Accounting Technology articles from June 2007

Accounting Technology archives from June 2007

Lord of the Bags.(British Airways PLC not allowing consumer electronics in flights)
June 1, 2007... One bag. One bag to bring on board. That was the theme in the British Airways check-in as travelers lined up to head for other climes and those used to the common American definition of carry-on items were befuddled as they protested. ...

Paperless and Profits.
June 1, 2007... Are accounting firms doing something about document management? Or are many simply engaging in an endless round of tire kicking? In "Paperless Payoff," associate editor Alexandra DeFelice explores the extent to which practitioners are...

What is your most effective way of measuring client satisfaction?
June 1, 2007... When a client leaves, I try to contact them and do several things. First, I want to thank them for allowing us to serve them. Second, I want to assure them that I do not take it personally, that I understand that it is business. Third, I assure...

Practice Development News.
June 1, 2007... HAPEMAN LEAVES CG Jeff Hapeman has left the position of chief technology officer at regional accounting firm Clifton Gunderson. Hapeman had taken over the job two years ago after Matt Camden left after holding down the top technology...

Accounting News.
June 1, 2007... DYNAMICS REVENUE UP 20 PERCENT Revenue for Microsoft Dynamics is trending at 20 percent higher over last year for the third quarter ended March 30, although the vendor provided no other details about revenue or earnings. The operation...

Tax & Financial Planning News.
June 1, 2007... TAXWORKS ACQUIRED TaxWorks, a Kaysville, Utah-based software vendor, has changed its name to Red Gear Technologies on the heels of its March acquisition by tax giant H&R Block. Red Gear will operate as a separate entity, said...

Show Calendar.
June 1, 2007... JUNE 4-5. California Accounting & Business Show & Conference. Flagg Management. LAX Hilton, Los Angeles. www.flaggmgmt.com/ca/default.htm JUNE 7-9. Partners in Profit. Open Systems reseller conference. Marriott City Center,...

Accounting Technology July's Coming Attractions.
June 1, 2007... Software As a Service Call it on-demand or subscription-based this, software as a service is all about Internet-based applications that are rented not purchased. Is this stuff worth it? Tax Software Preview Every year, tax...

Paperless Payoffs: Small firms are reaping rewards from document management systems.
June 1, 2007... Karen Bodeving's CPA firm has gone to the dogs. The sole practitioner began breeding Saint Bernard dogs 11 years ago in hopes of spending more time with her family outside of her Oregon office. Today, she and her husband travel the world...

Selecting a Scanner.
June 1, 2007... You've made the decision to invest in a document management system. The next step is selecting the scanner that best fits your company's needs. So many options are out there and the wrong decision can prove counterproductive to any time...

Save Me the Money.(investing consumer electronics and technology products)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... One question that is top of mind when investing in any new technology is how much it is going to cost-and ultimately, save. Following is a grocery list of items Karen Bodeving purchased since the sole practitioner decided to invest in...

Streamlining Sales and Use Taxes: The Web, coupled with state efforts, is making a tedious task easier.
June 1, 2007... When Tapco, which is in the printed circuit board business, was looking to merge with a company called Circuit Supply about two years ago it was a move that not only would give the Midwest-based company a national presence but as they soon...

Advancing SST Bit by Bit.
June 1, 2007... Trying to recoup some of the estimated $20 billion lost in tax revenue, state governments, with input from local governments and the private sector, in 2000 organized the Streamlined Sales Tax Project. Today, it remains a work in progress. ...

Small Biz Software Grows Up: Low-cost doesn't mean few features as the market matures.(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2007... After several years of accounting software for small to midsize businesses having very similar feature sets, there are signs of growth once again. Accounting software ranges from the bare minimum of bookkeeping functions to full-featured...

Back To Basics?: Manufacturing has complex needs. But many operations need the simple things.
June 1, 2007... Manufacturing is a complex topic with many different kinds of needs that require all kinds of fancy, highly specialized applications that can meet high performance needs. Right? Not quite, says Grant Fraser, owner of Navigator Business...

Turning Manufacturing Data Into Useable Information.(Exact Holding N.V.'s Macola accounting software)
June 1, 2007... Exact Software's Macola line has long been known for its manufacturing capabilities, including both the light manufacturing markets addressed by several other mid-market vendors, and the heavier duty MRP II. But with the development of features...

New Products.
June 1, 2007... REALTIME BOOKKEEPING ManageComm has launched the Real Time Bookkeeping System for automating bookkeeping in QuickBooks, It creates a virtual office for bookkeepers and small business clients that contains a suite of Internet-based...

TIW Depends on Dealers.
June 1, 2007... Without resellers, TIW Technology wouldn't sell a thing. The accounting and manufacturing software vendor relies completely on its channel for product sales and doesn't plan to change its methodology any time soon. "We pride ourselves...

Advertisers' Index 6/07.(accounting services)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Ad Appears Advertiser on page ADP Small Business Services 11 CCH Tax Group C4 Ceridian 17 Doc.It 29 Drake Software 3 Epson ...

Intacct's New CEO Focuses on Funding.
June 1, 2007... Intacct's future lies in Michael Braun's connections. The CEO took the reins at the Web-based financial management systems vendor in February, replacing Robert Jurkowski, who took over for founding CEO David Thomas in August 2004. ...

Editor's Note: We Will Be Living In The Future.
June 1, 2007... Each year at this time, I have the task of putting together this special report dealing with what our visionaries in the accounting profession say for the accounting firm some five years or so down the road. And each year, I call on different...

Leveraging Resource Partners.
June 1, 2007... Accounting firms today are increasingly responding to their clients' demand for wider application of their skills. Through their knowledge, both of technical issues and of their clients' personal situations, accountants can make a positive...

These Times They Are a Changin'.(New Clients Inc. and its services for accountants)
June 1, 2007... Bob Dylan famously sang this line in 1964 and indeed the times were a changin'. We find this to be the case once again, more specifically within the accounting profession. NCI has been working with accountants over the past 20 years and...

The Future Looks Bright and Paperless!
June 1, 2007... Can you imagine a workplace nearly free of bulky, paper-filled filing cabinets and poorly organized, unsecured electronic documents? What if you could find any client documents in seconds and had the freedom to electronically access these...

Redefining the Face of Entrepreneurs.
June 1, 2007... A new and unique study by Intuit says that in 10 years entrepreneurs will no longer come predominately from the middle of the age spectrum but will instead appear from the edges. In fact, people nearing retirement and their children just...

Payroll-Past, Present, or Future?
June 1, 2007... No one can see into the future. However, it doesn't take a crystal ball to know that tomorrow's accounting firm will strive for the same goals as today's: deliver the highest quality of service to clients while minimizing work and maximizing...

Future Trends And Accelerated Change.
June 1, 2007... What the future holds for the CPA profession is about as predictable as what has transpired during the last 10 years. The only thing we know for sure, the only variable in the life of the "Firm of the Future" that is guaranteed, is change. This...

Technology Opens Up Opportunities.(for accountants)
June 1, 2007... In our economic system, accountants largely play the role of referee, a vital function that is integral to our markets and business activities. This basic role will not and should not change in the future. For example, we have learned over the...

21st Century Firms-Partnering with Technology for Success.
June 1, 2007... Not too long ago, one of our customers shared the story of how he expanded his practice a few years back. His plan was aggressive, including adding new services, building his client base, and bringing on a new partner. The first step of his...

Electronic & Remote Access.
June 1, 2007... Yogi Berra once said, "It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future," and he got it right. Either the prognosticator looks like a genius or a fool, depending on the outcome of the prediction. So without fear or trepidation, I...

Opportunity Over Next Five Years.
June 1, 2007... Over the next five years, a number of trends in demographics and technology will drive the future of the tax and accounting business. Because of these trends, the successful tax and accounting practices will morph into comprehensive wealth...

Don't Be Asleep at the Switch.
June 1, 2007... I believe it has become a buyer's market for accounting firms. Recently, an insider at the AICPA told me that over 40 percent of their membership was over the age of 50. Couple that with the fact that I know many founding owners of firms who...

The Firm of the Future for Accounting Today.
June 1, 2007... The most successful accounting firms of the future will be those that deliver comprehensive solutions to meet their clients' financial needs. In other words, the accounting firm of the future needs to be more than just an accounting firm. It...

The Importance of Web-Based Software.
June 1, 2007... It's obvious that the Internet is already a critical source of information for the accounting profession. Less apparent is the major transition now underway to replace the key software applications used by accounting firms themselves with true...

Facing the Future with More Intelligence.
June 1, 2007... Change is inevitable. And, as successful firms and seasoned professionals, we all have responded to and weathered change over the years. But with so much significant change in the profession today and on the horizon, firms have one option: You...

Flourishing Growth with Intuitive Strategies.
June 1, 2007... Real-time collaboration of Financial Statement Review, Contract Documents, and other productivity applications, proactively improves your client's business process and their profit margins. Unless you leverage the potential of new and...

A Change In Leadership For Family Firms.
June 1, 2007... Family firms come in all shapes and sizes. In a recent survey of 1,143 businesses with sales volume in excess of $1 million and with at least two or more officers with the same last name, the average annual revenue reported was more than $36...

Take a Cue from YouTube.(Google Inc. acquired YouTube Inc. )(internet can perform any operation in second)(accountants and technology)
June 1, 2007... Have you heard of YouTube? It's a Website where anyone can upload their videos for others to view. It would appear that this business couldn't be worth much. But Google paid a cool $1.65 billion to buy YouTube! Why? Because Google knows...

Trends Shaping the Firm of the Future.(accounting services and knowledge economy)
June 1, 2007... The only constant these days is change. Change is relentless-it just keeps coming at you. For those who can see it coming and react to it ahead of their competitors, change represents opportunity. For others, change can be difficult; it creates...

2012: An Accounting Firm Odyssey.
June 1, 2007... Tomorrow: By 2012, more firms will have measurable business development processes and rely on sophisticated Customer Relationship Management technology to grow their practices. Today: Forward-looking firms are beginning to understand and...

Finding Focus - Brenda Brinkley.
June 1, 2007... Trying to be a Jack of all industries accomplished pretty much jack for Brenda Brinkley when she started her business selling NetSuite's applications in 2002. Advertising online and networking at conferences was getting her nowhere because...

Capitalizing on Compliance - Linda Bryan.
June 1, 2007... Terrorism put a hold on much of the manufacturing industry's production following September 11. At the time, Tamlin Software Developers only had about three customers for which it customizes accounting software, and Linda Bryan needed to...

Keeping Promises - Manny Buigas.(Company overview)
June 1, 2007... The first time was the charm for Manny Buigas. So was the second time as Buigas, who broke away from Sage Software reseller NextLevel, found his new company, Axis Integrated Solutions, named to the Sage Chairman's Club in the second year of...

Testing New Territory - James Cliame.(Net Result)
June 1, 2007... When Intuit launched a newreselling program for QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions last May, James Cliame was one of the first to jump into the uncharted waters. Cliame, a ProAdvisor since 1999, wanted to provide a product for customers who...

Returning Phone Calls - Robert Distler.(WAC Consulting)
June 1, 2007... At some point, Robert Distler realized the true nature of WAC Consulting's business. "Early on, we realized we were a service organization, not a software sales organization," says Distler. And that led quickly to the realization that customer...

Nurturing the Undecided - Grant Frasier.(Navigator Business Systems)
June 1, 2007... Many resellers might say "Thanks," and smile as they moved from a prospect that had no immediate intention to buy and quickly move on to those more ready to part with their cash. Not so with Grant Frasier. Frasier's company, Navigator...

Training Employees - Linda O'Neal: We decided we couldn't be everything to everybody.
June 1, 2007... If you train them, they will stay. That's a philosophy Linda O'Neal, manager at Finley & Cook, believes has helped the Shawnee, Okla.-based firm retain loyal employees and continue to expand. "We give everybody the opportunity and we do it...