Automation. Prioritization. Documentation.
These are the keystones of a workflow system designed to save time. And that's a good thing, no matter what strategic growth goals you're trying to reach. Increasing efficiency helps tax and accounting firms of all sizes grow their capacity without adding staff. That's one good reason 64% of small firms cited streamlining internal processes as one of their top technology-related strategic goals.
If your firm still relies on spreadsheets for planning and scheduling, it may be time to consider creating a formal workflow system that can document and automate every step of your process.
Assess your current workflow solution
Are you already using a workflow solution? Is it supporting your strategic goals? If not—or if you see room for improvement—evaluate how your firm can better leverage this critical part of your tech stack to streamline processes so your staff can focus on providing higher-value services.
How can you tell if a workflow system supports your firm's goals? Here are some questions to ask:
- Can it scale to support the size and tasks of your current and future staff?
- Does it provide anywhere, anytime access for remote and in-the-field work as well as the opportunity for real-time collaboration?
- Can you customize processes and include automated checklists to reduce errors?
- Can you access templated workflows and create your own?
- Does it provide firm-wide visibility to help management with staffing and planning?
- Is there professional support to help you migrate your data into the solution?
- Does it help speed up decision-making with data-driving analytics?
Find a tool that fits your goals
If you're ready to invest in technology to help you achieve your strategic goals, build a tech stack that can lead to your firm's idea of success.
Firm focus: Recruiting new clients.
Look for a workflow system that helps handle new clients without time-consuming hand-holding. Digitized client onboarding and engagements streamline the process while still providing good service.
Firm focus: Establishing your firm as a niche expert.
Explore workflow tools that offer ways to custom-build processes to take advantage of workflow automation and optimization.
Firm focus: Shifting staff to higher-value consulting services.
Choose a tool that lets you automate routine tasks to free up the capacity to work one-on-one with clients.
Whatever your strategic growth goals, your firm's tech stack needs to help your staff work smarter and faster without sacrificing quality or service.