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firms and their clients share a primary business objective: to
efficiently shorten the transaction cycle, while reducing costs.
You can accomplish this objective more easily through the effective use
of technology. The following tools, although not a substitute for
personal service, can lead you and your clients on the road to
efficiency and cost effectiveness.
CONTACT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
Contact management software is a versatile, relatively inexpensive,
yet valuable, off-the-shelf technology that includes products like
Microsoft Outlook, ACT and Goldmine. CMS allows users to build
shared information databases, such as company phone books with contacts,
addresses, phone numbers and activities. These uses eliminate the
expensive practice of individuals creating redundant information
systems.
In our office, we also use CMS for
scheduling, as a tickler file and paperless filing system. Staff
members' activities are scheduled and posted to our CMS. If a
client calls with an immediate need, we can quickly determine if a
promise can be extended. We also schedule reminders for income tax
filings estimated tax payments or other critical deadlines.
In addition, we record all correspondence,
activities and notes through the client contact record, which allows
anyone on staff to retrieve e-mails, faxes and letters with a click of
the mouse. It's great tool for one of those urgent surprise client
calls, or to bolster a weak memory.
FILE TRANSFERS
Ever have trouble moving a large file over the Internet using
e-mail? Are you tired of waiting for information via snail mail,
client drop-off o courier deliveries? Our office regularly sends
and receives large files such as accounting databases and business plans
using a file transfer protocol.
FTP allows more direct, quick transfer of
larger files (2.5 megabytes or more) via the Internet using a special
key that provides data security. You can get FTP services from
your Internet service provider. For the non-technically inclined,
a multitude of vendors, such as Xdrive.com provide Web-based FTP
services.
DATA FILE BACK UP
A good data backup plan includes offsite data storage. You can
accomplish this by using FTP via Internet-based providers like File
Monkey (filemonkey.com) or @Backup (atbackup.com) to upload your
critical data files to a secured Internet site. It's easy,
protects you in case of a disaster, and allows you and your employees
to
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access files from anywhere
with Internet access. For more offsite data storage providers, go
to Yahoo and type in "file hosting."
TUNEUPS
Periodic system and process reviews can improve any businesses'
operations. In fact, we find at least a 20 percent increase in
efficiency after performing a tuneup. Why? Users tend to
"bootleg" solutions, which begin to resemble the Winchester
House-a rambling series of add-on solutions with no master plan.
During a systems tuneup you should review hardware for adequacy of task,
accepted processes for usefulness, and reports for utility and lack of redundancy.
Tuneups often result in obvious fixes.
For example, if software upgrades are loaded without a thought given to hardware
capabilities, as software becomes more complex and resource demanding,
your system or application may crash. Usually additional computer memory resolves
this frustrating problem and adds some pep to older workstations.
A constant focus on getting things done can
leave total task efficiency to a rainy day. However, coordinating
efforts between workers and departments can yields substantial
savings. This takes patience, as well as technical and people
skills. For more information on performing accounting system
checkups see: http://www.calcpa.org/
comunity/newsissues/articles/trg-accsys.html.
TRAINING
Many companies purchase technology, launch applications or install
hardware, but most neglect to provide adequate user training.
Complaints about an application's efficiency generally can be traced to
an improperly trained user, which can cripple even the best
technology. Users need ample training and ongoing support.
A growing supply of Internet-based training
products allows self-study at the worker's desk. Learning
University, learninguniversity.com, and Corpedia, corpedia.com, offer
online lessons for standard office applications and business
practices. for specific training, visit any search engine and type
in your application name.
____________________________________
Garry A. Jones, CPA, an Agoura Hills-based practitioner,
chairs the San Fernando Valley Discussion Group and co-chairs the
Ventura CPA Discussion Group. His firm focuses on advising and
improving businesses as well as providing accounting and tax
services. Jones can be reached by e-mail at jonescpa@pacbell.net,
or via the firm's Web site at http://www.jonescpa.net.
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