Accounting Flow Wizard
Get your books organized from the start with intelligent guidance built around your specific industry and operations.
Overview
Kantivo's Accounting Flow Wizard eliminates the guesswork when configuring your accounting environment. Rather than manually researching which accounts your business requires, the wizard examines your operations and builds a tailored financial blueprint matched to your industry.
Two paths are available to you:
- AI-Powered Wizard: Respond to a guided questionnaire and receive a custom-built accounting plan matched to your industry
- Use Case Templates: Select from 10 ready-made configurations designed for the most common business categories
AI-Powered Wizard
The intelligent wizard gathers details about how your business operates and produces a comprehensive accounting configuration matched to your needs. Since Kantivo runs entirely on your desktop, these recommendations are stored locally in your PostgreSQL database.
How to Use the AI Wizard
- Open Settings → Setup Wizard
- Select 🧙♂️ Start AI Wizard
- Work through the 10 guided questions about your operations
- Include an optional business description to refine your results
- Press Next to build your personalized plan
- Examine the output and choose which accounts to activate
Wizard Questions
Each question targets a specific dimension of your accounting requirements:
| Question | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Business Type | Shapes the selection of industry-relevant accounts and operational guidance |
| Send Invoices? | Governs whether the Accounts Receivable pipeline is included |
| Receive Bills? | Controls whether the Accounts Payable pipeline is configured |
| Track Inventory? | Triggers inventory asset accounts and Cost of Goods Sold categories |
| Have Employees? | Adds payroll liability and expense accounts to your chart |
| Accounting Method | Cash versus Accrual -- this choice influences how workflows are structured |
| Job/Project Costing? | Introduces project-level tracking accounts for cost allocation |
| Business Loans/Debt? | Incorporates long-term liability accounts for loan tracking |
| Collect Sales Tax? | Creates the appropriate sales tax liability accounts |
| Multiple Bank Accounts? | Adjusts the number of bank accounts provisioned in your chart |
Understanding Recommendations
Once the wizard finishes processing, it delivers a multi-part accounting plan covering the following areas:
📋 Workflow Recommendations
Practical direction on invoicing, bill management, and the optimal accounting method for your particular situation.
📊 Suggested Accounts
A curated chart of accounts built for your industry, showing:
- Each account's name and corresponding number
- The classification (Asset, Liability, Income, Expense, and so on)
- A clear rationale for why each account benefits your business
⭐ Features to Use
Kantivo capabilities ranked by relevance to your operations:
- Essential: Core tools your business type cannot function without
- Recommended: Capabilities that streamline day-to-day operations
- Optional: Useful additions that you can adopt over time
📅 Accounting Rhythm
A practical cadence of bookkeeping activities broken down by time period:
- Daily: Lightweight tasks such as reviewing incoming deposits
- Weekly: Routine data entry and categorization work
- Monthly: Bank reconciliation and financial statement review
- Quarterly: Estimated tax payments and performance analysis
- Yearly: Closing the books and planning for the next fiscal year
🛒 Products & Services
Pre-configured items based on your offerings, ready to drop into invoices and estimates immediately.
💡 Tips
Targeted guidance drawn from accounting professionals who specialize in your industry.
Adding Suggested Accounts
The wizard's suggestions are not all-or-nothing. Select only the accounts that align with your current needs and add more as your business grows.
How to Add Accounts
- Browse through the suggested accounts list
- Toggle the checkbox next to each account you want
- Press ➕ Add Selected Accounts
- Kantivo provisions each account in your local PostgreSQL database with the correct numbering and classification
Use Case Templates
For those who want a quick start without the AI questionnaire, Kantivo includes 10 industry-specific templates with pre-configured account structures:
How to Use a Template
- Open Settings → Setup Wizard
- Scroll down to the template gallery
- Select the template that best describes your operations
- Inspect the pre-configured recommendations
- Activate the suggested accounts you need
Viewing Saved Plans
Every plan you generate is saved automatically. Return to it whenever you like to review or activate additional accounts.
How to View Your Saved Plan
- Open Settings → Setup Wizard
- Select 📋 View Saved Plan
- Browse through your earlier recommendations
- Activate any accounts you passed over the first time
Running the Wizard Again
Feel free to re-run the wizard at any point if:
- Your business model has evolved since the last run
- You want to explore alternative configurations
- You realize your earlier answers could be more precise
Frequently Asked Questions
How many AI plans can I generate?
Every Kantivo license includes 10 AI-generated plans per month. Template-based plans have no usage cap. In practice, most businesses only require a single wizard run.
Do I need accounting experience?
Absolutely not. The wizard was built with business owners in mind, not CPAs. Every question uses straightforward language, and each recommendation includes a plain-English explanation of its purpose.
What if I don't like the recommendations?
Nothing is mandatory. Cherry-pick the accounts that fit your workflow and disregard the rest. You are always free to choose a different template or generate a fresh plan from scratch.
Can I use this for multiple companies?
Absolutely. Kantivo supports multi-company management on a single desktop installation, and each company can have its own distinct accounting plan tailored to its operations.
What's the difference between Cash and Accrual?
- Cash: Revenue is recognized when money arrives; expenses are recorded when payment leaves. This approach is more straightforward and suits most small businesses.
- Accrual: Revenue is booked when earned; expenses are recorded when the obligation arises. Typically necessary for larger firms or those managing physical inventory.
Can I change my accounting method later?
Switching mid-year is technically feasible but generally inadvisable. Because your accounting method dictates how every transaction is classified, a mid-stream change demands careful adjustments. Speak with an accounting professional before making the switch.