What's in this guide

This article will show how to integrate Xero PM and/or Workflow Max with NImbus.

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Overview of the Integration

The XPM to Nimbus integration synchronises Client and Contact data from Xero PM (XPM), with a Nimbus Portal. This is performed using the Xero API (Application Programming Interface). This means that Client and Contact details stored in XPM, may be automatically synced into your Nimbus account, thereby providing a single point of maintenance in your XPM account.

Pre-requisites

When you connect your Nimbus account to XPM, a staff member will be required to login to XPM and confirm the connection.

Prior to the initial connection, this staff member MUST Authorise 3rd Party Full Access within their XPM account. To do this, please perform the following:

Login to your XPM account
In the Business tab, select Settings
Under Practice Settings, click on Staff
Select the Staff Member whose XPM Login credentials will be used to Connect Nimbus with XPM
Scroll to the bottom of the page and locate the API Access Privileges section. The sample screen shown on the right will display.
Select the Full option.
Click the Save button to save your changes.

Setup your connection within Nimbus

The next step, is to connect your Xero PM account with your Nimbus account. To do this, please perform the following:

Select Admin from the menu and then select AutoMate
Click the Integration drop down menu
Select Xero PM
Click the Connect to Xero button

Note that connecting to Xero requires ALL Staff to use Two Factor Authentication (2FA) to login to Nimbus. This will be switched on automatically.

Single Sign On is available for Xero users. Please read our article on SSO.

Connecting to Xero

If the staff member who has been granted API Access privileges (within your Xero PM account) is NOT logged into your XPM account, they will be asked to login via the first screen displayed to the right:
Enter the Staff member credentials to login to Xero PM
The system will then display a list of Xero PM accounts that you may connect to.
WARNING

Ensure you select the correct Xero PM account. If you are unsure, DO NOT proceed and contact Nimbus support.
Click the Allow access button to continue.
The Xero PM Configuration dialog then displays showing the Xero PM your Nimbus account is connected to.

Selecting the Xero PM data to be synchronised

The Xero PM configuration dialog allows you to determine what Client / Contact details will be synchronised from Xero PM and linked to your Nimbus Account.

Best Practice

Synchronise ALL Client and Contact details

Best Practice is to synchronise ALL. This will provide you ALL Client Entities and Contacts in your Nimbus account. To do this, leave the Client Filter field and the Contact Filter fields empty.

Other options are:

Synchronise specific Client Entities – a Custom Field must be created in Xero PM, and stored against each Client. When Xero PM is configured, the Name of the custom field is entered into the Client Filter field, and only those Client Entities with this value stored in the Custom field will be synchronised with Nimbus.
You may elect to synchronise Prospects as well as Client Entities. Check the box if required.
Synchronise specific Contacts – this process uses the Xero PM Contact Position field. For example, if you elect to only sync those Contacts that have a Nimbus Position, or a Portal Position, then the sync is setup to only filter in these Contact types. Enter the name of this Contact Position into the Contact Filter field.

Click the Update button to continue.

Note that a Full Client synchronisation will be performed as soon as the Update button is clicked. This will then populate your Nimbus account with the Clients, Contacts and Client / Contact relationships that have been configured. These Client / Contact details will then only be editable within Xero PM.

Syncing only a select group of Clients Entities from XPM

You can synchronise only a select group of Client details into Nimbus. The way to do this is via a Client Filter Field in XPM, which is user defined.

As an example our Custom Field in XPM is called Nimbus Portal.

The Custom field is then applied to all Client Entities in XPM. For those Client entities that you wish to synchronise with Nimbus, you will need to store a positive value into this Custom Field (Yes, Y, True).

Syncing only certain Contacts from XPM

Just like the Client Filtering, the Nimbus syncing process also allows for the syncing of only a select group of Contact types into Nimbus. We do this via the Position field on each Contact within XPM. For example, if you only wanted to sync Contacts, which had a Position of "Nimbus", we would enter Nimbus into the Contact Filter field on the Configuration setup dialog.

Client Codes

It is useful for each Client Entity synchronised into Nimbus to include a Client Code. Nimbus Client Codes are important as they are used to create the Client Folder on the Practices server, where Folder Syncing is selected. If the Xero PM Client does not have a Client Code, Nimbus will create one using the Xero PM internal ID for that Client Entity.

Note that the Xero PM internal ID is a 36 character string.

Xero PM internal IDs are not visible via the Xero PM user interface.

If you would like to add a Client Code in Xero, use the , this can be created in Xero PM as a Custom Field or you could choose to use the Xero Export Code. The screenshot on the right shows a sample of the Xero PM Export code being used to store the Client Code. This is then synchronised with Nimbus.

Custom Fields in XPM

You can also synchronise Custom Fields from XPM into Nimbus.

Setup the Custom Field in Nimbus using the exact same label as used in XPM (including spaces) and then run a Full Client Sync.

This field will then be available via the Client Grid and as merge fields if using Nimbus CDM.

Xero PM Contacts

The following outlines what access is granted to Contacts when they are synced from XPM/WFM into Nimbus. Contacts that are automatically created from Individual and Sole Trader Entities are different to actual Contacts associated with those Entities, and Contacts that are associated with all other Entity types.

Xero PM - Entities using the Individual/Sole Trader Business Structures

When Entities using these Business Structures are synchronised into Nimbus, a Contact is automatically created using the contact detail from the Client Entity:

Nimbus Primary Contact	Y
Contact type / Position	Client
Folder Access	Full access and Read / Write access

If additional Contacts are created in Xero, these will also be synchronised and will be created as follows:

Nimbus Primary Contact	only if selected as Y
Contact type / Position	Contact
Folder Access	No access and no Read / Write access

Note that if the Contact is marked as the Primary Contact, other contacts stored in Nimbus will loose their Folder Visibility and Access.
If the Contact is created in Xero with a Position of Nimbus, the Contact will be synchronised and will be created as follows:

Nimbus Primary Contact	only if selected as Y
Contact type / Position	Nimbus
Folder Access	Full access and Read / Write access

Xero PM - Entities using other Business Structures (not Individual / Sole Trader)

Contacts must be added to Clients using these Business Structures so that Nimbus has Contacts for the Client Entity. If additional Contacts are created in Xero, these will also be synchronised and will be created as follows:

Nimbus Primary Contact	If selected as Y, or if only 1 contact
Contact type / Position	Contact
Folder Access	No access and no Read / Write access

If the Contact is created in Xero with a Position of Nimbus, the Contact will be synchronised and will be created as follows:

Nimbus Primary Contact	only if selected as Y
Contact type / Position	Nimbus
Folder Access	Full access and Read / Write access

Synchronising data from Xero PM to Nimbus

Data is automatically synchronised 24 x 7. This data sync occurs every 10 minutes. If you need to synchronise data immediately, then either a Manual Sync or a Full Client Sync can be performed. A Full Client Sync should only be performed when necessary.

Event Type in Xero PM	Manual Sync	Full Sync
Adding a new Client Entity	Y	Y
Adding a new Contact to a Client	Y	Y
Archiving a Client Archived Clients and associated Contacts are removed from Nimbus upon a full sync. Contacts are only removed if they do not have a login. If they do have a login, then you can edit the Contact and delete it from Nimbus if you wish. If you Archive a Client entity and that Client entity in Nimbus has files in their yellow folder, the system will leave a Green folder (with the same code and name) accessible via the My Folders menu. We call this an orphaned Client folder.		Y
Deleting a Contact Nimbus will only delete Contacts if they do not have a Nimbus login. If they do have a login, they will be set to un-integrated and may be manually deleted if required.	Y	Y
Editing a Contact	Y	Y
Merging a Client with another Client in Xero		Y
Adding a Group to a Client – ensure you edit the Client and save the Client details	Y	Y

Changing Data in Nimbus only

If a Contact is manually attached (related) with a Client using the Nimbus UI, this addition will stay in Nimbus (even after syncing).
If a Contacts Folder Access is manually altered in Nimbus using the Nimbus UI, and a sync performed, this alteration will stay in Nimbus.

Customer Help

XPM to Nimbus Integration