Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
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November 2014 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com 9 THE PROADVISOR SPOTLIGHT "QuickBooks Online Accountant 2015 is a completely new product that we built from the ground, specifcally for the cloud. It's been reimagined so accountants can confdently help their c l i e n t s s u c c e e d , " s a i d A r i e g e Misherghi, Group Product Manager, Qu ick Book s On l ine Accounta nt. "With the new features, our customers can focus more on being a trusted advisor to their clients." Te accounting profession, much like the rest of the world, has under- gone a huge transformation as more products and services switched to the cloud. While the cloud remains at the heart of this transformation, the core values have not changed. Accountants still want to help their small business clients succeed while saving time and growing their own practice. It was this fundamental idea that was at the center of Intuit's redesign of QuickBooks Online Accountant. Te enhanced solution makes it easier for accountants to access the tools they need to gain insight into clients' businesses while simplifying current processes. QBOA 2015 has several new features, such as an accountant toolbox, client dashboard, the ability t o g r a n t r e s t r i c t e d a c c e s s t o employees, client document center and integration with the ProAdvisor Program. Accountants can also fnd short clips and a PDF showing what's new and diferent in QBOA. Te client dashboard displays a list of clients and provides direct insights i nto a ny item s t hat requ i re you r atention, such as reconciliations or changes to clients' transactions. It also features a payroll tab, making it sim- pler to manage payroll from the same window. Te client document center helps accountants streamline the informa- tion collection process by tracking document requests. Accountants can use the document request function to selec t t he c l ient a nd s pec i f y t he required documents. Te dashboard will show the requested and received items for each client, leting accoun- tants know what they still need to take action. "In order for accountants to per- form any tasks for their clients, they need information. However, it can be hard to track what you asked for, what you actually received and what you stil l need, and to do that for each client. Te document center simplifes the process and lets you see all of that w it h t he c l ic k of a but ton ," s a id Misherghi. Perhaps the biggest redesign comes w i t h t he i nt e g r a t io n o f I nt u i t 's QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certifcation Program. A ll new in 2015, accoun- tants can completely manage their cer t i f icat ion f rom i nside QBOA , making it even easier for accountants to become ProAdvisors. Key features of the ProAdvisor Program integra- t ion w it h i n t he new Qu ick Book s Online Accountant includes a ProAd- visor Dashboard, training and certif- cation, an online directory profle and access to numerous resources. Users can view their ProAdvisor member level, the number of Quick Book s Online clients and certifcation status, as wel l as access the Quick Book s training program and more than 70 Q u i c k B o o k s o p t i o n a l t r a i n i n g courses. " We real ly reimagined the pro- g ra m . T h i n k of it a s joi n i ng t he greatest hits for both ProAdvisor and Quick Books Online Accountant," said Luis Sanchez, Leader, ProAdvisor Program. "Te world is changing and accountants need tools that will help them maximize growth – for them- selves, their clients and their business." The redesigned program allows ProAdv isors to obta in add it iona l benefts by passing certifcation exams or serving their QBO clients. ProAd- visors and their frms will have access to f ree on l ine products, tra in ing , certifcations, support and discounts. ProAdvisors can obtain three levels of membership: Silver, Gold and Dia- mond – the same as the current pro- gram – by passing certifcation exams or serving a number of QBO clients. Accounting professionals that serve zero to four clients will atain Silver level; those serving 5-19 will atain Gold and those serving 20 or more clients will atain Diamond level. Te new QuickBooks ProAdvisor P r o g r a m a l s o i nt r o d u c e s a ne w QuickBooks Online Advanced Cer- tifcation, designed for ProAdvisors who are interested in serving online clients only. In addition, a new set of ProAdvisor certifcation badges will be available for certifed ProAdvisors t o u s e i n m a r k e t i n g m a t e r i a l s including business cards, websites and brochures starting in early December. Trough the QuickBooks ProAd- visor Program, ProAdvisors will also be able to sign up for a Bill.com corpo- rate account. As part of a new partner- ship bet ween Intuit and Bill.com, ProAdvisors can create an account for up to three users, without incurring any subscription fees, and will also earn points for using Bill.com and making referrals to their clients that can be redeemed for cash, gif cards or charitable donations. Quick Books Online Accountant 2015 will be available to new users, starting in December 2015, with a globa l rol lout schedu led for early 2015. Current users will be migrated over time. While the redesigned ver- sion of fers enhanced features and additions, it will continue to be free for accountants. QuickBooks ProAd - visors who serve desktop clients can purchase a bundle, which includes desktop sofware, certifcations and support, for an additional fee. "W hat makes Intuit special is our approach to building products. We are driven by our mission to improve our customers' f ina ncia l l ives so pro- foundly that they can't imagine going back to the old way," said Misherghi. "We do this through our three-prong approach, which includes constant feedback from our customers to make sure we are on the right trajectory to eliminate their pain points." A ccountants want two things: to save time and grow their business. That's the idea behind the latest product ofering from Intuit. Te company went back to the drawing board to redesign its online solution for accountants, QuickBooks Online Accountant 2015. Reimagining Your Clients' Success with QBOA 2015 SPONSORED CONTENT