{"id":22850,"date":"2021-04-23T08:00:38","date_gmt":"2021-04-23T13:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/?p=22850"},"modified":"2022-08-17T08:33:51","modified_gmt":"2022-08-17T13:33:51","slug":"how-to-choose-the-best-accounting-workflow-software","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/practice-management\/how-to-choose-the-best-accounting-workflow-software\/","title":{"rendered":"How to choose the best accounting workflow software"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Technology has shifted nearly everything to do with running a tax and accounting business.<\/p>\n<p>Today, it\u2019s possible to automate workflows and processes that were once manual. You can communicate instantaneously with clients and partners around the world, and collaborate seamlessly with colleagues wherever they are.<\/p>\n<p>But along with these changes comes frustration, particularly around trying to figure out where to start your journey in optimizing your firm\u2019s processes &#8211; and trying to keep up with the ever-changing accounting tech ecosystem is overwhelming.<\/p>\n<p>Do you feel like your company could be better prepared for the future, but aren\u2019t quite sure where to start?<\/p>\n<p>A good place to begin is with your accounting firm\u2019s workflows.<\/p>\n<p>Karbon\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/practice-management\/2020-practice-excellence-report-provides-10-key-insights-to-streamline-services-and-operations\/\"title=\"\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"false noopener\">Practice Excellence<\/a>\u00a0report shows that the majority of leading firms use a workflow management system. Workflow software can streamline interactions by centralizing client communication, and allow for higher transparency and visibility into how work is progressing and where you have bottlenecks.<\/p>\n<p>Streamlining these interactions and automating workflow routing can lead to substantial\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/karbonhq.com\/resources\/5-workflows-every-accounting-firm-must-master\/\"title=\"\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"false noopener\" target=\"_blank\">efficiency improvements<\/a>\u00a0and increased accountability in your teams. Workflow management systems have a variety of applications, including <a href=\"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/client-relationships\/onboarding-new-clients-to-your-firm\/\"title=\"\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"false noopener\">client onboarding<\/a>, internal and external client communication, <a href=\"https:\/\/proconnect.intuit.com\/tax-practice-of-the-future\/\"title=\"\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"false noopener\">advisory services<\/a>, and compliance production.<\/p>\n<p>In short, your accounting firm needs a suitable workflow solution. The difficulty here is that there are many systems available, which can make choosing the right one a real challenge.<\/p>\n<p><b>Choosing the right software<\/b><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve decided to explore your options for workflow software for your firm, it can be tough to know where to start.<\/p>\n<p>How can you decide which one is right for you? What sort of things should you look for? Is there a process that you can follow to make sure you\u2019re considering all of your needs?<\/p>\n<p>It can be overwhelming, but there are a few things to keep in mind to make your job easier:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><\/b><b>Needs:\u00a0<\/b>There are a lot of options, some suitable for you and some not so much. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. You\u2019ll need to understand your firm\u2019s needs before selecting the right tool.<\/li>\n<li><b><\/b><b>Price point:<\/b>\u00a0With the right solution, you\u2019ll be able to push ahead. The wrong one will hurt you. Don\u2019t rush the process, and don\u2019t select the first one you see. Do your research, and don\u2019t select based on price.<\/li>\n<li><b><\/b><b>Process audit:<\/b>\u00a0Don\u2019t forget that as a rule, your electronic systems will only be as good as the manual processes they are mirroring. The same applies to workflows. Implementing electronic solutions for inefficient processes with complex rules can be difficult.<b><\/b><\/li>\n<li><b><\/b><b>Take the time needed:<\/b>\u00a0More up-front effort from you to set up your requirements will make the selection process easier.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Evaluate your firm\u2019s needs<\/b><\/p>\n<p>After deciding to implement workflow software, the most important thing to do is evaluate your firm\u2019s needs. What\u2019s important to you about a workflow system? What does it need to do?<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a good idea to write a list of must-haves &#8211; the functionality and requirements that any workflow solution you implement needs to cover, then a list of nice-to-have &#8211; a usually slightly longer list of features that would be useful, but aren\u2019t deal-breakers.<\/p>\n<p><b>What\u2019s your budget?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Choosing the cheapest workflow software can leave you with many avoidable headaches.<\/p>\n<p>Working out how much you\u2019re willing to spend can be a great method to reduce your options from the get-go, so do this step in the early stages of your selection process.<\/p>\n<p>Although it\u2019s important to look at the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.asaresearch.com\/articles\/implement.htm\"title=\"\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"false noopener\" target=\"_blank\">full cost of the implemented system<\/a>, it\u2019s also critical to consider the benefits as well. How will they offset the initial investment (both effort and money) and annual cost?<\/p>\n<p>If you make the right choice, your accounting workflow software should actually be able to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/karbonhq.com\/pricing\/savings\"title=\"\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"false noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><u>increase your top line and bottom line<\/u><\/a>\u00a0through cost savings and time saved.<\/p>\n<p>When defining your budget, it\u2019s also important to consider the tradeoffs you\u2019re prepared to make. Is more functionality and a more complex deployment worth having a system that is easier to use?<\/p>\n<p><b>Talk to your peers<\/b><\/p>\n<p>One trick to finding great accounting workflow management software is to ask around. Talk to other people in the profession that you trust or look up to.<\/p>\n<p>Find\u00a0other firms in similar niches\u00a0or with similar scopes, and ask them about the tools they\u2019re using:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Typography__LI-eo9vnz-2 ifnSpK\">What did they implement and why?<\/li>\n<li class=\"Typography__LI-eo9vnz-2 ifnSpK\">Are they satisfied with the solution?<\/li>\n<li class=\"Typography__LI-eo9vnz-2 ifnSpK\">Is it worth the investment?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Generally, they\u2019ll be happy to share their experiences with you.<\/p>\n<p><b>Pick your key criteria<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Align with your management team on a list of key requirements. It\u2019s important that everyone is on the same page going in. Try deciding on three to five key criteria you\u2019ll use to evaluate the available options.<\/p>\n<p>Refer back to your list of must-haves and nice-to-haves, and make sure you and your management team agree; they might have a different take on what your firm may need.<\/p>\n<p>You may find it useful to assign each of your identified criteria a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/karbonhq.com\/resources\/selecting-the-right-technology-for-the-modern-accounting-practice\/\"title=\"\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"false noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><u>weight based on how important<\/u><\/a>\u00a0it is to your firm. The combined weighting of all criteria should add up to 100.<\/p>\n<p><b>Prepare and assess possible solutions<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The field of available solutions is large. Narrow down the pool as much as possible by choosing only those that fit all or most of your needs. Having clear requirements will make this process easier &#8211; this is where your identified criteria from the previous step will come in handy.<\/p>\n<p>Rate each possible solution for their strength in each of the key criteria you defined. If you allocated a weighting to the criteria, you can then calculate a weighted score for each solution by multiplying each criteria score by the criteria rating, and aggregating these together.<\/p>\n<p>You can use this\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/karbonhq.com\/resources\/karbon-technology-prioritization-template\/\"title=\"\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"false noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><u>Technology Prioritization Template<\/u><\/a>\u00a0to assist with this step.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever method you use to evaluate, try to keep a strict time limit when looking at each solution. Don\u2019t spend too much time on one vendor while you\u2019re still narrowing the field. This can cause an over-investment and potentially lead to a poor decision.<\/p>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve got a winner, engage in a trial or ask for a demo. If you have two solutions that are on par, try them both. Most will offer a free trial period.<\/p>\n<p>See how you like working with each system:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"Typography__LI-eo9vnz-2 ifnSpK\">Which one is easier to use?<\/li>\n<li class=\"Typography__LI-eo9vnz-2 ifnSpK\">How accessible is the support?<\/li>\n<li class=\"Typography__LI-eo9vnz-2 ifnSpK\">Are you able to solve simple problems yourself?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>The bottom line<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Every firm needs a workflow solution that works for them. Your workflow software can bring productivity to your own firm, while increasing your <a href=\"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/client-relationships\/how-to-show-your-value-to-your-clients\/\"title=\"\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"false noopener\">value<\/a> to your clients.<\/p>\n<p>With that in mind, it\u2019s worth taking the time to pursue the best in class options to make your firm the strongest it can be.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Editor&#8217;s note:<\/strong> This article was originally published by <a href=\"https:\/\/karbonhq.com\/resources\/how-to-choose-the-best-accounting-workflow-software\/\"title=\"\"  target=\"_blank\" rel=\"false noopener\" data-wa-link=\"body_karbonhq-NextStageCOVID19\" target=\"_blank\">Karbon<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Get on-point advice from Ian Vacin on how to choose your tax firm&#8217;s software.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":144648978,"featured_media":22857,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rkv_browse_by_id":0,"rkv_cta_id":0,"rkv_optimize_for_pagespeed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"useModifiedDate":false,"customPublishDate":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[116807,45875901],"tags":[],"intuit_collection":[],"intuit_series":[],"coauthors":[646041776],"class_list":["post-22850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-practice-management","category-workflow-tools"],"header_image":"","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - 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