July 2012

866-NETDOCS www.netdocuments.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.5   Best Firm Fit: NetDocuments’ biggest market is law firms, which represents 70% of the company’s customer base. Although they don’t have a deep presence in accounting firms at this stage, they have a strong presence in many similar businesses, such as financial advisory firms. The system is highly […]

Adagio by Softrak Systems Inc.604-736-3741www.softrak.com Related article, from the July 2012 Review of On-Premise SMB Accounting Systems Adagio Accounting was launched in 1999 by Softrak, provider of Windows-based accounting solutions for small and medium businesses. The suite of accounting modules is designed for professional services and distribution companies and offers an extensive range of products […]

Acclivity—AccountEdge Pro 2012800-322-6962www.accountedge.com From the July 2012 Review of On-Premises SMB Accounting Programs Best Fit: AccountEdge is a good fit for many small companies and especially those companies that require multi-location inventory, multi-currency, or need a program that is designed for a Mac. This program is easy to understand and the uncluttered screens are easy […]

From the July 2012 Issue. As tax and accounting professionals make plans to move their firms forward, certain buzz words continuously show up: SaaS, on-the-go, real-time collaboration, the Cloud, mobile, instant, client portal, mobility. It’s obvious that success in tomorrow’s world is reliant upon professionals and their clients having access to the information they need […]

How much has the profession changed in the last 16 years? Teresa Mackintosh has had one of the most unique front row seats during this time, serving in public practice as a CPA, as well as in various leadership roles with two of the largest technology companies serving tax and accounting professionals.

A New Jersey CPA has found success through innovation of workflow and technology, without compromising client service and relationships.

Thomson Reuters — Practice CS800-968-8900CS.ThomsonReuters.com From the 2012 review of Practice Management systems. Best Fit: Firms of all sizes looking for a comprehensive solution offering project management and workflow capabilities or users already in the CS Professional Suite product ecosystem from Thomson Reuters. Strengths Comprehensive project management capabilities Available as a cloud solution Strong reporting […]

Evaluating small business management software is always full of surprises. Some users wonder where to start the process and ask if they really need to change software, upgrade to the current version, or invest in training on the existing application. While there are many ways to evaluate these decisions, I would suggest that you consider […]

Office Tools Professional — Practice Management 2012661-951-9200www.officetoolspro.com From the July 2012 Review of Practice Management systems. Best Fit: Smaller firms looking to increase work flow efficiency as well as integrate document management capabilities. Strengths Simple, single user interface is easy to understand and follow Integrates simple document management structure Integration offered for QuickBooks, Outlook and […]

Commercial Logic—APS Advance603-643-1900www.CommerciaLogic.com   From the July 2012 review of Practice Management systems. Best Fit: Larger firms needing customized practice management integration with existing software architecture. Strengths Offers strong customization options to adapt to most firm needs Microsoft SQL platform offers user scalability and unified reporting platform Program built around project management instead of time management […]

CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business — ProSystem fx Practice Management800-739-9998www.cchgroup.com From the July 2012 review of Practice Management Systems. Best Fit: Accounting firms of all sizes currently utilizing other ProSystem fx desktop solutions or firms looking for a standalone practice management solution Strengths Fully contained solution, without the need for purchasing additional modules Fully customizable […]

Practice management and time management are often viewed as similar functions within an accounting firm. On a surface level view, both will track time and run a variety of time based reports for billing and invoice purposes.

Maintaining a healthy balance between career and family is important for long-term success in both areas.

The movement to the cloud has had many names over the past decade: Web 2.0, SaaS, web-based services, net-native programs, etc. But whatever you call it, the coming mass adoption of cloud-based business solutions will have the biggest effect on our work and business lives since computers themselves were first installed on desktops back in the 1980s.

CaseWare International Inc — CaseWare Time 2011800-267-1317www.caseware.com From the July 2012 review of Practice Management systems. Best Fit: Firms currently using CaseWare products Strengths: Tight integration with CaseWare products Multiple preformatted reports along with strong customization options Built-in sync capability between Outlook/Exchange and client information Potential Limitations: No current cloud based solution Integration generally limited […]

There’s no doubt that information technology impacts every aspect of today’s accounting firms and most firms do a pretty good job of identifying opportunities where new technologies can improve their practice.

Whether you already use social media or haven’t started yet, the odds are that you’re doing some things offline or by email that can be leveraged into social-media activities.

To Retain Your Best Employees, Consider a Bit of Internal “Marketing”

All things in life change. It is inevitable that we evolve. Accounting solutions are no exception and as with everything else the web is forcing a new species to evolve while old ones become extinct.

Security of client information has always been a top concern for Information Technology (IT) teams. Even with a security focus, education and the right tools, security is frequently weak.

The role of IT professionals in tax & accounting firms is changing. More and more firms have either moved to the cloud or are preparing to make the leap.