfers

Stock Transfers

Move inventory between branches:

1. Navigate to Stock Transfers

   • Go to Inventory > Stock Transfers
   • Click "New Transfer"

2. Transfer Details

   • Source Branch: Branch sending stock
   • Destination Branch: Branch receiving stock
   • Items: Items to transfer
   • Quantity: Quantity per item
   • Transfer Date: Date of transfer
   • Reference: Transfer reference number

3. Approval

   • May require approval based on settings
   • Both branches must approve
   • Automatic approval for same-branch managers

4. Completion

   • Stock deducted from source
   • Stock added to destination
   • Transfer recorded in both branches

Transfer Status

• Pending: Transfer awaiting approval
• Approved: Transfer approved, awaiting completion
• In Transit: Stock in transit
• Completed: Transfer completed
• Cancelled: Transfer cancelled
• Rejected: Transfer rejected

Branch Types

Retail Store

• Customer-facing location
• Point of sale operations
• Inventory for retail
• Customer service

Warehouse

• Storage facility
• Inventory management
• Shipping and receiving
• No customer access

Office

• Administrative location
• No inventory
• Staff only
• Back-office operations

Service Center

• Service operations
• Limited inventory
• Customer appointments
• Service tracking

Branch Hierarchy

Parent-Child Relationships

Create hierarchical branch structure:

• Parent Branch: Main or headquarters branch
• Child Branches: Subsidiary branches
• Inheritance: Child branches inherit settings
• Reporting: Roll-up reporting to parent

Multi-Level Hierarchy

Support for complex structures:

Headquarters (Parent)
├── Regional Office (Child)
│   ├── Store A (Grandchild)
│   └── Store B (Grandchild)
└── Warehouse (Child)

Branch Activation/Deactivation

Activating a Branch

1. Navigate to branch list
2. Select inactive branch
3. Click "Activate"
4. Confirm activation
5. Branch becomes active immediately

Deactivating a Branch

1. Navigate to branch list
2. Select active branch
3. Click "Deactivate"
4. Confirm deactivation
5. Branch becomes inactive
6. Users cannot access branch

Warning: Deactivating a branch:

• Prevents new transactions
• Existing data preserved
• Users lose access to branch
• Can be reactivated later

Branch Deletion

Deleting a Branch

To permanently delete a branch:

1. Navigate to branch list
2. Select branch to delete
3. Click "Delete"
4. Confirm deletion
5. Branch and all data removed

Requirements for Deletion:

• No active transactions
• No inventory in branch
• No users assigned to branch
• No pending transfers

Warning: Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.

Best Practices

Branch Planning

• Plan branch structure before creation
• Use consistent naming conventions
• Consider future expansion
• Document branch hierarchy
• Regularly review branch structure

Branch Configuration

• Set appropriate timezone per branch
• Configure branch-specific tax rates
• Use correct currency for region
• Set accurate operating hours
• Keep contact information updated

User Assignment

• Assign users to appropriate branches
• Set correct permissions per branch
• Regularly review branch assignments
• Remove access when users leave
• Document role assignments

Inventory Management

• Regularly reconcile branch inventory
• Monitor stock levels per branch
• Plan inter-branch transfers
• Use warehouses for organization
• Track transfer status

Reporting

• Generate regular branch reports
• Compare branch performance
• Identify underperforming branches
• Share best practices across branches
• Use data for decision making

Troubleshooting

Cannot Create Branch

• Verify branch name is unique
• Check for required fields
• Ensure you have admin permissions
• Verify organization allows multiple branches
• Contact support if issue persists

Users Cannot Access Branch

• Verify user is assigned to branch
• Check user permissions for branch
• Ensure branch is active
• Verify user account is active
• Contact administrator

Transfers Not Working

• Verify both branches are active
• Check inventory availability
• Ensure user has transfer permissions
• Verify transfer approval settings
• Contact support if needed

Reports Not Showing Branch Data

• Verify branch has data
• Check report date range
• Ensure user has branch access
• Verify branch is included in report
• Contact support if issue persists

Branch Settings Not Saving

• Check for required fields
• Verify validation rules are met
• Ensure you have admin permissions
• Refresh the page and try again
• Contact support if needed