The Problem: Managing Client Documentation
Document Management for Client Accounting
The Problem
Finding an affordable electronic documentation solution which would facilitate storing client documents securely, making them readily available to our team. Having an archive of client documents that eliminated the physical space and manual handling required to file and re-file paper documents.
Key Concerns
Cost of the system and the hardware required to support it.
Storage space and ease of access to archived files.
Ability to store a wide variety of client information.
Remote access to documentation.
Ease of installation and operation.
The INTERAC Document Management System:
- Supports scanning or adding any client related documents.
- Makes documentation readily available to the entire team.
- Provides secure storage and backup.
- Is a very cost effective solution.
The Solution
The INTERAC Document Management System provides the solution to address the specific needs of public accounting firms, offering a complete solution with all the necessary functionality and key features.
- INTERAC DMS provides an integrated solution, allowing documents to be appropriately linked to client records.
- DMS allows users to categorize documents into “folders”, making it easy to locate them when they are needed.
- Any INTERAC generated documentation can be sent directly to DMS, eliminating the need to manage hard copies of reports, statements, etc.
Case Study
- Any documentation may be scanned, added to DMS and associated with the appropriate INTERAC client records.
- Utilizing pdf formatted files, hard drive storage requirements are minimized, allowing several years worth of archives to be kept online for immediate access.
- Utilizing secure remote network access, all this data can be made available to clients, or from remote offices.
- Setup and implementation was very easy, and seamless.
Customer Summary
“We are a small CPA firm with two partners, two CPA employees, two staff accountants and other support staff. We made the decision to investigate a DMS system several years ago. We first looked at the system sold by our tax software firm. The cost to implement their DMS system made it look like going “paperless” was not going to be an option for our office. To implement their package would cost upwards of $20,000! In addition, the annual license fees would have run about $7,500.
We attended the Intersoft annual user meeting in Las Vegas in 2005 when the DMS product was introduced. We decided that based on the pricing, we could not go wrong with at least trying out the product. We began with the “basic” system, and were quickly upgraded to the “advanced” system that is being marketed today.
Having a basic knowledge of Intersoft products, the installation and setup were without incident. We currently use DMS for all of the Intersoft applications, mainly Client Accounting. From that perspective, it is seamless. Printing directly to DMS allows everyone in the office access to all of the reports for each client we serve.
The main benefit for our firm however, is using DMS to “store” client tax returns and information. Our tax preparation software produces PDF files that are “added” to the DMS system. We also scan in a large amount of client information. The DMS system allows us to easily store and recall literally thousands and thousands of W-2’s, 1099’s, brokerage statements, handwritten notes and work papers. Previously we had returned all of this information to the client and rarely retained copies because of the burden of copying and storing these documents.
The storage space required for the DMS documents is minimal. We originally purchased a separate 320GB hard drive to house all of our DMS files. We anticipated this amount of storage space would last three to five years. We prepare approximately 2500 tax returns each year and based on current usage, the disk will hold at least 10 years of information!
Time savings have been minimal to our processing of tax returns. However, the DMS system allows our firm the ability to recall not only the tax returns we prepare, but an amazing amount of client information as well. In the near future we are adding a VPN to allow us to access all of the DMS from remote locations as well.”
Ralph Preuss, CPA
Bawcum & Preuss, CPA’s
