How to use Google Sheets as basis for Recharges (i.e. Payroll)

(Mayday's recharge functionality is primarily driven from transactions that occur in Xero. We allow users to create rules that pick-up Xero transactions based on certain criteria, then split them and recharge them automatically.

This works for the vast majority of inter-entity recharges (and intra-entity reallocations).

The primary situation that this doesn't cater for is when there is a single transaction line in Xero, that encompasses a whole lot of data. Payroll is a great example. There is usually one transaction line in Xero, but this represents the payroll of an entire organisation, which can encompass more than one entity or department.

To appropriately calculate how we would split and recharge a transaction like this, we need an intermediary - between Xero and Mayday - that is where the Google Sheet comes in!

How-to create the Google Sheet

Go to Sources (on the left-hand navigation panel)
Select the entity
Click on "+ Add Source"

Then select Google Sheets

This will then generate a google sheet, like so:

How to enter initial data into the Google Sheet

From the sources screen, select the entity you want and then click on the google sheets text

It will then ask you to login, ensure you do so using your correct account
When you get into the google sheet you will notice the first few columns are greyed out, for example:

Why are these columns special?

Column A is editable. This is where you enter the description for the transaction (i.e. the persons name if we are recharging payroll)
Column B will always contain the account codes from your GL, which we don't want people to edit. These will pull from Xero.
Column C & D may also be protected if you use one or two tracking categories in Xero. Once again, we want this to reflect what's in Xero, so don't edit these unless required.

Then enter the figures you want to recharge for the given month

Once complete, the sheet is done.
When you run your monthly recharges, so long as your rules are setup correctly, we will then pick up the data for the appropriate month and recharge it accordingly.

How to update data for the following month

Follow the same steps above, just add data to the next monthly column.
Feel free to add as many new rows as is required (i.e. if you have a new employee who just started)

How does this data then get recharged

Following the setup steps outlined in the Recharger guide you will eventually come across the step that asks you to confirm which transactions you want Mayday to recharge.

Use the drop-down to switch from Xero to Google Sheets

Then use the same logic to set your conditions, but use the Google Sheet as your basis (not Xero)
When you run your recharge, we will then look at the data on the spreadsheet, for the month selected, and run your recharges as if each of these were a transaction in Xero.
All same rules and process apply when it comes to posting recharges, recalculating recharges and deleting recharges. So refer to the Recharger guide throughout.

Google Sheet FAQs

What if I am a Microsoft user, and/or don't have a Google account?

For security reasons, you need to authenticate to edit the sheet, and so will need a Google account. A free Gmail account will suffice. You can invite this email to your Mayday group (it doesn’t need to be a valid Xero login) and it will be given access to edit the sheet

Where does this google sheet live?

This lives in a protected folder in Mayday’s Google account

Who will have access to this google sheet?

All the users you invite to your Mayday group will be given access. Mayday’s support engineers will also have access to provide technical assistance

What if data is removed from this google sheet subsequent to running a recharge?

The transaction will be removed from the calculation and you will be notified that the postings need updating (if the calculation has been marked as final)

What if this google sheet gets deleted?

It can’t be deleted

Does the google sheet update with changes to account codes, tracking categories etc?

Yes, the account code and tracking category fields are updated on each sync to reflect changes in Xero

Why does it say "Sync Failed" next to the Google sheet in the Sources section in Mayday?

If you have made changes to the Chart of Accounts in Xero, if these changes impact rows on the Google sheet, then the sync will show as failed. We automatically update the sheet with new CoA codes, but you will have to manually adjust the rows as required. This is often a quick task, just one to be aware of.