Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
Issue link: https://cpapracticeadvisor.epubxp.com/i/160971
FEATURE A Brave New World of Mobility and Changing Expectations W By Teresa Mackintosh, CPA.CITP hich came first, the chicken or the egg? When we look back on this time in the evolution of the Accounting Profession, I predict it will be nearly impossible to say which came frst – the proliferation of mobile applications, or the changing dynamics and expectations of our clients and staf. No mater the answer, we have crossed the tipping point into a brave new world. Clients and staf expect accessibility frst and foremost to information and to their providers of professional services. New staf members joining our teams have limited and distant experiences that were not all "connected." W hat is a common baseline assumption really underscores a more critical point – our profession needs to continue to adapt and evolve. Te rapid development of mobile solutions providing innovative new features and added functionality for accounting professionals can be tied to changing expectations, rapid consumerization (the crossover of things from our personal to work lives), and the constant innovation of dev ices that has made these things possible. Not too long ago, CCH customers were telling us that being able to call up important tax information by tapping their smartphones while meeting with clients and geting work done outside the ofce would be ideal. To meet their needs, our frst generation of mobile tax research, content and solutions, 24 including the free CCH Mobile and CCH Tax News Highlights apps, created a consistently updated and trustworthy connection to the latest tax developments. Calling the ofce for details or wondering if the story poppi ng up at t he top of you r Internet search was accurate could now be simplified by tapping an icon. "IF YOU DON'T LIKE CHANGE, YOU'RE GOING TO LIKE IRRELEVANCE EVEN LESS." — GENERAL ERIC K. SHINSEKI, U.S. SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, RETIRED U.S. ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF Constant connections to information quickly moved from convenience to competitive advantage, but our customers said they needed more. Tey wanted to address certain workf low functions on their mobile devices, but only so much could be done on a screen that fts into your pocket. As the introduc- September 2013 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com tion of the Apple iPad and similar tablets expanded "work ing real estate," we answered our customers' demands for wanting to view specific files, securely retrieve client data, key in billing time and update project statuses – all while they were on-the-go and at any time. Today, the formidable combination of readily available, up-to-theminute research integrated with advanced, cloud-based workf low tools, really separates future-ready frms from the rest of the pack when it comes to meeting clients' growing needs. More robust mobile functionality ofered with our solutions such as the ProSystem fx Mobile app, the e-File Status app for checking the status of federal tax returns and now even quick access to documents via the cloud-based CCH Axcess tax preparation, compliance and frm management solution really enables professionals to get more accomplished on-the-go than ever before. Tose changing client and staf expectations in this thriving era of innovation are making the phrase, "I'll check when I get to the ofce," nearly obsolete. Mobile efciency is now considered the rule, not the exception, when it comes to day-today tasks such as: • Viewing and updating the status of current projects assigned to frm staf members • Responding to client needs when contacted outside the ofce (current work status, recent billing information) • Having mobile access to fles stored in document management systems – quickly calling them up whenever contacted by clients • Communicating/collaborating with clients via mobile devices (specifcally via mobile apps that are client facing) Although it may not be practical to complete a tax return from endto-end on a mobile dev ice, the advent of more mobile tax workfow functionality and research content that is seamlessly integrated with existing frm sofware solutions has dramatically closed the gap between professionals accessing what they need, when they need it and serving clients on their time tables. And more mobile innovations are on the way as our customers tell us other things they'd like to do and more importantly, what their clients expect them to do. Our expectations have fundamentally shifed, and will continue to evolve as technology makes more things possible while signifcantly impacting our professional workf lows. Smart firms will thrive by evolving with these trends. Teresa Mackintosh, CPA, is the President and General Manager of U.S. Sofware for Wolters Kluwer, CCH.