tech

workflow fails when admins are the only ones updating status.

by roman h. kepczyk

the most important aspect of transitioning the firm’s tax process to a digital environment is managing electronic files that are no longer physically viewable in assorted stacks around the office. this requires a digital tax workflow system that lets everyone know the status of every return and easily connects that person to digital copies of the return and the source documents.

more: retaining documents: how long and who decides? | the 4 buckets of firm knowledge | internet bandwidth: how much is enough? | why you need windows 10 with automatic updates | laptops vs. desktops
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under traditional manual tax systems, firms utilized due date tracking databases that identified when a return was due, but not what information was missing, or the preparation, review or extension status, which was often recorded manually on a physical routing sheet.
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repeat as necessary: you don’t have to keep everything.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless: technology guide & checklist

managing digital files is in many ways similar to managing paper files in that the firm must have standards for who can create a document, add to or edit a document, file it, and eventually purge the file. unfortunately, as digital files are on the network and “out of sight,” many firms are not really aware of what files are stored, the most current versions and whether or not they should be deleted.

more: the 4 buckets of firm knowledge | why digital communications matter | the right tech tools for covid work-from-home | it’s 10 p.m. do you know where your backups are?
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as firms transition to the “less paper” environment, it is recommended that they implement a digital document retention policy and make users accountable for adhering to this policy.
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solutions for firms of all sizes.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless: technology guide & checklist

the network drive in most firms is not very well organized and requires the most cleanup. this happens because it is usually managed with microsoft windows explorer, which allows almost anyone to create or access a file anywhere on the drive.

more: the 4 buckets of firm knowledge | why digital communications matter | the right tech tools for covid work-from-home | it’s 10 p.m. do you know where your backups are?
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unfortunately, there is seldom a firm standard that is adhered to, allowing users to create files with any naming convention they want and store it anywhere they choose. the result can be files that are hard to find and slow to search across the network.
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power bi is gaining on excel for dashboards.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless: technology guide & checklist

firm knowledge and information is usually stored in one of four “buckets.” the most obvious is within the accounting applications themselves where tax, audit and accounting programs store client files in a format that can only be accessed with that program. files are usually indexed and accessed in designated directories so there is not much the firm can do about moving these files.

more: why digital communications matter | the case for wireless broadband access | maximize your office 365 roi | how the cloud impacts server replacement | capturing documents at the source
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the second bucket for more advanced firms is a document management application where final documents can be archived in alignment with a comprehensive document retention plan and easily searched. the 2019 cpafma survey pointed to 30 percent of firms utilizing their document management application for intranet purposes.
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… but don’t forget security.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless: technology guide & checklist

we’ve said that firms should strive to capture all data in a digital format at its “root” source. this goes for services such as the firm’s fax and voice mail systems as well.

more: the case for wireless broadband access | internet bandwidth: how much is enough? | the right tech tools for covid work-from-home | maximize your office 365 roi | why you need windows 10 with automatic updates | it’s 10 p.m. do you know where your backups are? | how the cloud impacts server replacement | laptops vs. desktops | the best scanners to buy today | capturing documents at the source | the more monitors, the better
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traditional inbound faxes are usually printed from a fax machine and then hand-delivered to the recipient’s desk. in some cases, this fax image is actually rescanned and emailed to the recipient. while this is a step toward digital delivery, today’s digital fax systems deliver a digital image to the recipient via email, so they can access them within their email.
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don’t rely on whatever your client provides.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless: technology guide & checklist

one of the revolutions in remote connectivity is found within your cell phone as digital cellular providers have beefed up and expanded their networks to provide reliable internet access to remote devices. today, the vast majority of the united states and canada has access to the internet through the 4g digital cellular network at speeds of 1mpbs or more, which is adequate for remote access to most applications, particularly those hosted by cloud providers.

more: internet bandwidth: how much is enough? | the right tech tools for covid work-from-home | it’s 10 p.m. do you know where your backups are?
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the key today is to determine which service provider is the best in your firm’s specific area of operations.
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what about redundancy?

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless: technology guide & checklist

the internet has undoubtedly had a profound impact on firm communications. it has become the primary driver toward the next generation of accounting applications that run entirely on the web through “cloud” computing.

more: the right tech tools for covid work-from-home | maximize your office 365 roi | how the cloud impacts server replacement | capturing documents at the source
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

before we get ahead of ourselves discussing cloud opportunities, we have to assess how the internet is used within your firm today. most likely the internet is

• a digital pipeline,
• a conduit for communications, updates, research and backups, and
• a platform for exchanging files with clients.

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for servers, have personnel on hand.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless: technology guide & checklist

every firm has concerns about their systems being hacked, getting attacked by a virus or malware, or being the victim of ransomware that encrypts all the firm’s data. the 2018 cpafma survey found an increase in firms impacted by ransomware, which carried into the 2020 survey.

more: maximize your office 365 roi | why you need windows 10 with automatic updates | it’s 10 p.m. do you know where your backups are? | how the cloud impacts server replacement | laptops vs. desktops | the best scanners to buy today | capturing documents at the source | the more monitors, the better
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the vast majority of these virus and malware issues can be effectively negated with one simple process: keep your software updated on your servers and individual workstations.
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don’t settle for adequate knowledge.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless: technology guide & checklist

to be effective in business today, every member of your firm must optimally utilize the microsoft office suite at an intermediate to advanced level for outlook, excel, and word.

more: why you need windows 10 with automatic updates | it’s 10 p.m. do you know where your backups are? | how the cloud impacts server replacement | laptops vs. desktops | the best scanners to buy today | capturing documents at the source | the more monitors, the better
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firms have traditionally been behind the adoption curve because of the lag time of accounting vendors supporting the latest version, particularly for audit engagement binders.

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tax personnel need more ram than others.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless: technology guide & checklist

okay, we all know that the microsoft windows operating system is preferred to run computers by the primary vendors to the accounting profession.

more: it’s 10 p.m. do you know where your backups are? | how the cloud impacts server replacement | laptops vs. desktops | the best scanners to buy today | capturing documents at the source | the more monitors, the better
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with microsoft discontinuing support of windows 7 on jan. 14, 2020, and windows 8 receiving poor reviews, it is recommended that all firms standardize on windows 10 and have the system configured for automatic updates.
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too many firms are still ignoring the basics.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless: technology guide & checklist

your firm’s safety net in the event of any disaster is your data backup.

more: how the cloud impacts server replacement | laptops vs. desktops | the best scanners to buy today | capturing documents at the source | the more monitors, the better
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it had better be consistently performed and securely stored offsite.

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