Keeping financial records organized in Bill.com can be a real challenge.
By learning how to properly archive data in Bill.com, you can effectively organize historical information while maintaining accessibility.
In this post, you'll discover a step-by-step process for archiving data in Bill.com to keep your records tidy and retrievable when needed.
Introduction to Archiving Data in Bill.com
This section provides an overview of Bill.com and outlines the key benefits of archiving data within the platform to keep records organized. It introduces Bill.com as an online records management tool and sets the stage for this guide on archiving data.
Understanding Bill.com as an Online Records Management Tool
Bill.com is a cloud-based software platform that enables businesses to manage payments, invoices, and bills all in one place. Key features include:
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Online invoice creation, delivery, and tracking
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Automated workflows for approvals and payments
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Integration with accounting software
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Secure online document storage
As you use Bill.com for your financial workflows, data builds up over time in your electronic inboxes. Archiving some of this historical data can help keep your current workspace organized.
The Importance of Keeping Your Records Organized in Bill.com
There are a few key reasons why archiving old data in Bill.com is beneficial:
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Easy access to historical records: Archived invoices, bills, and other documents remain searchable if you ever need to reference them. You avoid losing track of old records.
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Streamlined workspace: By removing old, unnecessary clutter from your Bill.com inboxes, you keep your current workspace clean and efficient. This makes it easier to focus on active items.
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Data integrity: Properly archiving old records ensures your data remains intact long-term instead of eventually hitting storage limits. This maintains data integrity.
In summary, archiving data in Bill.com provides valuable organization and efficiency gains while ensuring you retain access to historical business records.
What happens when you archive a vendor on bill com?
You can Archive a vendor, which retains the bill and payment history but doesn't allow you to send new payments. When you'd like to resume payments, you can Restore an archived vendor.
Archiving a vendor is useful when you no longer need to make payments to that vendor but want to retain the historical transaction data for records. Here are some key things to know about archiving vendors on Bill.com:
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Archived vendors are removed from the Vendors list and Vendor Center. You won't be able to select archived vendors when creating new bills or payments. This prevents accidental payments.
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Historical bills and payments are retained. Even though the vendor is archived, you can still access past bills, payments, and attachment data associated with that vendor from reporting.
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You can restore an archived vendor. If you need to resume payments to a previously archived vendor, you can easily restore them. Their data and transaction history will be intact.
So in summary, archiving a vendor on Bill.com is a safe way to prevent any future bills or payments to that vendor while still retaining access to historical transaction data for records and reporting purposes. When ready, restore the archived vendor seamlessly.
How do I recover deleted documents from bill com?
To restore a deleted document in Bill.com:
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Select "Documents" in the navigation menu.
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At the bottom of the page, select "Refresh list to include inactive Documents". This will display deleted documents.
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Find the document name you want to restore and select it.
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Select the un-delete icon next to the document name.
This will restore the deleted document so it is visible and available within your Bill.com account again.
Keep in mind that deleted documents are only available for a limited time before being permanently removed from the system. So if you accidentally delete something important, be sure to restore it as soon as possible using the steps above.
How do I export reports from bill com?
To export reports from Bill.com, follow these steps:
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Select Settings in the top navigation bar.
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Under Data Management, select Import/Export.
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In the Export section, select Export next to the report you want to export.
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Select Modify next to the Export Profile drop-down menu.
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Edit the format of the report headers by updating the names and order of the columns using the sliders to the right of each header. You can customize which fields to include and how they are displayed.
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When you are done customizing, select Apply at the bottom to save the customized export profile.
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Then select Export at the bottom to generate the export file with your customized settings.
The exported report will be available to download as a CSV file that you can view in any spreadsheet software. The file contains the report data with column headers matching what you customized in the export profile.
This allows you to archive historical reporting data from Bill.com for record keeping and analysis in your own systems. You can export transaction history, aged receivables, account reconciliation, and other reports on a regular basis to create a data archive.
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How do I download all bills from bill com?
To download all your bills from Bill.com:
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Log in to your Bill.com account and select "Bills" from the navigation menu.
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Click on the "More actions" button near the top right of the page.
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Select either "Export .CSV" or "Export to Excel" depending on your preferred file format.
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A prompt will appear to confirm you want to export all bills - click "OK".
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The exported .CSV or Excel file containing your bill data will automatically download to your computer.
This allows you to get a complete record of all bills in your Bill.com account for your own records or analysis. The exported file contains details on each bill such as vendor, amount, due date, status and more.
Keeping an archive of your Bill.com bills can be useful for:
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Creating your own custom reports for financial planning or tax purposes
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Backing up your billing data
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Analyzing spending patterns and trends over time
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Comparing bills from month to month
So if you ever need a comprehensive record of all your Bill.com bills, just use the export feature. It provides an easy way to download everything in one place.
Preparing to Archive Data in Bill.com
Archiving historical data in Bill.com can help keep your financial records organized and accessible for future reference. Here are some best practices to follow when preparing to archive data in your Bill.com account:
Identify Historical Data for Archiving
When deciding what data to archive, focus on records that are no longer actively used in your day-to-day operations:
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Invoices, bills, and payments from past fiscal years
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Expense reports that have already been reimbursed
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Outdated vendor profiles and contacts
Flagging these types of historical records in your inbox will make the archiving process faster.
Creating Archive Folders in Bill.com Inbox
Next, set up clearly labeled archive folders to sort data:
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Navigate to the inbox and click "Add Folder"
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Create folders like "2019 Invoices" or "Past Expenses"
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Consider making an archive folder for each year
Well-organized folders will make finding archived records simple.
Moving Historical Data to Archive Folders
Finally, select data and move it to the proper archive folder:
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Check off historical items in your inbox
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Click the "Move" button in the upper right
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Choose the matching archive folder
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Confirm the data is now housed in the folder
Be sure to double check that the records have been correctly sorted into their assigned archive folder. Maintaining an organized system makes retrieving archived data hassle-free.
Following these preparatory steps will effectively streamline archiving historical records in Bill.com for easy access down the road. Keeping your data sorted sets your business up for success.
Executing Data Archiving in Bill.com
Bill.com provides a useful feature for archiving historical data to keep your records organized. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to utilize data archiving within Bill.com.
Selecting Data for Archiving
When deciding which data to archive in Bill.com, consider:
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Age of records: Move older data (e.g. over 2 years old) into archive folders to declutter the main interface.
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Relevance of records: Archive invoices, bills and other records you are unlikely to frequently access or reference.
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Storage space: Archiving can help optimize storage capacity in Bill.com.
Focus on archiving inactive, outdated or unimportant records. Keep frequently accessed data available in the main Bill.com inbox.
Utilizing the Bill.com Inbox for Data Archiving
The Bill.com inbox contains an "Archive" feature that lets you easily move records into separate archive folders.
To access it:
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Navigate to the Bill.com inbox
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Select the items you want to archive
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Click the "Archive" button near the top
This will move the selected records into an archive folder. You can create separate folders to organize archives by year, customer, project etc.
Archiving Data: A Step-by-Step Process
Follow these steps to archive data in Bill.com:
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Log into your Bill.com account and go to the inbox
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Use the filters and search to locate the data you want to archive (e.g. orders from 2019)
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Check the boxes next to each item you want to archive
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Click the "Archive" button toward the top
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Select an existing archive folder or create a new one
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Confirm the items have been moved into archives
You can automate archiving by setting rules to move older records into archives automatically after a defined period.
Confirming Successful Data Archiving
To verify data has been successfully archived in Bill.com:
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Navigate to the archive folder you moved records into
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Check that the selected items no longer appear in the main inbox
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Open archived records individually to confirm content integrity
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Consider spot testing restoration of archived items back into the main inbox
Regularly backing up archived data externally provides an additional layer of protection.
Best Practices for Online Records Management in Bill.com
This section covers important tips for properly maintaining your Bill.com archives over time to keep information organized and accessible.
Establish Consistent Folder Structure for Archived Data
When archiving data in Bill.com, it is best practice to structure your archive folders in an organized way from the start. I recommend creating archive folders by year and data type. For example, you could have an "Invoices 2020" folder and an "Expenses 2020" folder. This makes it much easier to search for and access historical records down the road.
You can also create subfolders within each year to further categorize data if needed. The key is to be consistent with whatever structure you establish. Avoid arbitrarily throwing files into different archive folders without a system.
Perform Regular Reviews of Archived Records
Don't just archive data and forget about it. It is important to periodically review what is in your Bill.com archives to ensure records are being maintained properly over time. I recommend doing an archive review 2-4 times per year.
When reviewing, look for any unnecessary duplicate data that can be purged. Check that records are categorized correctly within the folder structure. And confirm that files are still easily accessible and not corrupted. Keeping on top of your archives ensures critical data remains organized and available when needed.
Leverage Tags and Comments for Organized Archives
Take advantage of features like tags and comments when archiving data in Bill.com. Applying descriptive tags to invoices, bills, and other records makes them much easier to search and manage over time.
Comments also allow you to annotate a file with context around why it was archived or key details to be aware of. This retains helpful background information alongside the data that may otherwise be lost or forgotten.
Maintaining Accessibility to Historical Data
Proper archiving goes beyond just storage. You need to consider long-term accessibility and use cases for historical data. Accounting and financial records often must be retained for years due to compliance requirements. And past records also provide important benchmarking and analysis of trends over time.
So when archiving data in Bill.com, be sure to use file formats that will remain readable in the future. Perform periodic checks that older archived files are still accessible as expected. And allow appropriate user access to archive folders so historical data can be leveraged as a strategic asset for your business.
Conclusion and Key Takeaways on Data Archiving in Bill.com
In closing, archiving data in Bill.com allows businesses to maintain organized records over time. By properly structuring folders, utilizing tags and comments, and periodically reviewing older data, companies can optimize Bill.com to store historical information.
Essential Tips Covered for Keeping Records Organized
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Create a clear folder structure in Bill.com to categorize various types of documents
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Add descriptive tags and comments to invoices, bills, and other records to enable better searching
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Periodically review and archive older data into separate folders to reduce inbox clutter
Final Thoughts on the Benefits of Data Archiving
Archiving old data in Bill.com has many benefits for a business. It keeps the platform clean and organized while still preserving important historical records that may be needed for taxes, compliance, or insights into past performance. Overall, taking time to properly structure folders and archive data enables businesses to get the most out of Bill.com over many years of use.
