CPA Practice Advisor

JAN 2012

Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.

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WORKFLOW TIPS Process Improvement Adopting paperless technologies and understanding work- fl ow is at the heart of process improvement to at ain greater effi ciency throughout your practice. In an ideal scenario, you would have time to create a commit ee, document current processes, identify best practices, optimize for technologies used, map your new workfl ow, stan- dardize and train across the fi rm, and automate workfl ow for a digital environ- ment. T is late in the game, you may have to settle for focusing on your 1040 process or whatever your fi rm does most and, if time allows, move onto smaller processes. T e key here is to question every step so you're not just doing what you did last year. Your processes should evolve over time. I know one fi rm that created teams of employees tasked with flow-charting existing processes and recommending improvements. Involving staff members gives you greater insight and gives them ownership of new pro- cesses. Now is not the time for fundamental changes (you'll have to make that a priority aſt er busy season), but you can address simple modifi cations that allow you to eliminate redundant loops, value- less steps, and the ever-wasteful search for information. Tightening your pro- cesses so that you save even 10 to 20 minutes per return (a very conservative goal) can have a real impact on your season if you're preparing hundreds or even thousands of 1040s. Final Thoughts Although preparing for the coming season in January is not ideal, a lit le preparation and planning can help your season run a lot smoother. T ese steps can serve as the foundation from which you build for next season. Do a post-season review to see what worked well, what didn't, and what can be improved so that you can build some of those bigger changes into your strategy. Reviewing and refining your tax season strategy in May allows you to take lessons from the just finished season while they're still fresh. T en, you can implement process improve- ments and new technologies during the more relaxed summer months and use the fall fi ling deadlines to test them in a live situation that's not quite as stressful as the real deal. By Mark Albrecht, CPA, MST Mark Albrecht, CPA, MST is founder and CEO of XCM Solutions, LLC, a leading provider of workfl ow automation solutions to the accounting profession, and a former founding shareholder of KAF Financial Group. CLASSIFIED CONTACT SHERRY ULRICH TO PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD 800-547-7377 EXT. 1371 920-568-8371 sherry.ulrich@cygnus.com AME Payroll 1-800-263-9455 www.amesoft.com 4Easy to use payroll for all 50 states. 4State and federal reports, W2, 1099, MICR, direct deposit. 4Networkable, unlimited companies and employees. 41 year unlimited tech support included. For more information, please go to cpapracticeadvisor.com/10028044

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