technology

being based in the cloud can extend workstation life.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

getting the right mix of mobility is critical for firms today.

more on tech spending: use scanners to capture source documents | monitor real estate: more is better | why you need an independent security review | standardize quickbooks support (and bring your clients) | remote deposit saves in several ways | how efficient are your audits?
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the accounting professional’s rule of thumb is that everyone who works out of the office one day per week or more and needs to be self-contained should have a laptop as their only machine. the obvious exception to this is for tax or administrative personnel who would never work from remote client sites, but have a computer at home that they can use to connect to the firm via a secure remote access solution.
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data must be captured at three levels.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

one of the keys to optimizing production processes is capturing information at its “root” source. this means when data enters your firm, regardless of the format (mail, fax, email or on a flash drive). ideally, documents would be provided to the firm in a digital format such as secured email or preferably through a web portal, but the reality today is that a significant portion of accounting firm source documents

more on tech spending: monitor real estate: more is better | keep your tech budget updated | mandate training programs | turn to portal encryption
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ideally, documents would be provided to the firm in a digital format such as secured email or preferably through a web portal, but the reality today is that a significant portion of accounting firm source documents continue to arrive from clients in a traditional paper format. your firm will need to develop processes to efficiently scan, name and store these documents.
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no, one big screen is not just as good as multiple smaller ones.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

the best place to start the discussion on hardware is with monitors as it is the easiest place to see an immediate return on your it investment.

more on tech spending: keep your tech budget updated | develop monthly it flash reports | centralize contact administration | is your ap digital yet? | a better way to handle time & expenses | how the best cpa firms capture best tech practices in procedures manuals | workflow systems make tax season less tedious | smart firms don’t happen by accident
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

your monitors are your windows into all digitally stored information and are the foundation for improving every aspect of firm production. transitioning tax production processes from physical to digital requires that all input screens and source documents be simultaneously viewable in a convenient format, which today means more screen real estate per workstation.
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will you replace servers or head for the cloud?

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

we have all heard the saying that if you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up going nowhere (or… you won’t ever get there).

more on tech spending: centralize contact administration | standardize quickbooks support (and bring your clients) | remote deposit saves in several ways  | how efficient are your audits? | going digital: how to train a client | unified messaging offers benefits | remote access: giving workers what they want | desktops vs. laptops
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

unfortunately, many accounting firms do not do a good job of integrating their information technology requirements into the firm’s overall strategic vision.
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plus 4 it rules to live by.

by randolph p. johnston, leslie garrett and brian f. tankersley
the accounting firm operations and technology survey

many practitioners think cpa firm information technology is easy, and the really hard work is done with people who have large databases, etc.

more from the survey: ins and outs of email, document storage | windows 7 and windows server 2012 | accounting firms add new service lines | why every cpa firm is a tech company at heart
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nothing could be further from the truth, as it would be normal for a staff tax preparer to have as many as 12 applications open at once. very few things are as important to your firm’s effectiveness and efficiency as the reliability and effectiveness of your technology.
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plus 11 related key findings.

91 percent now work with two or more monitors

by randolph p. johnston and leslie garrett
the accounting firm operations and technology survey

while many people believe that computer hardware is a commodity, the quality of the hardware and the way you deploy the devices can make a significant difference in how well your firm works.

we will discuss here four issues associated with computer hardware: replacement cycles, the brand of the pc you purchase, monitor trends and scanner software.

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take advantage of discount licenses.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

in the united states, quickbooks is the most dominant small business accounting product on the market and will be the application that the majority of the firm’s clients use. therefore, it is obvious that the firm must become proficient with supporting quickbooks.

more on tech spending: is your ap digital yet? | a better way to handle time & expenses | how the best cpa firms capture best tech practices in procedures manuals | workflow systems make tax season less tedious | smart firms don’t happen by accident | bandwidth: how much?
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

unfortunately, one of the biggest wastes of time is when firms support too many older versions of the software, which often leads to incompatibilities that can corrupt the database and make it unusable for clients. fixing these errors creates lost time that is seldom charged to clients and instead impacts the profitability on these jobs.
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secure external file transfer is easy to implement.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

when dealing with digital files, the most effective way to transfer them is electronically over the internet either with email or through a portal. many firms have emailed clients copies of tax returns and financial statements over the years.

more on tech spending: is your ap digital yet? | remote deposit saves in several ways  | how efficient are your audits? | going digital: how to train a client | hit ‘delete,’ but only when it’s time | unified messaging offers benefits | remote access: giving workers what they want | why use windows 10? | desktops vs. laptops
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

unfortunately, this is not the most secure method as the firm does not have control of the various internet service providers and the relay servers between the firm’s email server and the client’s email account.
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eliminate steps and earn cash back to boot.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

processing accounts payable is another of the manually intensive processes within the firm’s administrative department that can be significantly streamlined through digital processes.

more on tech spending: a better way to handle time & expenses | how the best cpa firms capture best tech practices in procedures manuals | workflow systems make tax season less tedious | smart firms don’t happen by accident | bandwidth: how much?
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

consider how many “touches” a single payable creates:
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