Leveraging the integrated CCH Axcess modules, Krueger & Associates has been able to:ll Access client information anywhere, anytime for maximum efficiency and productivity.

ll Enjoy leading-edge technology and efficient workflows without manual software updates.

ll Utilize staff more effectively and spend less time on low-value tasks.

ll Answer client questions faster and surprise them with the “wow” factor.

ll Improve communication between staff members and also between the firm and its clients.

How Krueger & Associates, P.A. Gains More Efficient Workflows and Higher Productivity in the Cloud

Krueger & Associates, P.A. Key Datall Founded in 1985.

ll Based in Tampa, Florida.

ll Four full-time and three part-time staff members.

ll Specializes in construction and real estate.

Every accounting firm searches for ways to squeeze more productive minutes out of each day and more billable hours out of every week. Kevin Krueger, founder of Krueger & Associates, P.A., discovered a path to efficiency with the integrated CCH Axcess™ tax preparation, compliance and firm management solution.

The busy Tampa, Florida-based firm provides audits, reviews and compilations as well as tax preparation, payroll and other services for businesses and individuals. The staff needs all the time it can save in order to meet client demands during busy tax seasons. Over the last few years, the pressure has been even greater, as the firm has helped clients prepare and file damage claims related to the BP p.l.c. oil spill.

Krueger has consistently adopted new, world-class technologies that provide Krueger & Associates with a competitive edge over other firms. Three years ago, he implemented CCH Axcess and has seen it help his firm increase the amount of high-value work performed for clients.

I went to CCH Axcess because I wanted a tax product that is first in its class.

— Kevin Krueger,Founder, Krueger & Associates, P.A.

Moving to the Cloud Reduces IT BurdenKrueger has always handled the IT side of the business himself. Moving to cloud-based CCH Axcess has allowed him to remove a significant IT maintenance burden. He used to spend about 15 percent of his time performing software updates and maintenance issues, coming into the office on nights and weekends to update the server and each individual PC when no one was using the system. CCH Axcess does not require firms to perform manual updates; they occur automatically.

I do not have to worry about any of that anymore. When an update comes out, it happens at night. Wolters Kluwer sends me an email ahead of time. When I come in the next morning and open the system, it’s ready to go. It takes literally no time out of my day, which is a huge advantage for me.

CCH Axcess Provides Powerful Synergy That Creates Efficient WorkflowsEvery CCH Axcess solution shares a Common Client and Staff Database, enabling anyone in the firm to go to one central location for any type of client information. It’s easy to change client phone numbers or addresses, and these changes automatically flow out into the other modules.

I like only going to one place — the client dashboard. People move, especially in Florida. It is a very fluid society. It is really nice to go to one place and make one change. You know that the next time you open that tax return or anything related to that client, the change is going to be there.

CCH Axcess™ Document offers effective organization and storage of client source documents, achieving a true digital work environment. “We all live in Document every day. Every machine working has it open.”

CCH Axcess™ Portal provides a secure online space where clients have 24/7 access to their financial documents and the ability to collaborate with firm staff in real time, at any time. Krueger looks forward to a smoother tax season, because, “Since I started with CCH Axcess, I publish Tax Organizers and engagement letters to Portal. I think 85 percent of the clients are using them, so they can access it anytime they want. I really try to not print anything anymore. I do not involve the post office if not necessary.”

CCH Axcess™ Practice provides a full-scale practice management system for time capture, billing and other aspects of firm operations. “In CCH Axcess, you have the ability to start a clock when you open a return and post time when you are done. I can immediately flip to the billing module and put the invoice together, email and then publish that to Document and post it to Portal. Cash flow is quicker. No one can tell me that they did not get the invoice,” says Krueger.

CCH Axcess™ Tax creates a streamlined, digital tax process complete with thousands of automatically calculating forms and schedules for federal, state, county and city entities; robust diagnostics; and a state-of-the-art electronic filing system. Krueger likes how easy it is to track the status of returns, keep the project updated in Workstream and publish returns and invoices for review by the client in Portal. “My staff likes being able to check on the status of a return and know that it shows up on my screen when they get finished,” says Krueger. “CCH Axcess Tax is a magnificent product.”

CCH Axcess™ Workstream offers a full-featured project management solution designed to streamline administrative tasks, such as tracking due dates, identifying key milestones and monitoring project status. “I want it all in Workstream,” Krueger states. “Here is the last person that touched the project. Here is the email they sent where they requested information. Here is the information that was needed. We called three times in the past week but did not get an answer. That kind of information tends to really negate any client pushback.”

“The ability to right-click on a file, publish something to Portal and know that the client has just gotten an email that the file is there is tremendous,” says Krueger.

The CCH Axcess modules have been designed to integrate seamlessly, providing firms with greater efficiency and the flexibility to design workflows that improve productivity. In January 2012, Krueger & Associates implemented every module within a two week period, starting with the practice management system, and then going live with tax preparation and document management. After observing the benefits of integration first-hand, Krueger urges other professionals to consider going “all in” with the complete CCH Axcess solution.

Once you use CCH Axcess modules together and see the synergy that they create, you are not going to look back. I joke that if I pulled into my parking lot one day and someone said they took away all of my CCH Axcess products, I would probably just get back in my truck and drive home.

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Mobility Increases Productivity and Provides a “Wow Factor” for ClientsOne of the things that Krueger appreciates most about CCH Axcess is the ability to work with documents, tax returns and more from his smartphone, away from the office. Krueger feels that it’s important to try to answer a client question as quickly as possible. “If I’m at a playground with my kids or away for the weekend, it is nice to be able to flip open the CCH Axcess™ app, open Document and access any information the client needs.”

Five years ago, there was no possible way to do these things outside the office. If I got a question on a Thursday, I would have had to wait until the following Monday to answer it. With CCH Axcess, I can already have it done. It’s off the desk. I do not have to worry about it. More important, you get your client answers. That’s really what they are after.

Harnessing these brief moments of additional productivity enables Krueger to use his time at the office more effectively and to increase the perceived value of his client service.

CCH Axcess Helps to Grow, Manage and Protect the FirmKrueger believes that using CCH Axcess enables his firm to be able to take on new clients and better manage relationships with existing clients. “It allows me to integrate new clients much more quickly and easily than I have ever been able to do it in the past,” he says. Krueger can set a new client up in Document and Portal “… literally in only five minutes, and they’re ready to interact and exchange documents. That is essential in today’s world.”

CCH Axcess offers security and accountability features that assure sensitive client information is protected while making it easy to know the status of any project, tax return or document. This protects the firm’s reputation and helps Krueger & Associates communicate more quickly and accurately with clients, delivering a higher sense of value.

Summing up the improvement in his firm’s management capabilities, Krueger says, “CCH Axcess has streamlined our workflow so much over the past two and a half years, I cannot imagine running the practice without it.”

For More Information CCHGroup.com/Axcess 800-PFX-9998 (800-739-9998)

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