Refresh Engine Behaviour
This article explains how the QuickBooks refresh engine works once your model is connected and mapped, and how it updates historical data without destroying your forecasting logic.
You will learn:
What happens when you refresh data from QuickBooks.
How new periods and new accounts are handled.
How refresh interacts with auto created variables and the Data Library.
Good practices for running refreshes safely.
What a refresh does
A refresh from QuickBooks is a repeat of the actuals import for a new or extended date range, using your existing Chart of Accounts mappings.
Extending the historical range
When you choose a new end date beyond the previous import range, the refresh will:
Append new periods of actuals to each mapped series.
Update earlier periods only if QuickBooks data has changed.
Maintain a continuous time series for each account in the Data Library.
This supports a cadence such as:
Close the books in QuickBooks for a month.
Refresh actuals in Model Reef for that month.
Review updated performance and rerun forecasts or valuations.
Handling new or changed accounts
If new accounts have been added in QuickBooks since the last mapping round:
Rerun the COA Import step to pull in the new accounts.
Map them to variable types, categories and branches.
Include them in the next refresh.
During refresh:
Any newly mapped account with no variable will generate an auto created variable.
Accounts whose mapping has changed will respect the new mapping for the new periods.
You should review mapping changes carefully, as they can affect the classification of historical and future data.
Effects on variables and forecasts
Refreshes do not:
Delete custom variables you created manually.
Remove or reset your forecast driver settings.
Change timing, formula or scenario logic you configured.
Refreshes do:
Update historical values for QuickBooks sourced series in the Data Library.
Update the historical part of any variables that reference those series.
Trigger recalculation of statements and valuations based on the new history.
If you want forecast logic to change in light of new data, you must edit drivers or variables explicitly.
Reconciling after a refresh
After each refresh, it is good practice to:
Reconcile a sample of P&L and Balance Sheet lines against QuickBooks for one or two periods.
Check key KPIs and covenants that depend on refreshed data.
Confirm that branch level allocations still look correct.
Ensure that scenario outputs still make sense with the new actuals.
If you see unexpected results, check:
Date range settings for the refresh.
COA and branch mappings.
Whether QuickBooks history has been re posted or adjusted.
You can rerun partial imports or create adjustment variables where needed.
Scheduling refreshes
You can refresh from QuickBooks manually whenever you need updated data. Common cadences include:
Monthly, aligned to accounting close.
Quarterly, ahead of board or investor reporting.
Ad hoc before major planning, funding or transaction work.
In more advanced workflows, you may coordinate quick refreshes across several models that share QuickBooks sources.
Practical tips
Stabilise your COA mappings before setting up regular refresh routines.
Document any manual adjustments or management overlays so you can distinguish ledger data from model level changes.
Refresh before building important scenario packs or valuation models to ensure you start from current actuals.
In multi company environments, refresh each model that links to a QuickBooks company, then reconcile consolidations.
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