eFileCabinet — eFileCabinet
877-574-5505www.efilecabinet.com
Jul. 25, 2008
From the August 2008 Review of
Document Storage Programs
eFileCabinet was established by James Blaylock, CPA back in 2001. Therefore,
with this product, you have leadership from someone who understands the accounting
and tax business. eFileCabinet is designed to provide an easy-to-use method
of organizing your files for quick and easy retrieval by emulating a physical
file cabinet. The current version 3.5 is due to be upgraded to 4.0 for a release
in the third quarter of 2008.
Usability – 4.5 Stars
The system has an intuitive, easy-to-use interface. The entry point begins by
selecting the file cabinet you want to access, i.e. client files, firm administration,
etc. Each file cabinet can have its own password for access control. The system
includes an “eFile” print drive that allows you to print any report
or document to PDF format and file it directly into eFileCabinet.
Scanning software is included that lets you interface with any TWAIN-compliant
scanner. You will be able to preview each of the scanned pages before they get
filed. You will also be prompted to select the drawer and folder in which you
want to store the file. OCR functionality will be added to version
Document Organization – 5 Stars
The system uses the typical cabinet/drawer/folder model. You begin by searching
for clients with a partial entry of the client name. Within each folder, you
will be prompted to choose from a list of suggested file names, i.e., tax return,
IRS letter, etc. This list is created for each folder, and the user always has
the option to create a unique document name. A “check-in/check-out”
feature is included to control against multiple people trying to edit documents
simultaneously.
Integration – 4 Stars
Since eFileCabinet does not have a tax or accounting software product, no direct
integration is offered with these applications. However, integration is available
with MS Office via an eFileCabinet button in the toolbar; this applies to Word,
Excel and Outlook specifically. When you save an Outlook message, the subject
line will be inserted as the default file name for the message. The e-mail is
stored in an *.MSG file format so that it can be opened as a dynamic message,
and you can view the attachments, as well.
Annotation – 4 Stars
eFileCabinet includes a PDF viewer so you can preview PDF files when you highlight
them in the document hit list. Files are stored in their native format; therefore,
all annotations are handled at the application level with Adobe Acrobat, Excel,
etc.
Overall Value – 4.5 Stars
eFileCabinet offers an effective, low-cost solution that allows you to do a
better job of organizing your client files (and other file types, for that matter).
The software is priced at $1,700 for a 5-user license. This includes assistance
with installation and conversion to get your files established. Recently, eFileCabinet
unveiled a value-added service to the eFileCabinet product in the form of online
backup. Concentsus Online Backup (www.concentsus.com) allows users to store
their valuable documents in an off-site location so that in the event of system
failure or natural disaster, files are still retrievable. Home, Small Business
and Enterprise plans are available.
2008 Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars