Wolters Kluwer 13th Annual CCH Connections User Conference Kicks Off in San Francisco

Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting, today kicked off its 13^th annual CCH Connections User Conference, one of the accounting profession’s premier educational and peer networking events of the year.

The 4-day event is designed to provide tax professionals with the tools, resources and solutions needed to grow, manage and protect their businesses and their clients’ businesses. Attendees will gain valuable insight into Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting’s newest products and features, learn about the latest tax trends and technologies, and network and share best practices with leaders and peers.

Jason R. Marx, CEO of Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting North America will be headlining the #CCHUC17 opening keynote session, and sharing insights on five key trends that are dramatically altering client expectations of professional tax and accounting firms and emerging technology innovations, including:

The Smartphone: Whether email, social media or web searching, smartphone technology has sped up expectations for instant results and answers, resulting in firms continuing to strive to improve the level of service they offer their clients
Built-in Intelligent Assistants: Asking a question and receiving a quick response is commonplace – think Siri or Alexa – and firms implementing more integrated solutions is the most efficient way to access and deliver the most rapid response
Rise of Self-Service: From self-checkouts, to Frequently Asked Question pages on the Internet, firms continue to move to the Cloud at a steady pace, giving them the ability to engage with clients using digital methods like securely exchanging documents and files
“Always On” Culture: Clients don’t expect to break the habit of getting what they want, when they want it and providing 24/7 services, in a secure way is driving higher utilization of enhanced security features, such as multi-factor authentication – a way to protect client information
Value in Simplicity: Clients have come to recognize value in simplicity and, specifically, the greater value realized through data integration. The merging and unifying of data not only brings increased potential for accuracy but sets the stage for a competitive advantage. Firms that have the ability to collect, manage and intelligently leverage data have a leg up and utilizing point-to-point solutions through integration is becoming critically important for success

CCH Connections User Conference attendees also received results of the 2017 Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting survey and white paper, “Integrated Cloud Solutions Help Firms Overcome Industry Challenges and Achieve Growth Objective,” which takes a look back at the top concerns and business objectives for firms over the years and examines more recent technology and profitability trends. Over the past decade, tax and accounting firms have reported remarkably consistent business concerns. Although individual issues may shift in where they rank from year to year, there is wide agreement that the top issues facing firms involve:

Growing the business
Making use of the best current technology
Data and information security
Recruiting and retaining the next generation of talent
Increasing regulatory compliance and complexity

“The consistency in objectives we see in our year-over-year data is not surprising, but all continue to point to the need for intelligent technology that can help firms be more productive and efficient,” said Marx. “This survey confirms what we’ve been seeing over the years; combined with documented processes and best practices, the right technology will help firms increase their value and continue to serve clients well.”

In addition to Marx, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and New York Times best-selling author Charles Duhigg will also address the crowd with key insights from his latest bestselling book, Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business. Duhigg will discuss the exploration of the science of productivity, and why, in today’s world, managing how you think—rather than what you think—can transform your life. Duhigg’s journalistic accomplishments have made him an in-demand speaker for organizations from the UCLA School of Management to Fortune 500 companies and The Johnson Foundation to the National Association of Science Teachers.

The event is being held at The Marriott Marquis San Francisco from Sunday, October 22 through Wednesday, October 25. In addition to informative courses from industry-leading experts, attendees will enjoy a variety of activities that allow them to network and bond with their peers, from relaxing cocktail parties to twilight attractions at the infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary or aboard a classic San Francisco Cable Car tour.