Kicking Your Technology Investment
Into High Gear

InfoTech Update
An AICPA Publication
Vol. 16. No. 3
May / June, 2007
By Stephen Barrett, CPA.CITP, MCP
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Stephen R. Barrett, CPA.CITP, MCP, is director of Information Technology at Held, Kranzler, McCosker & Pulice, LLP (HKMP), and a partner in HKMP Technologies, LLP, in New York City. Barrett served as project manager for the firm’s migration to paperless engage-
ments, and he remains responsible for the firm’s continued automation projects, which include training, ongoing support and maintenance. He also consults with CPA firms of all sizes to assist with the construction and customization of paperless and automated environments.

With several technologies on the AICPA’s 2007 Top Technology Initiatives list focusing on data retention and remote computing, the paperless office continues to be a hot topic. However, for all the cost and time savings to be gained by going paperless, this technology only gets you to the starting line. Automation is the fuel that enables a paperless office to run at peak performance.

Over the past few years, many firms and businesses made enormous strides toward replacing their paper-based systems in pursuit of a paperless office. Our industry has made large investments not only in scanning technology, but in systems for engagement management, document management, client relationship management and practice management, just to name a few. Resources were invested in creating processes and training staff to leverage these technologies.

It has been interesting to watch the industry embrace these new technologies and watch how firms or businesses improved their bottom line while doing so. Now that so much of this content is available electronically, the road conditions are changing and new questions are surfacing. As a result, we ask ourselves how we can better maximize our investment in all these systems and create an environment where the systems are not only available, but are working together to give staff and partners the information they need – when they need it and even sometimes when they don’t realize they need it. How can we leverage our investments to create an environment where data needs only to be entered once and all relevant files (workflows, due dates, contact information) are created in a systematic way that improves accuracy and ensures consistency?

Automating workflow is the new roadmap for success, and it poses impressive options for driving your business into the office of the future – today.

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