CPA Practice Advisor - 9

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: REVIEW
Canopy Practice Management	
Designed for accounting firms of any size, Canopy
offers complete project management, time and billing,
document management, and client
STRENGTHS:
management capability. Canopy is
* Pricing includes unlimited
users
completely cloud-based, so users
* Client portal included at no
can access the application from
extra cost
anywhere at any time.
* Mobile app available
Canopy currently offers two
POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS:
* Complete practice manage- plans, with a third plan due to be
ment only available in more released sometime in the sumexpensive plan
mer of 2020, and all plans include
* Limited reporting options
an unlimited number of users.
Canopy also includes tax and portal mobile apps for
both iOS and Android devices.

Empire Suite	
Empire Suite is a cloud-based application that offers
several seamlessly integrated solutions: Empire TIME,
Empire EXPENSE, Empire CALENSTRENGTHS:
DAR, Empire RESOURCE, Empire
* Product integrates with
numerous ERP systems
AUTOMATED TAX SCHEDULING
* Excellent integration with
and Empire TIME OFF. All products
Microsoft Office
* Mobile app available for iOS are designed to work together to
and Android devices
create a robust management soluPOTENTIAL LIMITATIONS:
tion. Empire Suite is best suited to
* Too complex for smaller
larger businesses, but scalable to
accounting firms
any size..
* Better suited for project
Empire Suite has added several
management than practice
management
new features since it was reviewed
last, including PTO management
using any device, the ability to do resource scheduling at the activity level, the ability to create multiple

www.canopytax.com
New features in Canopy for 2020 include a Deposits Dashboard, which provides a real-time view to all
bank account balances and current cash flow. Also
new is the option for clients to pay invoices in the
client portal, storing payment information that can
be used for future invoices. Users can also save and
preview any email attachment and save tax forms
directly to a client file for easy future access.
Canopy includes excellent CRM capability, with
users able to track client communication and requests.
A client portal is available for sharing tax forms,
engagement letters, invoices, and other documents.
In addition, users are able to create custom fields for
tracking additional information.

www.empiresuite.com
employee types, the addition of business intelligence
reporting, and an enhanced project user interface.
The other major addition is the availability of timers,
which allows managers to track employee time, with
employees also able to track time spent on a specific
project.
Empire Suite's app Empire MOBILE is compatible
with both iOS and Android devices, and it allows users
to perform a variety of tasks including automatic
downloading of credit card expenses for easy billing,
tracking all assigned projects, the ability to track time
and expense entries, and the ability to track mileage.
Managers can access employee time and timer function directly from the mobile app, and time can be
entered into Empire Suite when offline, with the data
later syncing with the application once a connection

OfficeTools Cloud and OfficeTools WorkSpace	 www.officetools.com
OfficeTools from AbacusNext offers two practice
management solutions: OfficeTools Cloud and
OfficeTools WorkSpace. OfficeTools
STRENGTHS:
Cloud combines CRM, project and
* Extremely easy to use
*Offers both cloud and
due date tracking, time and billing,
on-premise deployment
and document management into
* Includes a client portal
a single, cloud accessible applicaPOTENTIAL LIMITATIONS:
tion and is best suited for small to
* Can be expensive for firms
mid-sized firms that are looking
with multiple users
for an all-in-one practice management solution. OfficeTools WorkSpace also includes
a mobile app that supports both iOS and Android
devices and also offers an optional client portal for
easy communication with clients. For those that prefer

on-premise installation, OfficeTools WorkSpace can be
installed on a local workstation or network or hosted
in Abacus Private Cloud if desired.
The single screen user interface in WorkSpace
offers easy access to all clients, with a client list
displayed to the left of the screen while tabs at the top
of the screen offer access to important tasks such as
Calls, Schedule, Projects, Time, Billing, and the Documents option, for complete document management
capability. The screen also displays a list of upcoming
tasks, with estimated times to complete each task
included.
OfficeTools Cloud is designed to make managing a
practice easy, and it does this tremendously well. The

2020 OVERALL RATING

4.5

Read the full review for
this product online at:

www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/
21136857

Pricing is based on the number of contacts: the
Basic plan is $894 per year for 200 contacts; the Standard plan is $1,073 for the same number of contacts.
Both plans include an unlimited number of users, the
client portal, mobile app, document management, and
invoicing, although time tracking or project management capability is only offered in the Standard plan.

2020 OVERALL RATING

4.75

Read the full review for
this product online at:

www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/
21136863

has been restored. The mobile app is available in
English, Spanish, and German languages, with more
languages coming soon.
Empire Suite is better suited to firms with strong
project management needs rather than the practice
management needs of a CPA firm. A powerful,
robust system, Empire Suite is optimally designed
for enterprise level organizations that are looking for
a centralized project management application that
integrates with ERP accounting applications.

5

2020 OVERALL RATING
Read the full review for
this product online at:

www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/
21136867

brower based application allows users to access any
task, client, or workflow from a single starting point,
and all navigation screens are free of clutter and offer
hyperlinks to other system areas. OfficeTools Cloud
is currently priced starting at $49 per month, billed
annually, or $59 per month when billed monthly.

MAY 2020 ■

www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com

9
http://www.canopytax.com http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/21136857 http://www.empiresuite.com http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/21136863 http://www.officetools.com http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/21136867 http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
CPA Practice Advisor

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CPA Practice Advisor
