June 2013

The majority of small to mid sized practices are vulnerable to unexpected data loss. As an accountant or attorney you have an ethical duty to ensure that your clients’ electronic information is not lost, destroyed or inadvertently disclosed.

2013 review of accounting systems for not-for-profit organizations.

I don’t know if it’s just me (I’m assuming I’m not alone in this), but my information consumption habits have changed drastically over the past few years. Less than five years ago I would gather up all my monthly trade publications and while sitting with a cup of coffee flip through the pages, reading the articles that provided me with the best information on improving my practice.

Deltek Maconomy Public Accounting Solution800-456-2009www.deltek.com/accounting From the June 2013 review of practice management systems. Best Fit: Accounting firms with 75 or more employees looking to contain all financial, client and engagement management under one solution. Strengths Flexible user interface Role-based to help ensure data integrity Potential Limitations Requires a significant amount of planning for front-end […]

Gavel & Gown Software Inc. — Credenza Software800-472-2289www.credenzasoft.com From the June 2013 review of practice management systems. Best Firm Fit: Business professionals currently reliant on Microsoft Outlook for tracking client appointments, tasks and projects. Strengths Free version available for general practice management functions Built on top of familiar Microsoft Outlook interface Inexpensive practice management solution […]

Thomson Reuters — Practice CS800-968-8900CS.ThomsonReuters.com From the June 2013 review of practice management systems. Best Firm Fit: Accounting firms of any size or client focus looking to maintain client projects and information in one location. Strengths Highly customizable interface Multiple dashboards provided Potential Limitations Separate support contract may be required for in-depth program support Practice […]

CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business—ProSystem fx Practice Management800-739-9998www.CCHGroup.com From the June 2013 review of practice management systems. Best Firm Fit: Accounting firms of any size seeking an on-premise practice management tool. Strengths Uses dashboard interfaces All inclusive solution without need to purchase additional modules Stable and scalable solution for firms of all sizes Potential Limitations […]

Commercial Logic — APS Advance Practice Management603-643-1900www.CommerciaLogic.com From the June 2013 review of practice management systems. Best Firm Fit: Firms of 50 or more employees looking for a custom solution to maintain staff, client and project data. Strengths Custom configuration to meet accounting firm needs Customized dashboard interfaces Business intelligence software directly integrates Potential Limitations […]

Office Tools Professional — Practice Management 2013661-794-2220www.officetoolspro.com From the June 2013 review of practice management systems. Best Firm Fit: Accounting firms of up to 100 who are seeking a more streamlined workflow for practice management tasks. Strengths Simple, single-screen interface Integrated document management capabilities A la cart integration point options allow firms to customize solution […]

The accounting firm of today frequently performs work outside the traditional tax and accounting service offerings and it is critical this data is accurately and timely managed. Practice management software delivers tools required to track all client data, employee time, outstanding projects and a host of other items.

FUND E-Z Nonprofit Accounting and Fund Raising Software877-696-0900www.fundez.com From the June 2013 review of non-profit accounting systems. Best Fit: Fund E-Z is nonprofit accounting and fundraising software designed for small to mid-sized nonprofit organizations and government entities. Strengths Intuitive user interface Scalable, with two product editions available Excellent fundraising module can be utilized as a […]

Sage 100 Fund Accounting800-811-0961 www.sagefundaccounting.com From the June 2013 review of non-profit accounting systems. Best Fit: Sage 100 Fund Accounting is ideal for mid-sized nonprofit organizations and government entities that require comprehensive fund management, custom budgeting, and grant management capability. Strengths Deliverable in two formats: desktop or cloud-based Extensive budgeting customization Affordable single-user system makes […]

CYMA Not For Profit Fund Accounting800-292-2962www.cyma.com From the June 2013 review of non-profit accounting systems. Best Fit: CYMA is a comprehensive financial management system designed for mid-sized nonprofits and government entities that require scalability, customization, and solid reporting. Product Strengths Excellent customization capability Streamlined data entry options Strong budgeting capability Grant tracking option available Users […]

eTEK Fundamentals800-888-6894www.etek.net From the June 2013 review of non-profit accounting systems. Best Fit: eTEK is a relatively recent addition to the nonprofit network, designed for small to mid-sized nonprofit organizations. Product Strengths Available for desktops or as SaaS Those familiar with Microsoft Office 2007 or later will find navigation easy Solid accounting functionality with a […]

Intuit Inc. — QuickBooks Premier – Nonprofit Edition866-379-6636www.quickbooks.com From the June 2013 review of non-profit accounting systems. Best Fit: QuickBooks has always been designed with the small business owner in mind, and their industry specific versions are no exception, making this a great fit for the smaller nonprofit that does not require complicated or extensive […]

Araize Inc. — FastFund Nonprofit Accounting919-460-3990www.araize.com From the June 2013 review of non-profit accounting systems. Best Fit: Araize Fast Fund Accounting is very well suited for small to medium sized nonprofits organizations with limited resources and personnel who desire nonprofit specific software. Product Strengths Easy to set up and navigate Available in two editions; Basic […]

Sage 50 Nonprofit Accounting 2014na.Sage.comwww.Sage50Accounting.com From the June 2013 review of non-profit accounting systems. Best Fit: Sage 50 (formerly Peachtree) Nonprofit Accounting is an ideal fit for smaller nonprofit organizations. While terminology is not necessarily nonprofit specific, it contains a solid selection of management tools and good reporting capability. Strengths Affordably priced Excellent help functionality […]

Serenic Navigator 2013877-737-3642www.serenic.com From the June 2013 review of non-profit accounting systems. Best Fit: Serenic Navigator from Serenic Software is well-suited for mid-sized to large nonprofit organizations, government entities, and other Non-Government Organizations (NGOs). Completely integrated, Serenic offers users a robust financial management suite of products; although the recent development of Serenic Navigator Online means […]

Cougar Mountain Software — Denali FUND800-390-7073www.cougarmtn.com From the June 2013 review of non-profit accounting systems. Best Fit: Small to mid-sized organizations would benefit the most from Denali, which offers easy system setup, the ability to handle multiple fund accounts, and an affordable price tag. Strengths Great user interface Extensive help function Scalable, with the ability […]

AccuFund Accounting Suite for Nonprofits877-872-2228www.accufund.com From the June 2013 review of non-profit accounting systems. Best Fit: AccuFund Accounting Suite for Nonprofits is a fully integrated nonprofit software product ideally suited for mid-sized nonprofits that require program flexibility along with solid accounting functionality. Strengths Scalable product, with long list of add-on modules available Available in both […]

Blackbaud, Inc. — The Financial Edge800-443-9441www.blackbaud.com From the June 2013 review of non-profit accounting systems. Best Fit: The Financial Edge from Blackbaud is ideally suited for mid-sized to large nonprofit organizations, and government entities that have complex management and reporting needs, as well as the need for comprehensive donor and grant management capability. Strengths Excellent […]

When it comes to your teeth, dentists will tell you regular checkups and the proper upfront care are key to preventing horrible toothaches and diseases later on. Turns out the same is true in accounting – a lesson that Jed Kesler, DDS wishes he had learned earlier.

Forward-thinking firm harnesses the power of leading cloud-based tax solution to ease the pain of tax season…and beyond

The fascinating thing about an economic downturn is that it often gives computer users a glimpse into the souls of the vendors they rely on for their software and information.

There are a number of strategies being promoted as the latest, easiest and/or best way to run your practice. Current thinking includes value billing, recurring flat billing, niche strategies, international, and so on.

Delegation is an important tool to help free up time, allowing us to focus on the things we do best and that add the most value to the firm. Unfortunately, however, delegation is a tool that too infrequently makes it out of the toolbox.

Most of us have read about “lean” processes increasing efficiency while reducing waste, and six sigma setting the highest standards for quality production, but these terms have mostly been applied towards large scale manufacturing environments.

Current market research studies indicate more than 50 percent of small-to-medium sized accounting firms plan on using cloud-based applications over the next few years. For companies with more than 50 employees, that number rises to 90 percent.

For many CPA firms, data leakage is becoming an increasing problem, with the potential to pose truly disastrous results for a company and its clients. For instance, in 2012, a public accounting firm was contracted to perform financial statement auditing services for a client.

What many warehouse administrators, logistic departments, small business controllers and even accounting teams may not consider is the business value realized from an integrated accounting and inventory management system.

QuickBooks’ sales tax tracking features help you track the “who, what, why, where, and how much” of sales tax. The ultimate goal of QuickBooks sales tax tracking system is to properly calculate and collect sales tax and to properly report revenues tax collections, and tax payments in two two-dimensional reports called Sales Tax Revenue Summary and Sales Tax Liability.