Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
Issue link: https://cpapracticeadvisor.epubxp.com/i/494869
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT Reviews F rom the makers of XERO Online Accounting, Xero Practice Manager is designed for frms to use in conjunction with their clients' use of Xero Online Accounting. Te product features an easily navigated dashboard that contains a list of system functions across the top of the user interface, which includes the Dashboard, Clients, Jobs, Business, and Reports. To the lef of the interface screen, users have access to specifc system functions such as Enter Time, Enter a Cost, New Job, and My Jobs, which will display all current jobs in the system. Te Dashboard also contains a summary of all time entries recorded, a productivity graph, important dates and dead- lines, which are color coded for each particular activity, and a quick summary of the coming weeks' schedule. Te client manager function allows frms to track client data in one central location, and client invoicing is easy, with solid data sharing capability between Practice Manager and Xero Online. Any invoices created are automatically synched between the two products, so both applications always contain the same data. Users can record time easily, with time saved to both the job and the employee. Managers can pre-determine time increments to use when processing invoices or recording time. Te Job Tracking function allows user to easily view all active jobs as well as project milestones. And any jobs that go over-budget can be automatically highlighted. Xero Practice Management also contains a quote option, where users can create and email quotes to clients. Conve- niently, any accepted quotes can be automatically converted to a job without reentering information. Te time entry screen is easily navigated, with users able to choose a job and task to record time against. Entering a cost is similarly simple, with users able to enter cost against a specifc job, with options to choose quantities and unit cost as well. Te Client function allows users to add client data, atach leads and quotes, as well as manage client information such as referral sources. Xero Practice Management contains a good selection of reports, which are categorized by topic, with links to each available system report. Reports can be printed, saved as a PDF fle, emailed directly to a client, or exported to Excel or in a CSV fle format. Te product ofers an excellent help function – with users able to connect to the product website directly through the help function. Te website contains specific product support options, with training videos available as well. Read the full article at www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/12058784 BEST FIT Empire Suite is ideally suited to larger accounting frms that require a solid, integrated practice management solu- tion that includes Time, CRM, and Resource Management capabilities. STRENGTHS • Empire Suite is designed for frms of all sizes, with users able to pur- chase the modules they need and add others later • Te product ofers seamless integra- t ion w it h a host of t h i rd pa r t y applications • Empire Suite ofers solid reporting capabilities, an excellent scheduling option, and solid customization capability • Mobile apps making accessing the system a breeze from any smart- phone or tablet • Cloud access ofers frms fexibility, as well as ease in managing multiple employees from multiple locations • Easy user nav igation and a solid geting started guide means litle to no downtime POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS • Te scheduling capability in Empire Suite may be too robust for smaller frms with less complicated needs SUMMARY & PRICING Designed for frms of all sizes, Empire Suite is offered as an SaaS Cloud system, with subscriptions starting at $20.00 for the Projects and CRM module. The Time and Ex pense module starts at $15.00 per month. Additional add on modules such as the Empire CALENDAR or Microsoft Ofce Project Integration module cost extra, as is integration with Quick- Books. www.empiresuite.com BEST FIT Firms that currently utilize the Tomson Reuters suite of applica- tions will get the most beneft from Practice CS. Te program is scalable, and able to suit the needs of small to large frms with ease. STRENGTHS • Fu l ly integ rated system of fers complete practice management capabilities for accounting frms of all sizes • Intuitive data entry screens and the wide use of dashboards allows users to familiarize themselves with the product quickly • Excellent reporting and invoice customization capabilities • Solid product can be used as a stand-alone product as well as with the CS Suite of products • Solid integration with Microsof Ofce products • Great use of portals allows online i nvoice del iver y a nd pay ment options to clients POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS • Limited integration options with third party applications SUMMARY & PRICING An excellent, scalable product for frms of all sizes; Practice CS pricing starts at $2,050 for a fve user license, with all related modules available at an additional cost. cs.ThomsonReuters.com BEST FIT A great fit for small to mid-sized frms that are looking for an easily navigated time and billing sofware solution that can be accessed from anywhere. Practice Management Workspace consolidates informa- tion into a single database, helping to eliminate duplicate data entry between programs. STRENGTHS • Well-suited for very small to mid- sized frms • Excellent time and billing coupled with CR M capability and a client portal make it easy to manage both clients and time • Product can be installed on a server or used as a hosted application • Excellent work fow management capability with the schedule feature POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS • Not particularly well suited to very large frms SUMMARY & PRICING Suitable for small to mid-sized frms, Practice Management ofers packages that are suitable for just about every frm size. A single user license is $600.00 per year, with a 1 0 u s e r l i c e n s e a v a i l a b l e f o r $2,900.00 per year. With terrific scheduling , a client portal, and excellent integration capabilities, this is a product that can easily grow with a frm. www.offcetoolspro.com Xero Offers Integrated Cloud-Based Practice Management WSG Systems Empire Suite Thomson Reuters Practice CS Offce Tools Professional Practice Management Workspace Read the full review and see expanded ratings for this product online at: www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/12058764 Read the full review and see expanded ratings for this product online at: www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/12058781 Read the full review and see expanded ratings for this product online at:www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/12058773 5 4.75 4.5 2015 OVERALL RATING 2015 OVERALL RATING 2015 OVERALL RATING 18 April 2015 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com