the intelligent practice€¦ · the functionality of microsoft office 365 sharepoint helps...

THE INTELLIGENT PRACTICEBeginner’s Guide to Document Managementin the Cloud

Beginner’s Guide to Document Management in the CloudThe functionality of Microsoft Office 365 SharePoint helps accounting firms transform into an Intelligent Practice. Microsoft Office 365 for Enterprise delivers a range of applications and tools important to a modern firm. This white paper will help clarify what document management in the cloud is, the benefits it can deliver and why document management is critical for firms of all sizes to improve the way they operate and add value to their clients. It will also discuss the key steps a firm needs to go through to create effective document management on their own and showcase three successful accounting practice implementations. Finally, it will describe CCH iFirm Document Manager’s unique approach to delivering document management in the cloud.

So, What is Document Management?In the days before laptops, emails, shared servers and the internet, documents were filed in an ever expanding series of filing cabinets. The process of retrieving documents was based on every person responsible for filing documents rigidly conforming to a common filing methodology – it was rarely efficient. However, with the advent of computers and now cloud-computing technologies, firms have started to digitise their printed content in their own in-house data centres. Now with the advent of the cloud and the growth of cloud-based documentation management solutions we can unlock the constraints and operational costs behind storing and wrangling digital documents in-house.

Document management comes in many forms. Some of the forms we commonly see today include tax forms, accounts, client engagement letters, emails, contracts, templates, invoices – and the list goes on. Each piece of documentation is developed in a different way, some of which may be automated and some of which may involve painstaking manual effort. And all by different authors. However, every single piece can be considered vital to the firm.

When to Know that Cloud Document Management is Right for YouIt is virtually impossible to function efficiently if your firm does not have a clearly defined document management business process – and the underlying technology infrastructure to unlock its true potential. If your firm needs to transform its document management process because you are growing or because you have too much information to manage – you have two choices. You can keep upgrading your IT systems in an endless cycle of acquisition and management costs or you can move to the cloud to capture greater efficiency, productivity and cost benefits.

Cloud document management is a flexible, scalable and easy-to-use document control solution. It keeps pace with your firm as it grows – plus it securely stores your data in an off-site data centre, which will have extensive IT resources to manage the security, integrity and 24/7 availability of your most precious asset – your business information.

We know we need to unlock the benefits of technology to deliver improvements in how today’s accounting professionals work. Technology, particularly cloud-based automation, will be the catalyst for new opportunities in cost, efficiency and productivity benefits. However even with the growing popularity of cloud-based business solutions, documentation remains at the core of every firm. From practice management reporting and financials to customer reports and returns – plus the internal and external correspondence and emails that support this – documentation vitally supports the insights we bring to our client’s most challenging problems. It has never been more important to build a secure, easily accessible location for such valuable information.

UNDERSTANDING THE DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT PROCESS

THE INTELLIGENT PRACTICE Beginner’s Guide to Document Management in the Cloud2

Office 365 Business Premium

Office 365 Enterprise E3

Office 365 Platform Total business solution for all your day to day IT needs

Exchange OnlineProvides email in the cloud reducing costs and infrastructure expense whilst increasing mobility

SharePoint Online Online platform which hosts the CCH DM

OneDrive for Business Simple storage area for business documents

Skype for Business Online Video conferencing for better collaboration with clients

Office Online + desktop

Flexible use of the Office suite allowing for mobility on mobile, tablet and desktop

Office applications: Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Access (PC Only), Publisher (PC Only)

Manage all requirements of business from letters to online tools for clients and staff

Power BIBusiness Intelligence tool allows firms to make decisions and interpretations from data.

Azure Information Protection

Ensures all information on the site has the best possible security in the cloud

Unlock the value of the Office 365 applications and get the best value for your firm from the business subscriptions that you invest in.

Did you know?Microsoft Office 365 gives you access to a wide range of applications to streamline your practice – it’s not just about email!

For firms wanting to work anywhere, anytime on any device – and those heading to the cloud with CCH iFirm Document Manager you will need the productivity that Office 365 Business Premium or Enterprise E3 delivers. And when you move to Office 365, you’ll also get access to a whole range of other tools and applications to help you run your practice and improve efficiencies through enhanced collaboration.

THE INTELLIGENT PRACTICE Beginner’s Guide to Document Management in the Cloud 3

The Intelligent Practice: Document Management in the Cloud

C&S PartnersEstablished: 2013 Profile: 100% Cloud Based Digital Practice Specialisation: Accounting and taxation for small business

C&S Partners opened for business five years ago with a clear directive from Director, Manpreet Singh to be a digital-first, cloud-based firm. For Singh there was no point not being in the cloud. Today the firm’s information is fully integrated with a metadata structure that allows for easy search and retrieval from CCH iFirm Document Manager.

Singh has phased the roll-out of CCH iFirm, Office 365 Enterprise and CCH iFirm Document Manager to integrate information previously stored in external cloud sharing platforms into one central document management system. The meticulously planned metadata structure enables access to information stored in the previous cloud platforms as well as within CCH iFirm Document Manager – ensuring the end user experience remains consistent.

With the successful onboarding of CCH iFirm Document Manager now complete, future plans include the implementation of CCH iFirm Client Portal to allow the firm to work securely with clients online – and removing the need for email. CCH iFirm Document Manager templates are popular – ensuring those documents are up to date, compliant and available immediately for client use. The benefit of the document management system means templates can also be integrated with external business app, DocuSign, further streamlining workflows and customer service levels.

Practice Tip: Give Office 365 Enterprise to your staff for 30 days and then ask if they want to do business without it. Once they use it, they won’t go back.

Our entire firm loves the fully integrated document management options between CCH iFirm Document Manager and Office 365 Enterprise. We have been able to build an environment which places accessibility and integration first, drastically increasing our efficiency and productivity outcomes – wherever we are. We noticed a difference to how efficiently we store and manage documents in under eight weeks. Manpreet Singh Director, C&S Partners

Integrated software solutions

Integrates data from other cloud sources

Remote and mobile data capability


Why Document Management is Critical for Security and ComplianceThere is a greater understanding on the need to protect your client’s information in order to keep your business running. Information security needs to be taken seriously by every accounting firm today to meet both government and regulatory requirements and remain compliant. If you are using outdated internal document management systems, or a simple directory system, then everything is always going to be harder to find and therefore protect. Accounting firms of any size need a clear understanding of their data to protect it from the growing stream of data attacks. This is key to strengthening your firm’s threat detection and response capabilities.

A modern, cloud-enable document management process operates in a single system with clearly defined and measurable security policies and access rights. Cloud document management can track document lifecycles and undertake audits for compliance and security. When you integrate your document management solution with other business software solutions, such as Microsoft Office 365 and SharePoint, your document management environment and highly configurable workflow is secure all the way through.

Automating the Efficiency of the Document Management ProcessYour firm may not have an efficient, nor effective document management process, or you could already be on your way to going paperless. Finding digital files and retrieving the information you need quickly is more than likely taking more time than it should. If you don’t manage, share and archive files in a cohesive system then it will cost your staff time to locate information, reduce your firm’s efficiency and this all takes a toll on your profitability.

Today’s document management process automates a broad range of processes and removes the need to work with multiple systems. Everyone in the firm will have immediate access to the same information. At the same time, a centralised search function makes it possible to find any file relating to your firm in a matter of seconds. To streamline such processes even further, you’ll also be able to tag documents, set up notifications and maintain complete control over versioning. Digital templates are also an important part of a firm’s document management system. Templates deliver the tools to create consistent, accurate and compliant documents which look the same every time they are generated.

Higher levels of self-service and the need for remote and mobile access to information is leading many accounting professionals towards the cloud. The ability to work anywhere is one of the largest driving forces behind the take up of cloud accounting and the business solutions that support this approach. Document management in the cloud stores every piece of data you own in a centralised, web-accessible repository. It lets you set and manage security policies and access controls, enabling team members to collaborate from wherever they are, whenever they need to.

REMOTE ACCESSIBILITY IS NECESSARY FOR THE INTELLIGENT PRACTICE


We took the view we would template common documents straight away through CCH iFirm Document Manager and Office 365 Enterprise and this means we can have key pieces, such as client engagement letters, fully completed and with clients in under five minutes. This is giving us huge efficiency gains and improving the accuracy of those documents. Glen Gernhoefer Shortland Chartered Accountants


Shortland Chartered AccountantsEstablished: 2018 Profile: 100% Cloud Based Digital Practice Specialisation: Accounting, taxation and business advisory

Shortland Chartered Accountants launched itself as a cloud-only accounting firm in early 2018. It wanted to incorporate a flexible practice management solution that could easily support remote and mobile working requirements and grow with the firm – no matter the pace of growth.

The partners for the firm - Glen Gernhoefer, Geoff Walker and Amanda Watt – knew straight away CCH iFirm Practice Manager and Office 365 Enterprise would be the automated cloud-based environment they would need. The flexibility, common user interface from wherever you are using the solution and enhanced data security were compelling benefits.

From inception the firm has built a series of templates to make easily accessible, secure and compliant document templates that are available for all employees to complete and distribute.

The firm is investing considerable efforts in metadata tagging its files to move from a directory structure to a new way of saving and searching for files. With a metadata file structure, it is faster to find information at both the client and general level, considerably cutting down search time.

Moving into the cloud has given the firm the confidence it needs to continue innovating. The recent uptake of CCH iFirm Client Portal is designed to streamline and secure client communications, moving to electronic signing of documents with the external business app, DocuSign. Plans for additional tools into client offerings are currently being considered.

Practice Tip: We are taking advantage of how CCH iFirm Document Manager works with other Microsoft apps. We are assessing how to further automate our business processes by building workflows with the latest Office app, Flow.


Integrates with external apps

Automated document templates


Next, we look at ways to ensure users have all the tools at their disposal while ensuring we protect the privacy of the data being stored. We evaluate the access to the system and how to restrict access to historical information with robust processes to deal with this life cycle stage, including:

� Archive library in the Document Centre for documents greater than seven years old

� Building profiles based on user groups to streamline and manage appropriate access levels

� Developing access restriction protocols for outsourced contractors.

Wolters Kluwer takes a comprehensive approach to document management. CCH iFirm Document Manager is a cloud-based complete record management tool, designed specifically for accounting professionals.

CCH iFirm Document Manager manages the lifecycle of a document – from creation to archive or deletion. Our customer support team will help your firm realise full efficiency gains by examining the processes which support this lifecycle and make the necessary recommendations, including:

� Creation of documents using template manager to gain consistency and compliance in the firm

� Central document formats with multiple access pathways to ensure single file management

� Pathways to save documents or items to the library

� Retention management and archive planning for aging documents.

WOLTERS KLUWER CCH IFIRM DOCUMENT MANAGER – OUR APPROACH TO DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT


Benefits of CCH iFirm Cloud Document Management

Automate repetitive tasks, reduce time taken on jobs and improve accuracy and job turnaround times freeing up more time to spend with your clients.

Automation is facilitated with a range tools including:

� applying metadata for search, auto filing and retrieval of documents � version control � access to practice data for mail merge � Excel and email templates

Access to all your client information is available in any location and on any device. No costly VPN access, and mobile devices can also be used to recall information or save emails to the client file from wherever you are.

Maximise the benefits of both Office 365 and CCH iFirm by integrating the systems to deliver superior results and impress clients.

CCH iFirm Document Manager also integrates with Xero, MYOB, APS and all current vendor solutions.

Create customized, automated and seamless workflows to improve internal and external communication and deliver superior service to your clients.

A comprehensive audit trail and permission structure gives your firm full control over all its documents. For firms with European based clients GDPR compliance is included and options also exist for Australian firms wanting to restrict access to documentation for compliance with protection legislation.

A separate, secure repository for your own firm’s internal confidential documentation (such as HR records, employment contracts etc.)

Advanced security including audit trails, advanced permission capabilities and multi-factor authentication with remote device management systems protect data. Rules can retain files for regulatory required periods and ensure documents cannot be shared with external users.

Legal hold is an important feature - the ability to recover deleted documents and emails even when removed from the Trash folder.

All your data is protected using the inbuilt features of your Office 365 Enterprise 3 subscription, providing peace of mind that your data is protected including email, document management and One Drive Business.

Automation

Accessibility

Integration

Workflow

Compliance

Manage your practice

Security and Compliance

Protection


Building a Better User Experience for Your Team CCH iFirm Document Manager assigns metadata to documents based on the document types and services offered by the accounting firm – ensuring no need for complex naming structures and a streamlined user search experience. Workflows can auto-archive documents, building a well-organised and up-to-date document library.

“The CCH iFirm Document Manager team will work with your team to help them adjust to the significant changes a successful document management system needs – moving away from a folder structured system to a metadata search system based on ‘what it is, not where it’s stored”.


Our cloud accounting journey began with the need to solve business and technology challenges. Our first step was to replace an internal email server with Office 365, the next was implementing a VOIP phone system to utilise the business app, Skype for Business and now finally cloud document management. We had implemented CCH iFirm just over five years ago and it made commercial sense to continue with CCH iFirm Document Manager. It’s a great match Jon Traynor Director, Tax and Business Specialist, The Field Group


The Field Group Established: 1951 Profile: 100% Cloud Based Digital Practice Specialisation: Business Services, Self-Managed Super, Audit & Assurance, Taxation and Financial Planning

From its humble beginnings in rural Victoria in 1951, The Field Group has heralded the introduction of cloud-based accounting solutions as an opportunity to streamline its IT infrastructure and approach. Today its team of 35 staff, four partners and fully-accredited financial planning arm have successfully rolled out a phased cloud transformation program.

The firm has taken a pragmatic approach to cloud business solutions and the onboarding of a document management solution that met its requirements. It established an internal advisory committee to assess available document management solutions in the marketplace, as well as a shortlist of the functionality the different areas of the firm required.

It considered various offerings however security, integration and functionality led it to select CCH iFirm Document Manager to leverage its existing CCH iFirm and Office365 Enterprise subscription.

With the invaluable input of an internal early user group, the advisory committee has planned the firm’s metadata tagging structure, assessing its current directory search term structure and shortlisting the final metadata terminology for the admin, super, audit and tax teams to use effectively.

Now with its cloud-first infrastructure the firm has access to a new way of working. From the point of view of its staff it now can deliver on a remote and mobile working IT infrastructure which delivers new levels of flexibility. It’s now easier to securely access data and business apps from any location, any time.

Already a major user of DocuSign – sending thousands of documents electronically every year – the added integration of CCH iFirm and CCH iFirm Document Manager and being able to file any type of document whether that’s an email to a tax form will best utilise the firm’s efficiency and productivity outcomes.

Office 365 Enterprise E3/CCHiFirm Practice Manager/CCH iFirm Document

Manager/DocuSign

Automated Document Templates





Practice Tip: We were already a big user of document templates however now everything we do is in the cloud and being securely backed up. This is best practice and provides new, flexible ways of working that best suit our staff and clients.

Planning a Cloud Document Management Implementation Creating, storing and retrieving documents using metadata is a fundamental change to the work practices we are all familiar with and sometimes the thought of tackling a big change can feel overwhelming.

Don’t worry, help is at hand - the CCH iFirm Document Manager team have helped many firms through the transition so we have plenty of ideas to help you!

Integration with external apps



Integrates data from other cloud sources



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Wolters Kluwer Tax and AccountingOur software solutions and local expertise help tax, accounting, and audit professionals research and navigate complex regulations, comply with legislation, manage their businesses and advise clients with speed, accuracy and efficiency.

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the intelligent practice€¦ · the functionality of microsoft office 365 sharepoint helps...

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