june2022 - 28

FEATURE
Here are some additional tips to
maximize product testing:
* Test out the features in real practice.
For example, you may set up and test
the solution with an existing engagement
to see how the process works.
* Consider asking a trusted client to help
you test out client-facing features. Get
their feedback on the system itself.
For example, does the system add
value? Is it easy to use? Their input
can be considered when making
your decision, but it shouldn't be the
determining factor in your choice.
TAKING THE NEXT STEPS
You're halfway to finding the right
software solution for your firm.
You've figured out what you need
and found some solutions that may
work well for your firm. But there's
still work to be done.
STEPS 5-8: FINDING THE RIGHT
SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS FOR
YOUR FIRM
5
PRICING AND
YOUR BUDGET
Price
can
lead
also consider the value the software
provides.
When evaluating the pricing of
a software solution, I also recommend
considering the following:
* Pricing model. What type of pricing
model is the software on? Do you
pay monthly, quarterly, or annually?
Are you stuck in a contract? Does
the pricing have tiers that you can
upgrade or downgrade to freely?
* Client-facing. If the software is
client-facing, what costs will be
involved for each client who uses
the platform?
* Free often doesn't mean " free. " When
software, especially SaaS platforms
are free, they often offer very limited
functionality. Try the free option if
it's available, but also consider the
premium features that are missing
and whether they're worth the cost
of upgrading.
Once you've dealt with the pricing
side of things and landed on a
solution you think is worth using
for your firm, it's time to look at
training and onboarding.
to
sticker shock for a lot
of firms. Often, people think, " it's
going to cost that much?! " This can
lead them to miss out on a solution
that can supercharge their firm in
ways that manual work cannot.
Instead, you need to look at the
price in terms of value to judge
whether a solution is right for you.
For example, let's assume that a
practice management solution will
cost you $60 a month per user. You
might think that it's too expensive,
but let's break down the pricing to
reveal the true cost of this software:
* $15 a week
* $3 a business day
If an accountant in your firm
saves even 10 minutes a day, you're
going to benefit from the software.
As you can see, looking at software
pricing alone isn't a good way to
evaluate the true cost. You must
6
UNDERSTANDING
TRAINING
AND
ONBOARDING
Even the best user interface and
software in the world have a learning
curve. You'll need to view training
and onboarding in two ways:
* First, what level of training and
onboarding is offered? Is the training
free or is there a fee attached?
* Second, what level of commitment
do you need to make? Time is money.
Additionally, you'll want to
consider the training and onboarding
for your staff. If there are no
online training materials, will the
developer offer to train your staff
for a fee? While training might not
be as big of an issue for a small firm,
trying to train dozens of employees
can turn into a logistical nightmare
without the proper support.
Even if these services have a fee,
28 JUNE 2022 ■ www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
they can help reduce the learning
curve for your team to make the
transition to the solution easier for
everyone involved.
A technology provider
can
help make the transition a bit
easier with:
* A guide that outlines key features
and how to use the platform
* Demos, wh i ch show qu i ck
demonstrations of the power of
the platform
* Onboarding solutions and U.S.-based
support that make the transition
easy for clients
If you don't know what type of
onboarding or training is available,
just ask. In fact, this is the optimal
time to reach out to support and see
how quick their response time is.
7
PAY CLOSE
ATTENTION TO
SUPPORT
When you reach out
to support, you want to consider
the following:
* What type of support is available? Do
you need to call support, or can you
hop on live chat or send an email and/
or ticket to support?
* What hours is support available?
What time zone is the support
team located in?
* Is support offshore or U.S.-based?
* Human contact is also very important.
It's been found that 75% of people
prefer to speak to a real person when
they have an issue. If the software
solution doesn't enable you to get in
touch with support directly, consider
how that may impact your experience.
Your firm is going to rely on the
software solutions you choose.
support isn't responsive, convenient,
or conducive to your choice of interaction,
reconsider your choice. Issues
can and likely will come up with
software, and if there's no reliable
point of contact, it will cost your firm
time and money in the long term.
You've almost made your decision
on the right software for your firm, but
before you do, it's crucial to consider
a few additional things.
8
DON'T FORGET
TO CONSIDER A
FEW OTHER
THINGS
Finally, you've made it to the last step,
and there are just a few additional
things that you should consider here.
First, can the software scale with
your firm as it grows? For example,
can you easily add additional users to
the software?
Secondly, one last thing to note is
not to get caught up in features that
you'll never use. If there are 10 features
that you'll use and 15 that you
won't, consider if you're overbuying.
Seek to find a software solution that
fits your needs closely.
Of course, if you do plan on needing
those features in the near future,
the software may not be an overbuy.
WRAPPING UP
If you underestimate the importance
of your tech stack and software
solutions, you'll lose tons of time in
the process. In fact, the majority of
accountants agree that technology
improves efficiency and productivity.
However, I've outlined the steps
that led to my success when choosing
software as an accounting professional
and the steps we help other
accountants implement as welll.
You, too, can use these steps to save
your firm time, money, and valuable
resources. ■
If
Judie McCarthy is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor
(Advanced Certified), speaker, author,
experienced accounting professional, and
co-founder of Client Hub.
http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
june2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of june2022
