January 15th, 2010 by MAS Software Solutions
Learning from CPA firms
Some may not classify CPA firms as technology trend setters but you would be surprised at the many lessons we can learn from this high-tech bunch. According to a recent article in the AICPA Insider Four Fast and Easy Tech Fixes, “IT strategies must start at the top, with the users in alignment and constant re-alignment with overall plans and strategies.” The article goes on to say that without executive-level champions; they may not get the support they need to do anything at all. That leaves accounting office’s adrift and falling behind. CPA firms have implemented technology strategies that are resulting in decreased costs and increased productivity.
So what technology lessons can we learn from CPA’s? Here are some of the fastest and easiest strategies to implement, with some of the best ROI.
1. Use multiple monitors. Talk to anyone who has ever used dual monitors and see if they would ever go back to one monitor. The ability to have MAS90 on one screen and Excel, Word, or Outlook on another monitor will greatly improve efficiency. CPA’s have caught on to this strategy and seen a reduction in task time by 20 percent.
2. Get a good mouse. What is your current mouse costing you in efficiency? Do you spend more time cleaning your mouse than using it? A good mouse can increase efficiency and decrease stress. Some time saving features in a good mouse include two modes for the scroll wheel so you can spin through long documents quickly; a shape that suits both left- and right-handed users; programmable buttons; and laser tracking for precision on many surfaces.
3. Document Management. Storing documents on your hard drive immediately cuts costs and improves accuracy. CPA’s have been doing this for years with the help of scanners. However, applying this to other businesses is easy. Storing all of your documents as pdf copies on your hard drive can reduce costs in many ways including printing, administrative support and storage space. The last release of Sage MAS 90 and 200 v 4.3 included the Paperless Office feature allowing users to make this first step towards a complete Document Management System. If you don’t have v 4.3 there are many free or minimal cost pdf writers on the market today such as Cute PDF.
4. Move backups offsite. Web based backup is affordable and ensures that you always have a backup of your data off-site. We have been doing this for several years. You can choose from eVault, Global Data Vault, Iron Mountain and NetRescue.
5. Upgrade to Office 2007. If you use Excel often this strategy is for you. In older versions of Excel we were limited in the worksheet size 65,536 rows and 256 columns but with Office 2007 the size of your worksheets increases to over 1 million rows and over 16,000 columns, which is a big deal for heavy excel users providing much greater efficiency.
In addition to the lessons learned from CPA’s we recently attended the Heartland Technology Conference and saw a new time saving tool that we just love. It’s called Nuance Dragon Naturally Speaking. Most people speak over 120 words per minute but type less than 40 words per minute. This new software application allows you to create email, documents and spreadsheets simply by speaking. Additionally, you can control your PC just by talking to it, starting programs, using menus, surfing the web, etc. This new tool turns voice into text three times faster than most people type which can save you time.
