From the April/May 2006 Review of
Document Management Systems
GoFileRoom is unique to most of the other solutions reviewed here in that it
is offered exclusively as a hosted solution. The benefits of a web-hosted solution
are compelling because they put more responsibility and accountability on the
vendor and relieve you from the responsibility of investing in expensive infrastructure
and IT personnel costs to administer the system. GoFileRoom was purchased by
Thomson Corp. from Immediatech in July 2005.
Installation & Configuration — 5 Stars
As previously noted, GoFileRoom is only available in a web-hosted model, which
makes installation quite simple. Since there are no server, data archiving or
other infrastructure requirements, your installation tasks are limited to the
scanner(s) and some software downloads at each workstation.
User Interface — 5 Stars
The user interface for GoFileRoom is very intuitive and simple in its design,
making it easy to navigate. The system emulates a virtual file cabinet whereby
you establish unique indexing parameters for each drawer, i.e., client files,
human resources, etc. Each index value can be assigned a list of values from
which to select, such as client number, document type, etc. These lists can
be populated automatically by establishing integration with other applications
such as practice management or tax software. The scanning features support both
centralized and decentralized scanning workflows through the use of bar coding.
Integration — 4 Stars
Direct integration for MS Word, Excel and Outlook is provided. The system is
designed to work with *.PDF files and provides the ability to use Adobe annotation
to documents in view or edit mode. Thomson’s professional services group
has established direct integration with most of the popular tax and practice
management applications, which establishes GoFileRoom as an accountant-centric
application.
Training & Support — 4 Stars
The professional services group provides pre-deployment advisory services on
best practices deployment, including establishing your firm’s indexing
structure. Thomson offers both on-site and web-based training, some of which
is offered as part of the monthly subscription fee.
Workflow & Document Tracking — 5 Stars
Perhaps the strongest feature of GoFileRoom is the TaxFlow add-on module. TaxFlow
is designed to replace your paper-based routing and control sheets and paper
file folders for your tax engagements. The purpose is to facilitate a truly
paperless workflow. TaxFlow becomes the central launching point for all of the
steps in your tax preparation process. You define the routing steps for each
type of engagement, i.e., business tax, individual tax, etc., and route the
virtual folders electronically to the individual or group responsible for the
next step in the process.
Security — 4 Stars
Permissions can be established at the file cabinet, drawer, folder and document
level by individual and/or group. Access can also be controlled at the client
level as well as other index values, such as document type. A detailed audit
trail of activity on each document is maintained, including date, user and activity.
A login history is also available to monitor who was logged in when. You can
allow or deny access from specific IP addresses for greater control.
Pricing — 4 Stars
The GoFileRoom Pro bundled version (including TaxFlow) for firms from five to
14 users starts at $3,950 annually for the first five users and $395 for each
additional user up to a maximum of 14 users. The Enterprise version starts at
$1,350 per month for a 15-user license. Additional licenses are priced on a
sliding scale for an unlimited number of users. There is an additional charge
for storage. The TaxFlow module is $9 per user, per month based on volume of
users. ClientFlow is an add-on option that enables firms to provide their clients
with secure access to documents via a client portal. ClientFlow licensing starts
at $3 per client per month.
Relative Value — 4.5 Stars
GoFileRoom has three particularly compelling attributes that make it a top-rated
solution: web hosted model, TaxFlow workflow automation tool, and an easy-to-use
and intuitive interface. It is designed as an enterprise solution designed for
large firms, but the Pro version makes it a very competitively priced solution
for the small firm, as well.
2006 Overall Rating — 4.5 Stars
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