tech and fintech

keep your tech budget updated

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three people looking at server rackwill you replace servers or head for the cloud?

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

we have all heard the saying that if you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up going nowhere (or… you won’t ever get there).

more on tech spending: centralize contact administration | standardize quickbooks support (and bring your clients) | remote deposit saves in several ways  | how efficient are your audits? | going digital: how to train a client | unified messaging offers benefits | remote access: giving workers what they want | desktops vs. laptops
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unfortunately, many accounting firms do not do a good job of integrating their information technology requirements into the firm’s overall strategic vision.
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accountantsworld hires hitendra patil as director of practice development

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卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 contributor and author. by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 accountantsworld, a leader in cloud-based solutions for accountants, announces today the appointment of hitendra r. patil as director of practice development, responsible for helping accountants more fully leverage accountantsworld’s solutions and for … continued

research: when to replace your firm’s computer equiment

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arrow hitting ground on laptop shows drop on sale or failures

how to plan with “risk of failure” and “ease of replacement” calculations.

by donny shimamoto
intraprisetechknowlogies llc

what are the standard refresh cycles for cpa firm technology equipment? well, it depends on the type of equipment.

as a physical asset, hardware replacement must usually be planned for in advance so that you’re not scrambling to replace it after it fails. this proactive replacement is often referred to as performing a “hardware refresh.”  hardware refreshes are often driven by the risk of failure of a particular hardware asset.  different types of hardware have varying risks of failure as they age. for example, laptops have a relatively high risk of failure once they’re four years old, but they are also moderately easy to replace. on the other hand, servers are generally unlikely to fail in their first three years of use, but they can be expensive and difficult to replace.

the table below shows some of the common types of hardware and general risk of failure based on the number of years the hardware has been in service.

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survey: how different sizes of firm approach it spending

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money pouring out from a notebook computerplus 4 it rules to live by.

by randolph p. johnston, leslie garrett and brian f. tankersley
the accounting firm operations and technology survey

many practitioners think cpa firm information technology is easy, and the really hard work is done with people who have large databases, etc.

more from the survey: ins and outs of email, document storage | windows 7 and windows server 2012 | accounting firms add new service lines | why every cpa firm is a tech company at heart
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nothing could be further from the truth, as it would be normal for a staff tax preparer to have as many as 12 applications open at once. very few things are as important to your firm’s effectiveness and efficiency as the reliability and effectiveness of your technology.
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develop monthly it flash reports

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fiber opticsafter a while, you’ll review them just like financials.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

most firms have a line partner or firm administrator overseeing the firm’s information technology department.

more on tech spending: mandate training programs | turn to portal encryption | deliver reports digitally (even in-house) | front-end scanning hits the mainstream | don’t just store documents, manage them | stay on top of software updates | update your backup
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these people may have an interest in information technology, but their primary responsibility lies in other production areas. they need a way to efficiently oversee the firm’s it initiatives.
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why you need an independent security review

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hacking and security word cloudalso vital: annual training on threats.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

going paperless means that all firm files and client data will be digitally stored on the firm’s network, which is almost always accessible to firm personnel via internal workstations and remotely via the internet.

more on tech spending: mandate training programs | centralize contact administration | is your ap digital yet? | how the best cpa firms capture best tech practices in procedures manuals | smart firms don’t happen by accident | are you ready for office 365? | size matters: in desktop monitors
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the firm has a fiduciary responsibility to protect this data from anyone not specifically authorized to view it.
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survey: the risks of subscription-based software

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businessman working on laptop with binary code in the backgroundplus 7 key findings on saas, remote access and more.

by randolph p. johnston, leslie garrett and brian f. tankersley
the accounting firm operations and technology survey

while subscription-based software has significant advantages, it also has some significant risks that need to be considered, including contingency planning, data backup, and data extraction and export when ending the relationship.

more from the survey: ins and outs of email, document storage | cloud software improves financial reporting | accountants quit trying to manage it themselves | how top tech vendors are failing cpas in the cloud | master change, master the future
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firms should have a clear plan for how they will operate if the cloud service is down for a day or more, including having enough data offline to permit manual preparation of payroll, invoices and other time-sensitive transactions.
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forget technology. the last, best competitive edge is now your firm’s ‘learning’ skills

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office workers training on computershow to build it and give chargeable credit to the coordinators.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

for many firms, the ability to identify, standardize and implement best practices is the last remaining competitive advantage in business today as communications tools and access to technology have become available to everyone.

more on tech spending: centralize contact administration | standardize quickbooks support (and bring your clients) | remote deposit saves in several ways | how efficient are your audits? | going digital: how to train a client | hit ‘delete,’ but only when it’s time | unified messaging offers benefits | remote access: giving workers what they want | why use windows 10?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

to take advantage of the continuous stream of innovation and opportunities, firms must adopt a “learning culture.” this requires a formal process to capture and standardize best practices in every department within the firm so that every person can take advantage of them.
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survey: ins and outs of email, document storage

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businessman touching virtual buttons in server roomjudicial rules are another consideration.

key findings

  • thirty-eight percent archive email by storing it locally or on the pc or a local server.
  • forty-four percent have no document retention policy for purging digital files.

by randolph p. johnston, leslie garrett and brian f. tankersley
the accounting firm operations and technology survey

there are practical solutions for email archiving and document retention policies available to firms of all sizes.

more from the survey: windows 7 and windows server 2012 | accountants quit trying to manage it themselves |workflow management concerns many firms | accounting firms add new service lines | how top tech vendors are failing cpas in the cloud | master change, master the future | why every cpa firm is a tech company at heart
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

we know that 56 percent of firms have email hosted outside the office. while all firms have the option to either run a solution in-house or to have a third party handle this obligation, the firms who use hosted email could also utilize add-in services for this task.
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survey: the new software scramble

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server rack floating on a cloudfirms switching programs more often than ever. but is that a good thing?

sample finding: the number of firms subscribing to office 365 is increasing 20% a year.

by randolph p. johnston and leslie garrett
the accounting firm operations and technology survey

we are seeing a high level of dissatisfaction among most firms with their software, and more firms have been changing software in the last three years than all of the switching we have seen in the previous three decades combined.

more from the survey: operating system updates cause headaches | accounting firms add new service lines | why every cpa firm is a tech company at heart
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we are concerned that many firms are signing long-term contracts for desktop solutions at the same time that some software is migrating to being hosted online.
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survey says: centralize contact administration

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woman looking at paperwork at computermake sure the current information is available where people look for it.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

many firms today maintain contact information within multiple applications such as practice management, outlook, tax systems and other marketing and crm (customer relationship management) programs.

more on tech spending: standardize quickbooks support (and bring your clients) | turn to portal encryption | deliver reports digitally (even in-house) | tech trends for auditors | front-end scanning hits the mainstream | don’t just store documents, manage them | which wireless depends on location | stay on top of software updates
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

too often, a significant amount of time is wasted in firms pulling contact information together, reconciling and verifying lists for mailings, invitations, and even organizers. it is critical that firms centralize the updating of contact information for consistency.

“91 percent of firms have a centralized contact management list; 67 percent of firms maintained this list in their practice management application.” – cpafma 2015 survey

for example, tax personnel, who are often the first to be made aware of a change, may make the change within their tax program and not pass the change to others. all changes, from every source, need to be sent to administration where one person can update all databases for consistency.  many firms utilize a client contact form on their intranet that can be routed to the administrative department via email.  this person is then trained to update all applications.
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survey: four computer hardware issues to master

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technology eye digital plus 11 related key findings.

91 percent now work with two or more monitors

by randolph p. johnston and leslie garrett
the accounting firm operations and technology survey

while many people believe that computer hardware is a commodity, the quality of the hardware and the way you deploy the devices can make a significant difference in how well your firm works.

we will discuss here four issues associated with computer hardware: replacement cycles, the brand of the pc you purchase, monitor trends and scanner software.

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survey results: windows 7 and windows server 2012

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abstract illustration of binary data flowtips for minimizing the damage, especially from “upgrades” you weren’t expecting.

key findings

  • thirty-two percent use windows server 2012, and 24 percent use windows server 2008, which is an 8 percent decrease in the use of windows server 2008 over prior year results.
  • sixty percent are using windows 7 (64-bit) as their primary desktop operating system, 17 percent are using windows 8 and 12 percent are using windows 10, which is used most commonly among solo practitioners (27 percent).

by randolph p. johnston, leslie garrett and brian f. tankersley
the accounting firm operations and technology survey

choosing an operating system for your firm’s computers has a number of implications; it is not as obvious as one might think.

more from the survey: accountants quit trying to manage it themselves |workflow management concerns many firms | accounting firms add new service lines | how top tech vendors are failing cpas in the cloud | master change, master the future | why every cpa firm is a tech company at heart
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

there are issues surrounding your choice of an operating system that may be surprising to those who have not been following the it trade press, including the following:
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