May 2008
In This Issue...
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REVIEWS
FOR YOUR FIRM
A Review of Document Management Systems
By John H. Higgins, CPA.CITP
As practices continue to evolve into primarily digital environments, it is essential to find workflow processes that maximize the efficiency of being paperless, while also enabling greater control over electronic documents. In this review, John looks at systems designed for Document Management, which entails a broad area of functions that help automate all aspects of the flow and retention of documents. In our August 2008 issue, he will take a closer look at systems designed for the more basic tasks of Document Storage.
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 A Review of Estate Planning Programs
By Isaac M. O’Bannon, Technology Editor
Estate planning, although it often goes hand-in-hand with legal activities such as establishing estates and drafting wills, is inherently a function of a financial professional, and is especially well-suited to professional accountants. This is because of several factors, but primarily because of the existing relationship between the accounting professional and his or her clients. This review section looks at several programs designed to help financial professionals minimize taxation of client wealth during transitional steps, such as gifting and estate dissolution.
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REVIEWS FOR YOUR CLIENTS
Review of Small Business Accounting Systems
By Isaac M. O’Bannon, Technology Editor
More than half of all small businesses fail before their fourth year, and particular business types are especially vulnerable. While these entrepreneurs may be experts in their crafts, the skills needed to successfully run a business are often quite different from their strengths. So how can you, their most trusted financial advisor, help them? Help them find a business management program that fits their needs and their capabilities. There are many SMB programs on the market, each with strengths. But as programs attempt to do more and more, they can also get more complex. This review section looks at several aspects of such systems, including functions such as audit trails and data sharing that are also geared toward easing the job of a business’ public accountant.
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FEATURES
By Isaac M. O’Bannon, Technology Editor
See how one firm has scored on The CPA Technology Advisor’s Productivity Survey and learn more about what practices have worked and not worked for this firm. We hope you’ll see your firm in these pages … or at least a firm very much like yours.
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By Michael Simon Bodner, Ph.D.
The Web is old news. The Internet is not going away, of course, but there is a revolution underway right now. With the advent of Web 2.0, the latest generation of programs is being built specifically to be delivered over the Internet and run through web browsers, as opposed to programs that were built to run on PCs and were simply tweaked to enable Internet activity. This is nothing short of a “paradigm flip,” according to Dr. Bodner, who further explores “cloud” computing and Software as a Service (SaaS) and the ways the two will interact to radically improve computing in the near future.
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 The number of document management products aimed specifically at the public accounting profession abounds. And perhaps it's that expansive array of choices that's paralyzed nearly two-thirds of the public accounting firms in America to the point of inaction, leaving them without the one tool absolutely required as the centerpiece of their journey toward the digital future.
The CPA Technology Advisor's document management solution product selector presents a series of comprehensive questions for you to answer. Your responses will trigger a report upon completion of the survey that suggests three appropriate DMS products for your firm. We believe that this tool will help your firm narrow the available products to those that best fit your stated criteria as you begin your journey into the era of digital documents. |
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Tech2Go provides a fast-paced roundtable discussion with Executive Editor Greg LaFollette and regular columnists Brent Goodfellow, Randy Johnston and Dave McClure. These thought leaders tackle current technology issues that are impacting the tax and accounting profession.
Sponsored by ADP
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SBC2Go features nationally recognized accounting software expert Doug Sleeter. He and Greg discuss
technology, QuickBooks and other small business consulting accounting software, integration, add-ons, online software, and the process
of developing and accounting software consulting practice.
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DMA2Go is our newest monthly podcast series
that features Executive Editor Greg LaFollette and the country's foremost document
management consultant, John Higgins. John is a CPA and a CITP and has been helping
tax and accounting firms move to "the digital world" for over 20 years. He and Greg
talk about product and system evaluation factors, scanning, workflow, portals, Adobe
Acrobat -- all with a laser focus on the special needs of the practicing accountant.
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IBI2Go Intelligent Business Ideas 2 Go features Executive Editor Greg LaFollette interviewing various thought leaders in the profession to discuss "Intelligent Business Ideas" and best practices. Meet these movers and shakers and glean insight into the minds of today’s mavens as they discuss topics such as staff training, health in the workplace, effective staff communication, and “How to Grow Your Business.”
Sponsored by CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business
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Columnist Corner
Up Front
Some Seedy Advice
By Shari Dodgen, Publisher
What are you doing now to help ensure the future growth of your practice? Now’s the time to sow the seeds of success, so that there will be a bountiful harvest to reap down the road.
Accountant Tech Talk
Windows Server 2008 Launch: A Look At Virtualization With Hyper-V
By Brent Goodfellow, CPA.CITP, MCSE, MST, MCT
Read about some of the key benefits of Microsoft's new Windows Server 2008, especially it's Virtualization capabilities that reduce IT infrastructure, aid in disaster recovery and provide a better testing environment.
Tricks & Tips
Remotely Speaking
By Isaac M. O'Bannon, Technology Editor
With technology evolving to the point where we can be constantly connected to work (for better or worse), many professionals and practices are finding that working remotely has benefits for the employee, the firm and their clients.
Technology IN Practice
In-Firm View of the AICPA Top Technology Initiatives
By Roman H. Kepczyk, CPA.CITP
Roman takes a closer look at each of the AICPA Top Technologies.
The QuickBooks Advisor
The Buck Stops with the Consultant
By Doug Sleeter
A technology consultant must develop a trust-based relationship. That means taking control of the job and ensuring that you are involved in every aspect of the software, hardware and implementations that can affect your clients' computing environments.
From The Trenches
Document Management — The State of the Art
By Randy Johnston
At this year’s annual paperless conference, Randy saw many new system enhancements and improvements that he thinks will offer direct benefit to accounting practices. What other changes are on the way? Randy will let you know.
Better Technology For Better Clients
'SharePoint' One Step at a Time: Building a Collaboration Environment
By Lisa Kianoff, CPA.CITP
Windows SharePoint Services, the collaboration tool that Microsoft is now bundling into Windows Server 2008, may be free, but users certainly are getting a valuable product. Learn more about SharePoint and the features Lisa thinks will be especially valuable to accountants and their clients.
The eSecurity Advisor
Preventing Theft by Understanding Firewalls: Part II
By John D. Anderson, CPA.CITP, CIA, MCP, MSA
In part two of his column on this subject, John continues to provide real-world examples of the importance of firewalls and the catastrophe that can result from lax security management procedures.
The Bleeding Edge
Data Storage & Security
By Dave McClure
Despite decades of advancements in data storage and retrieval, the greatest problem that Dave sees to digital document management is in security. What can you do? It’s easy; just follow Dave’s simple advice.
Final Thoughts
Don’t Miss the Bus Again!
By Gregory L. LaFollette, CPA.CITP, Executive Editor
As new innovations are introduced, the adaptation of these technologies always follows a recognizable pattern. Greg points out how the accounting profession has often been in the later stages of the adaptation curve, but that there are opportunities out there to embrace new technologies earlier. |
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